By: Andy Davies

The New York Jets have a new quarterback. BYU’s Zach Wilson was taken second overall by the franchise in this year’s draft. Three years after trading up to get Sam Darnold at number three, the Jets have a new quarterback to pin their hopes on.

Getting a franchise quarterback has been a struggle ever since the departure of Joe Namath, winning Super Bowl 3 but failing to make the big game again. Darnold’s failure and subsequent trade to the Carolina Panthers is just another example in a long list of struggles at the position. 

Can Zach Wilson be the man to change this? Let’s take a look at a list of starting quarterbacks to have started at least ten games for the Jets during the Super Bowl era and whether Wilson can succeed in the NFL.

Joe Namath (1965-76)

Namath was the first Jets quarterback of the Super Bowl era and still stands as the best in franchise history. He was the starter when the Jets shocked the world by beating the Baltimore Colts 16-7 in a game that would change the history of the sport forever. In the first officially named Super Bowl, the Jets went into the game as massive underdogs before the team from the AFC beat the team from the NFC for the first time. This showed the entire sport that both conferences can beat each other and the league has never looked back.

Al Woodall played during Namath’s absence when he threatened to retired but during his time with the Jets, Namath was both the passing yards and passing touchdowns leader in the 1972 season. He also won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 1974 and had his number 12 jersey retired by the organization. He threw for 27,057 yards and 170 touchdowns during his time with the Jets, a career that saw Namath inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

As well as being a great player on the field, Namath was also known for his character off the field. As well as his infectious personality which saw him often spend time with women on the night before games, ‘Broadway Joe’ was an important figure for the NFL. It is not a surprise that the Jets have struggled to find anyone since with both the personality and ability of Namath.

Richard Todd (1976-83)

Namath left the Jets in 1977 for the Los Angeles Rams and his successor was Richard Todd, the sixth overall pick in the 1976 NFL Draft. He was taken by the Jets, who intended for Todd to replace Namath. Todd’s idol growing up was Namath and he spoke of what the experience was like playing alongside his childhood hero. 

“I thought it was great. It was very cool to hang out with Joe, watching his leadership and how he played. I hoped the Jets would let Joe be my tutor for four years but it didn’t work like that”. 

Todd is third in total yards recorded by any Jets quarterback in franchise history, with 24,386 yards and 110 touchdowns. However, Todd also had 138 interceptions, a 42-51-1 record as a starter and was at times booed by fans. He did guide the Jets to the AFC Championship during the 1982 season, a year after losing in the Wildcard Round to the Buffalo Bills. Todd would face a quarterback battle against Dan Marino and he vastly struggled. At Miami’s Orange Bowl, Todd was sacked four times as well as throwing for five interceptions and going 15-of-37 on his completions. He would last just one more season for the Jets before being traded to the New Orleans Saints. 

Pat Ryan (1978-89)

Joe Walton took over as Jets head coach during Todd’s final season and decided to start Ryan, who went 281st overall in the 1978 NFL Draft. Ryan didn’t start a game until Walton gave him the opportunity in 1984, where he started eleven games. This was his one true season as the Jets’ QB1, but threw for just 1,939 yards, 14 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the 1984 season and only started eight more games in the remaining five seasons of his Jets career. He did get the chance to lead the Jets in the playoffs during the 1986 season, where he took over from the benched Ken O’Brien. Ryan threw three touchdown passes as the Jets beat the Kansas City Chiefs before they lost to the Cleveland Browns in overtime in the Divisional Round.

“I was in disbelief and there was no suggestion it was going to happen. I didn’t play a lot but when I did, I did a fairly good job”, Ryan said when discussing replacing O’Brien.

Ken O’Brien (1984-92)

O’Brien was the starter in 1984, before the aforementioned benching for Ryan during the 1986 season. Only Namath has thrown more passing yards for the Jets than O’Brien, who was a two-time Pro Bowler and the NFL passer rating leader in 1985. He recorded a total of 24,386 yards, 124 touchdowns and 95 interceptions during his time with the Jets but failed to win a playoff game in two attempts at a starter (). O’Brien has since spoken of his time with the Jets.

