Key Additions: OT Kelvin Beachum, WR Quinton Patton, QB Josh McCown, CB Morris Claiborne, DL Mike Pennel, OL Jonotthan Harrison
Key Subtractions: QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, CB Darrelle Revis, WR Brandon Marshall, C Nick Mangold, OT Ryan Clady, S Calvin Pryor, LB David Harris, WR Eric Decker
Strengths
It’s safe to say the Jets will live and die with their running game this season. They ranked 12th in the NFL in rushing offense, averaging a respectable 112.6 yards per game on the ground last season. Bilal Powell was a pleasant surprise for the Jets last campaign, gaining 411 of his career-high 722 rushing yards in the final four games of the season, when he was the primary back. New running backs coach Stump Mitchell expects Powell and Matt Forte to carry the scoring cudgels for the Jets, saying he wants each one to average 100 yards from scrimmage per game this upcoming season. Forte and Powell averaged 77 and 69 yards from scrimmage last season for the Jets, respectively.
Weaknesses
Well, the quarterback position remains a thorny issue for the Jets. While they have veteran Josh McCown to run the offense on the field, he’s still not the kind of QB that’ll make Jets fans comfortable. The 38-year-old veteran owns a dismal 18-42 career win-loss record and is just 2-20 in the past three seasons. Christian Hackenberg looked far from impressive in his rookie year and it will be interesting to see if he can finally crack the starting lineup this season. The pressure is on Hackenberg to deliver given that the Jets are positioning themselves for a run at USC’s Sam Darnold in next year’s draft.
Not helping the Jets’ cause is their lack of experience in the WR department. No receivers on the Jets roster have had a 1,000-yard season. After Quincy Enunwa and Quinton Patton, the receiver position is in a state of flux with the beleaguered Jets, who have several youngsters on the lineup, including Charone Peake, Jalin Marshall, Devin Smith and Robbie Anderson.
Key Player – Matt Forte
To say that Matt Forte had a disappointing 2016 season would be a severe understatement. He averaged only 3.7 yards per carry last campaign, his lowest number since 2009. Forte still played an integral role for the Jets, though, scoring more touchdowns than any other New York player last year (seven rushing and one receiving). There’s a reason why Forte managed to survive the Jets’ offseason roster purge that claimed so many older veterans. With the emergence of Powell and a much healthier offensive line, look for Forte to bounce back in his second season with the Jets.
Key Game – vs. Miami (September 24)
There’s no question the Jets will be bad in 2017. Opening home games tend to bring the best, though, even out of those bad teams. Just ask the woeful San Francisco 49ers who won each of their last two opening home games. Can the Jets stun the Dolphins on September 24 and bring some misguided hope to the New York faithful? The Jets, who are priced at +7,000to win the AFC East, are 2-1 ATS in their last three home games against the Dolphins.
2016 Team Stats
Category
Stat (Rank)
Points per game
17.2 (#30)
Passing yards per game
216.6 (#27)
Rushing yards per game
112.6 (#12)
Scoring defense
25.6 (#28)
Writer’s Prediction
The Jets, who are pegged at +30,000to win the Super Bowl, finish dead last in the AFC East with a 2-14 record.
