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It was rough going right out of the gate for the New York Jets in 2022, as the coaching staff decided to go all old school and play starters in the preseason, costing the team Zach Wilson for the first month of the season. Of course, looking back, it probably didn’t make much of a difference, but considering the crap-show that Wilson’s season, and eventual benching, became in NY, the extra work missing three regular season games, and the teaching and prep that comes with that, probably didn’t help.
Regardless, once Wilson came back the team started winning and, oh, was their joy in Mudville. Victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos (before everyone realized how awful they were) stacked up four in a row to put the team at 5-2 by Halloween. They fell to the New England Patriots to stop the streak, but bounced right back with a monstrous, season highlight, 20-17 win over the Buffalo Bills.
They would win just one game, a blowout at home over the Chicago Bears, over the final eight games of the season. So you can see the problem, if you’re the Jets. You obviously have a decent team, if not a good team. You just have one glaring issue and it’s one you’ve brought upon yourself, the quarterback you stupidly selected in the first round back in 2021.While I am a firm believer that the NFL gives up on quarterbacks too soon, I’m also a firm believer that Zach Wilson should have never been selected in the first round to begin with. Just an incredibly dumb and risky move made by a franchise who should know better (See also Trey Lance and the San Francisco 49ers and Anthony Richardson with the Indianapolis Colts).
Wilson went 5-4 as a starter with a 54.5 completion percentage, 1,688 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions. Rookie Breece Hall led the team rushing 463 yards and four touchdowns to go with 19 receptions, 218 receiving yards and one score. Garrett Wilson caught 83 passes for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. Quinnen Williams earned himself a monster new contract thanks to a 12 sack season with 55 tackles, 12 for a loss, four passes defended, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. CJ Mosely recorded 158 tackles, five for a loss, one sack, seven passes defended and an interception. Lamrcus Joyner picked off three passes, adding 57 tackles, six passes defended and one fumble recovery.
NEW YORK JETS
2022-23 Record: 7-10
Playoffs: N/A
2023 AFC Championship Odds: +900
NOW WHAT?
Well, the Jets looked at their roster, looked at the problem and swung for the fences to fix it, bringing in future Pro Football Hall of Famer and our nation’s preeminent Ivermectin spokesperson, Aaron Rodgers, to New York in exchange for a set of draft picks that would have been significantly more expensive if this swap had happened the year before.
Rodgers, for his part, has bought completely in. Gone are the ayahuasca retreats and weirdo summer behaviors that took the QB away from his teammates. He’s been working with his young receivers and backs, his coaches, and Rodgers has been the guy the Jets need him to be. And while this might be the worst offensive line (on paper), Rodgers has ever played behind, I’m not sure it’s going to play out that way in the regular season. This is, easily, the biggest upgrade for any team and any single position this offseason and I will be shocked if it doesn’t pay immediate dividends. Rodgers immediately signed a new deal that cost him $35 million but will give the team all the cap they need to add talent this year and next.
Flipping through their schedule, it starts off with bang in Week 1, as New York finds itself in Prime Time on Monday Night Football and hosting the Buffalo Bills. Rodgers, because of his spring and summer separation from the Packers in recent years, has dropped some surprising season openers. I don’t think you can count on that happening here. After the Bills, they go to Dallas to take on the Cowboys before they get a significant respite when they host the New England Patriots. After that, they get to measure where they are against the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles with a game at the new and improved Denver Broncos, the team that tried to add Rodgers last season, in between. Yes, 0-6 is possible before their bye, but 6-0 is too. The more likely record heading into their final 11 games is probably 3-3.
If there’s something that’s going to cost New York a trip to the postseason in 2023, it’s their schedule. Over those final 11 games, they face 2022 playoff teams five times. That doesn’t mean every non playoff team is a pushover. Their last two games, that will likely decide if they play on in mid-January are at the Cleveland Browns (who will be competing for those same spots) and the New England Patriots (who won’t be but are a consistent problem for New York). I see them finishing anywhere from 8-9 and 10-7, but they’ll likely split the difference at 9-8.
THE DRAFT
Even after the Rodgers trade, the Jets kept plenty of draft capital. They added am edge rusher in the first round in Will McDonald IV out of Iowa State, but one that didn’t seem to edge rush all that well in college. In the second, they took Wisconsin Center Joe Tippman to add to that offensive line that needed some help, then brought in another OL with their fourth rounder, Carter Warren, OT from Pittsburgh to earn a C grade.
FREE AGENCY
With Rodgers joining the team all offseason, the Jets added his people, specifically wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb from the Green Bay Packers. In addition, they brought in guard Was Schweitser from the Washington Commanders, defensive tackle Quenton Jefferson from the Seattle Seahawks, wideout Mecole Hardman from the Chiefs, defensive tackle Al Woods from the Seahawks, safety Adrian Amos from the Packers, center Trystan Colon-Castillo from the Baltimore Ravens, right tackle Billy Turner from the Broncos, punter Thomas Morstead from the Dolphins and cornerback Dane Cruikshank from the Chicago Bears.
AFC EAST
The Bills are way too far ahead of every other team in this division, so they’re already celebrating a title. Second and third are up for grabs, but realistically only the Dolphins and Jets are vying for that spot and the presumed Wild Card invite that comes with it. Since the Patriots probably won’t be a factor, the head-to-heads between the Fins and the Jets will likely determine who gets it.
Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.
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