“Things didn’t go the way they were growing and I wish we had done things better, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying”. 

Browning Nagle (1991-93)

Nagle had just a 3-10 record as a starter, recording 7 touchdowns and 17 interceptions during his time with the New York Jets before a more successful career in the Arena Football League.

Boomer Esiason (1993-95)

Esiason was traded to the Jets from the Cincinnati Bengals, who received a third-round pick in exchange. Despite winning the Most Valuable Player award with the Bengals in the 1988 season that saw them go to their second-ever Super Bowl, Esiason’s numbers began to drop. He recorded 20 or more touchdowns in 5 of his first 7 NFL seasons before a disappointing final two seasons with Cincinnati, recording 13 touchdowns and 16 interceptions in 1991 along with just 11 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 1992.

The decline continued into his time with the Jets, with a 15-27 record as a starter. Unfortunately for New York, it appears that the Jets picked Esiason five seasons too late.

Neil O’Donnell (1996-97)

Despite being a Pro Bowler in 1992 with the Pittsburgh Steelers, O’Donnell was traded to the Jets in 1996 in the offseason after throwing three interceptions in their Super Bowl 30 loss to the Dallas Cowboys

During his two seasons with the Jets, he posted an 8-12 record as a starter, throwing for 3,943 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.  In an article on Jets Wire back in 2016, O’Donnell was named the Jets’ worst ever Free Agency signing, although Le’Veon Bell may give him a run for his money if the article was written tomorrow. 

O’Donnell never worked out in New York,  but the Jets soon got a good replacement through the facility doors. 

Vinny Testaverde (1998-03, 2005)

Testaverde came to the organization late in his career but certainly made the most of it, earning one of his two Pro Bowl selections whilst with the Jets during his first season at the franchise. He left for the Cowboys but only lasted one season before heading back for a single year. 

He was part of a game in 2000 that many call the best ‘Monday Night Football’ game of all-time in an AFC East matchup against the Dolphins, where the Jets came back from 30-7 down at the beginning of the fourth quarter before bringing the scores back level at 37-37 at the end of regular time. A John Hall 40-yard field goal saw the Jets win in overtime.  It has been called the ‘Monday Night Miracle’ ever since, with the Palm Beach Post calling it a ‘Monday Meltdown’. Testaverde turned up when it mattered in this game, going 18-of-26 with four touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. 

He recorded 12,497 yards, 77 touchdowns, 58 interceptions with a 35-26 record as a starter for the Jets and has a 1-2 record in the postseason whilst playing in New York green.  

Chad Pennington (2000-07)

Pennington is widely regarded as the second or third best quarterback in franchise history along with Testaverde. For those eight seasons he spent with the Jets after being drafted eighteenth overall in 2000 he guided the Jets to the playoffs in three of those eight seasons, despite starting 3 games or less in three of those eight seasons. He posted a record of 2-3 in the playoffs with the Jets, reaching the Wildcard Round once and the Divisional Round twice.

He won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2006 whilst with the Jets (along with the Dolphins in 2008), was both the passer rating leader and completion percentage leader in 2002, the latter in which he also won as a Dolphin in 2008.  

Only three quarterbacks have thrown for more yards as a Jet than Pennington (13,738), who recorded 82 touchdowns and 55 interceptions with a 32-29 record as a starter. 

Brett Favre (2008)

This one was a big shame. Favre is a Hall of Famer and is seen as one of the best quarterbacks of all time, with many current NFL players who idolized the former Green Bay Packer growing up. The one-time Super Bowl champion finished his career as a three-time MVP, eleven-time Pro Bowler, four-time passing touchdown leader, two-time passing yards leader and a one-time completion percentage leader. His number 4 jersey is also retired by the Packers. 

