Rex Ryan and the Jets are not offering any guarantees this year, for a change.
After watching their 2011 season collapse under the weight of great expectations with in-fighting and ineffective play, the Jets hope to return to the formula they used in 2009 and ’10 to get to back-to-back AFC title games. They are doing so without their usual bravado and trash talk.
The Jets are counting on an offensive overhaul. The team jettisoned offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, replacing him with Tony Sparano. Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum then made the stunning trade in March for Tim Tebow, whose exact role remains a mystery waiting to be revealed in the regular season.
VACCARO: JETS SHOULD FOLLOW GIANTS EXAMPLE
SERBY’S TEAM-BY-TEAM CAPSULES AND PREDICTIONS
Starting quarterback Mark Sanchez is back and so is wide receiver SantonioHolmes. The duo never clicked last year, but spent time this offseason working out their chemistry issues. The bigger question for the starting offense, which scored no touchdowns in the preseason, is who else can be a weapon for Sanchez.
The Jets’ biggest problem is the same one they’ve had for a decade now: Tom Brady is still the quarterback of the Patriots. New England shows no signs of slowing down, with some people predicting a 16-0 season this year. The Jets don’t look like a threat to win the division because of that, but should contend for a wild-card spot.
We’ll know how the offense looks after the first five weeks of the season when the Jets face top defenses in the Steelers, 49ers, Texans and the new-look Bills.
OFFENSE
Jets fans won’t have Brian Schottenheimer to kick around anymore. The fans’ favorite target is now working in St. Louis. Tony Sparano replaces him with a no-nonsense style and top secret plans for Tim Tebow.
The focus since the March 21 trade for the polarizing quarterback has been just what the Jets will do with him. It seems as if they have said Mark Sanchez will be the starter every day since the deal was done. Instead, the Jets envision a role for Tebow as a change of pace from the normal offense to keep defenses off balance and their coaches awake at night.
Sanchez added weight after taking so many hits last season. He has been impressive in camp and seems to have a grasp of Sparano’s system. He also demonstrated leadership this offseason, patching things up with Holmes and saying all the right things publicly about the Tebow trade. Now, the question becomes: Can he take a step forward in his fourth year and become the franchise quarterback the Jets envisioned when they drafted him with the fifth-overall pick in 2009?
Besides Santonio Holmes, his primary targets will be tight end Dustin Keller, who led the team in receptions last season, and rookie Stephen Hill. Keller is entering the final year of his contract and needs to impress Sparano if he wants to remain a Jet. Hill has shown great athletic ability, but is raw as a receiver and has dropped some passes.
This team will not be about airing it out this year, though. Rex Ryan hired Sparano in hopes of returning to their “Ground and Pound” roots of his first two years. Running back Shonn Greene will be the key. After rushing for 1,054 yards a year ago, Greene will be a focal point of the Jets offense. The Jets believe Greene gets better the more carries he gets. It will be interesting to see if Tebow’s role cuts down on Greene’s carries.
The offensive line is back with one major change. Beleaguered right tackle Wayne Hunter was shipped to St. Louis last week. The unproven Austin Howard will start the season at that spot with Jason Smith, the player the Jets got for Hunter, lurking in the background. The Jets failed to score a touchdown in their first three preseason games. They say it doesn’t matter. We’ll see.
Grade: C
DEFENSE
It’s hard to even find a weakness on this side of the ball. Ryan and coordinator Mike Pettine feel as if they corrected the one flaw in last year’s group — the safeties.
The team signed free agents LaRon Landry and Yeremiah Bell to solidify the back end of a defense that finished fifth overall last season. They believe that duo can prevent the big plays that killed the Jets at times last year, and stop tight ends from running wild on them.
The Jets selected defensive end Quinton Coples with their first-round pick, the second straight year the top pick was used on a defensive lineman. The addition of Coples allows the Jets to use more four-man fronts this year, something they plan on doing a lot of, particularly against conference foes like the Patriots who spread the Jets out last year.
Cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are the best duo in football and take away the outside of the field in most games. The Jets hope Coples, second-year man Muhammad Wilkerson and Aaron Maybin can give them a pass rush that forces quarterbacks into testing the corners.
