2007 NewYork Jets

The New York Jets were the story of the Big Apple in 2006, not the NY football Giants. The Mangenius took the Jets from a 4-12 campaign in 2005 to a 10-6 mark in 2006. Unfortunately, a huge turnaround has lifted this franchise’s hopes sky high for a season that is sure to level off.

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The Jets shocked the world with their 10-6 record and postseason berth last season. Ninety percent of the sports media had Mangini’s boys pegged dead last. Eric Mangini and GM Mike Tannenbaum got worlds of credit for last season’s turnaround, but the healthy return of QB Chad Pennington was perhaps the biggest reason for their success.

Thomas Jones comes over from the Chicago Bears to give the Jets their hope at another solid season. New York was not able to replace the injured Curtis Martin last season and Thomas Jones will definitely be an upgrade in the running game. He will provide them with more offensive balance which will hopefully spur on more scoring. However, Jones will no longer have a stacked offensive line to hide behind. The Jets’ right side of the offensive line is an apparent weak spot. The defense will struggle and their schedule is tough, but even with these obstacles, there are enough pieces in place for the Green and White to get back to the postseason.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was as good as advertised in 2006. He designed a scheme with West Coast attributes to compensate for Pennington’s lack of arm strength. Thomas Jones will fit right in with the control-based scheme that Schottenheimer is looking for. Jones has the versatility to grind out tough yards and make big plays by getting outside. This offense promises lots of shotgun, motion, and no-huddle looks to keep defenses moving and guessing before the ball is snapped. Jones will allow the two tight end attack that Schottenheimer likes to be more effective in short yardage spots. Wide receiver Brad Smith is a perfect motion man for this offense, being a college QB, he poses the threat of trick pass plays and must be accounted for on every down. He could be one of the best decoys in the league this season, the way Devin Hester figures to be when the Bears work him into some offensive sets.

Coach Eric Mangini has brought the “D” to the Jets. His scheme is the spitting image of the Patriots’ which is a base 3-4 and mixes in 4-3 looks, usually in passing spots. Defensive coordinator Bob Sutton plays defense like he is playing a playstation game, blitzing nearly every down. In my opinion, he is going to have to lose his flair for the safety blitz as it has opened up big play opportunities for opponents who the Jets could handle playing their base scheme. This speedy unit lacks beef upfront so a strong pass rush off the corner is essential. The Jets will be alright for the most part, but meetings with the Patriots and some of the other more potent passing offenses will exploit their lack of a pass rush.

By Jeff Alexander – 7/17/2007

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