Favre announced his retirement in March 2008 before returning to the league in the same year. Despite the best attempts of the Minnesota Vikings, Favre was traded to the Jets in exchange for a fourth-round pick. In his one season at the organization, he ended it with 22 touchdowns, 22 interceptions and a 9-7 record as the Jets missed out on the playoffs.  Favre told the Jets he was retiring before he was cut by the team. 

He then decided to join the Vikings, where he reached one of those eleven Pro Bowls in 2009. Favre had a 12-4 record as a starter that season as well as throwing for 33 touchdowns and 7 interceptions as Minnesota reached the NFC Championship. What could have been. 

Mark Sanchez (2009-12)

Sanchez was taken fifth overall by the Jets in 2009 and reached the AFC Championship in his rookie season, albeit recording 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. He would also reach the same stage of the postseason a season later. However, Sanchez never had the numbers despite an improvement in his sophomore year that saw him record 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The 2010 sophomore year saw Sanchez put himself in the history books by becoming the first quarterback to beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady on the road in successive weeks. Only Joe Flacco managed this achievement after Sanchez. 

After his first two seasons, Sanchez failed to make the postseason again in his career, recording 12,092 yards as a Jet as well as 68 touchdowns and 69 interceptions. He is best known nowadays for one play that took place on Thanksgiving in 2012 against the New England Patriots, which is referred to as the butt fumble.

With the Jets 14-0 down on 1st and 10 around their 30-yard line, Sanchez ran into the backside of offensive lineman Brandon Moore, before fumbling the ball. This was picked up by the Patriots safety Stephen Gregory, who took the ball to the end zone to give the Pats a 21-0 lead in a game that finished 49-19 to New England. 

Geno Smith (2013-16)

A second-round pick in 2013, Smith never took his opportunity as a starter, throwing for 5,962 yards, 28 touchdowns and 36 interceptions during his three seasons with New York. He had a 12-18 record as a Jets starter.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (2015-16)

Fitzpatrick is one of the more loved NFL quarterbacks, being the one Jets quarterback with a similar personality to Namath. He is a fun guy who may not have ever been consistent in his professional career, but he had one of his best spells as a Jet. Fitzpatrick may have had a 13-14 record as a starter but threw for 43 touchdowns, 6,615 yards and 32 interceptions during his two seasons.

Josh McCown (2017-18)

McCown only won five games during his sixteen games across two seasons as a starter for the Jets. He never truly got going but was more than likely a stopgap so they could go out and get a quarterback in the 2018 NFL Draft. Their intent was clear when they traded up to get the number 3 overall pick. The player they picked, was USC’s Sam Darnold. 

Sam Darnold (2018-20)

Darnold came into the league with plenty of hype, with many seeing him as a potential number one overall. However, his NFL career never really took off. The Panthers trade is seen as a chance for him to resurrect his career after two head coaches in three seasons with the Jets, being caught on microphone saying he was “seeing ghosts” in a 2019 week 7 Monday Night Football loss to the New England Patriots. He threw for 8,097 yards, 45 touchdowns and 39 interceptions during his spell with the Jets but failed to convince the franchise to keep him on as they went out and got Wilson. 

There are plenty of people on both sides of the Sam Darnold fence. Some feel his struggles were fully on him, whereas others feel that he will succeed now that he is playing under a promising head coach in Matt Rhule in Carolina. It is safe to say we will see the real Darnold in Charlotte, whether that is good or bad. 

Can Wilson Succeed?

Zach Wilson. Can he finally be the guy to turn the organization around? The Jets have certainly gone out to protect their new guy, by taking guard Alijah Vera-Tucker in the 2021 NFL Draft at fourteenth overall. There is plenty who feel he has bust potential, with only one of his three college seasons seeing more than 12 touchdowns thrown. In 2020, he recorded 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions. This is a great season and he certainly impressed in the combine, was that just a one-off? 

The NFL will be the true test of that and the fact he was second overall will bring its own pressure, especially in a city such as New York. Wilson’s personality appears a lot more reserved than many of the other players taken in the first round, with the Utah native needing to quickly adjust to the change of lifestyle in the big apple. 