The starting linebackers remain unchanged even after it looked as if Bart Scott might be on his way out this offseason. Scott lost weight, hoping to stay on the field on passing downs unlike last year.
David Harris is a rock in the middle of the defense. He also lost some weight in order to provide better pass coverage. Sione Po’uha and Mike DeVito are back on the defensive line as the team’s primary run stoppers. Ryan has said he will be more involved in the defense this year. It sounds as if he will take back play-calling duties from Pettine, who called the defense last season. Whoever calls the plays, this defense will be a force this year.
Grade: A
SPECIAL TEAMS
This is special teams coordinator Mike Westhoff’s final season after 30 years in the NFL. You can bet he has some things planned.
It all starts — where else? — withTebow. One thing the Jets have not kept secret is their plan to use Tebow as the personal protector on the punt team. This will give them the threat of a fake on almost every punt. They have spent the summer working on all different kinds of fakes. Joe McKnight will be back returning kicks after setting a franchise record with a 31.6 yards-per-return average in 2011. McKnight is a fierce runner who added some weight but did not lose any burst this offseason.
Second-year receiver Jeremy Kerley will handle punt returns again. He was fourth in the AFC with an average of 10.9 yards per return last year. Kicker Nick Folk held off challenger Josh Brown in training camp to keep his job. Folk made 76 percent of his kicks in 2011, including a game-winner in the season-opener against the Cowboys.
Punter T.J. Conley is back for his second season. He drives the coaches crazy with inconsistency, but they have not found someone that they have more confidence in — yet.
While Eric Smith struggled as a starting safety last year, he remained a special teams ace. Westhoff loves Smith’s versatility and uses him on multiple teams. Nick Bellore earned his roster spot last year with his special teams play.
Grade: B
COACHING
Ryan lost more than 100 pounds and his penchant for bold predictions since last season. He was stunned and hurt by how last season went with a rift developing on the team that he was unaware of until it was too late. Ryan recommitted himself to connecting with players and has spent more time in meeting rooms, both offensive and defensive.
Sparano will not have a long honeymoon. He can ask Schottenheimer or Paul Hackett how popular Jets offensive coordinators usually are. It is on him to make the Tebow experiment work and push Sanchez to take that next step. Can he do both at the same time? That is the tricky part of his task.
New defensive line coach Karl Dunbar is drawing rave review from his linemen and could prove to be the team’s biggest acquisition if the pass rush improves.
Grade: B
PREDICTION: 9-7
The defense carries the Jets early on as the offense feels its way. After a slow start, Sanchez shows the progress needed and the team sneaks into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season.
BRIAN COSTELLO’S YARDSTICKS
MOST IMPORTANT OFFENSIVE PLAYER:
Whoever is playing right tackle. Whether it’s Austin Howard or newcomer Jason Smith, it won’t matter how much improvement Mark Sanchez has made if he can’t stay upright.
MOST IMPORTANT DEFENSIVE PLAYER:
LaRon Landry. The Jets need a safety who can stop the tight ends from killing them. If Landry can stay healthy, he looks like the guy to do it.
If he can be a force in the middle of the field, teams will have to test Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie on the outside.
ROOKIE TO WATCH:
Quinton Coples. The Jets are counting on the defensive end from North Carolina to give them an interior pass rush. In the past, the Jets have used blitzes and gimmicks to get to the quarterbacks. Now, they hope Coples can provide a straight rush up the middle.
STAR ON THE RISE:
Muhammad Wilkerson. The second-year defensive end looked great during training camp. He is solid against the run and pass and looks more explosive this season. The Jets coaches think he can be a Pro Bowler.
BIGGEST GAME:
Hate saying the first game is the biggest, but the Sept. 9 meeting with the Bills has huge implications. It is the first time they will unveil the Tim Tebow offense. It is against a division foe that looks to have improved. And it comes before a stretch when the Jets face three of the league’s top defenses over four weeks. If the Jets lose to Buffalo, panic could set in quickly.
BIGGEST COACHING DECISION:
What they have to do to keep everyone happy on offense. They must make the Tebow project work while also keeping Sanchez, Santonio Holmes and Shonn Greene happy.
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF …
The Jets add a veteran receiver before October. Stephen Hill looks as if he’s a year away.
SURE TO MAKE FANS GRUMBLE:
When Sanchez throws his first interception.