His arm looks excellent and he looks able to scramble and make plays in a similar fashion to Patrick Mahomes. Comparing him to the Chiefs superstar is the last thing I want to do for an NFL rookie, but it is hard to ignore the similarity in his college tape. 

The Jets have struggled for too long and need something to ignite the fire back into this organization. Can it be Wilson?

The post Can Zach Wilson succeed in New York? A history of New York Jets QBs appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

Here’s today’s riddle. What rookie had one less carry than fellow rookie Javonte Williams, was drafted 72 spots later, but actually had more rushing yards and better yards per carry average? Well, that would be none other than Williams’ fellow North Carolina teammate Michael Carter. 

When the New York Jets turned in Carters’ card with the 107th pick overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, they moved one step closer to finding clarity in their backfield. With the departure of Frank Gore, and his 203 touches, the Jets running backs’ room may be crowded, but it lacks a solid incumbent. 

Tevin Coleman: On the surface, the newly acquired free agent looks to be the RB1. In four years with the Atlanta Falcons, Coleman rushed the ball 528 times for 2,340 yards, 18 touchdowns, and a respectable 4.4 yards per rush average. He added another 92 receptions and 11 touchdowns through the air. However, the past two seasons in San Francisco have not been so productive for Coleman. His 165 rush attempts for 597 yards, six touchdowns and a 3.6 yards per attempt are not lead-back numbers. 

La’Mical Perine:  Drafted in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Perine’s rookie season with the Jets was unspectacular. In 10 games he rushed 64 times for 232 yards, two touchdowns, and a 3.6 yards per rush average. The most telling stat, however, was Perine’s inability to create additional yardage as elite backs do. At 1.6 yards after contact and only two broken tackles all season, Perine lacks the explosive playmaking ability that an NFL team looks for in its RB1.

Ty Johnson: Rumour has it that Johnson and Carter are really making that hard push in training camp to come out on top of the Jets running back depth chart. In 2020, Johnson appeared in 11 games with the Jets rushing 54 times for 254 yards and one touchdown. But as with Perine, Johnson lacks the ability to extend running plays. He averaged 1.8 yards after contact and managed to break only a solitary tackle all season. 

The 2020 Jets were the worst in the NFL offensively (32nd overall) and were dead last in the league in rushing touchdowns. It helped lead to the firing of head coach Adam Gase and the hiring of Robert Saleh. New offensive coordinator Mike Lafleur joins Saleh, both of whom learned under 49er head coach Kyle Shanahan, and will look to develop an offense similar to the ones the 49ers ran during their tenure. And in that scheme, the running backs are vital to the success of it. 

Carter is the perfect fit. He rushed 514 times in college for 3,404 yards, 22 touchdowns and a healthy 6.6 yards per rush attempt average. He added 82 more receptions for 656 yards, six more touchdowns, and an average of 8.0 yards per reception. But what sets Carter apart from the rest of the Jets’ running backs, what makes him a potential elite NFL running back, is both his explosiveness and his ball security. In 2020, Carter rushed 157 times, gained an additional 702 yards after initial contact (4.47 average per attempt) all without coughing up the ball even once. That is what an NFL coach dreams about and that is exactly what is going to make Michael Carter RB1 for the New York Jets in 2021 and beyond. 

The post The Jets will run with rookie Carter appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

The New York Jets are a team that will look vastly different than what was seen to end last season. They have made improvements at nearly every position on the roster. The coaching staff has also been overhauled with a brand new regime. 

With all of these changes, do the Jets have a real chance to make the playoffs? They just might, and here’s why. 

Strong Rookie Class

The Jets had maybe the best draft of any team in 2021. At least on paper, each pick could make an impact in their first year. 

To start it off, take a look at second-overall pick, BYU quarterback Zach Wilson. Wilson threw 33 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in his final season at BYU. This led to him flying up draft boards. 

The Jets then added left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker with the 14th overall pick. Vera-Tucker is set to be a building block of that offensive line and will be paired next to last year’s first round selection, Mekhi Beckton.

Explosive wide receiver Elijah Moore out of Ole Miss was selected with the 34th overall pick by the Jets. Moore will be inserted into the offense day one and will be expected to make an impact. During his time at Ole Miss, Moore reached the end zone 16 times and caught 189 passes.

Moves in Free Agency

The Jets also chose to be more active in free agency than they have been in the past. They signed multiple big free agents such as wide receiver Corey Davis, defensive end Carl Lawson, and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins. They also added strong role players wide receiver Keelan Cole, running back Tevin Coleman, and linebacker Jarrad Davis.

Each player will be expected to help this team move on to another level. The Jets have big plans this upcoming season and this veteran group will be expected to help not only lead the rookies but also be prepared to make big plays instantly. 

The addition of Carl Lawson may end up being the biggest. Pairing Lawson with rising star Quinnen Williams should help fortify this defensive line. 

New Coaching Staff

The Jets will enter the 2021 season with a brand new coaching staff led by longtime defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. Saleh was hired by the Jets after being the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers since 2017. His defensive mind should help this group become one of the best defenses in the NFL. The coordinators hired should also bring a new aspect to this team.

Saleh brought former San Franscio 49ers passing game coordinator Mike LaFleur with him to New York to be his offensive coordinator. If Mike LaFleur is anything like his older brother, current Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur, then this offense could be incredibly exciting to watch. 

To lead the defense, former Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was hired. The expectations will be high for Ulbrich, who was a former 49ers linebacker. 

With all of these changes made to this team over the off-season, the Jets will be expected to perform at a higher level than they did in 2020. They will hope to be much better than their 2-14 record in 2020. With the new additions in both free agency and the draft, with the new coaching staff, and the players already on the roster that have shown improvements, this team could be a problem in the AFC. Expect this rookie class to be leaned on heavily this season. If all goes to plan, they truly do have an opportunity to make a run at the playoffs. 

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Draft day is just over a day away and the anticipation of what each NFL franchise will do has all fans excited! The first round of the NFL draft goes live at 8:00 PM ET from Cleveland. The draft is back in person after a remote and virtual draft last year. The commissioner will be back on stage greeting and shaking hands with the future stars of the NFL.

The Jaguars have been on the clock for months. They hold the first pick of this year’s draft and it is all but done in the eyes of everyone. Could they shock the world and really shake things up? Maybe but it is unlikely! The prospect everyone penciled in for Jacksonville and the number one overall pick of this year’s draft is Trevor Lawrence, from Clemson.

For the first time in franchise history, the Jaguars will have the number one pick. This is pivotal for the franchise and the future of their newly signed head coach Urban Meyer. Meyer is testing his luck in the NFL for the first time after winning multiple NCAA Football Championships and coming out of retirement. Meyer won National Championships at both Florida and Ohio State in the past. He has plenty of championship pedigree in the college ranks. Meyer has tallied 187 wins in 17 NCAA seasons as a head coach. Meyer will start off his NFL tenure with a high caliber QB in Trevor Lawrence.

Why Lawrence is a sure fire number one pick can be seen in his football career dating back to high school. Lawrence broke the Georgia high school record for yards and touchdowns in his senior year, records previously held by Deshaun Watson. He broke these records while competing versus another high profile quarterback in this class in Justin Fields, who grew up 20 miles away from Lawrence. Lawrence followed Watson to the University of Clemson. In his freshman season, he led the Tigers to a National Championship. Lawrence led the Tigers in a route over Alabama. The next season Lawrence made it to the College Football Championship again but lost to Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers. His junior year Clemson lost to Ohio State in the semifinals.

Lawrence’s college career is full of gaudy numbers. In three seasons as a starter, he tallied a record of 34-2. Lawrence completed 66.6% of his passes for 10,098 total yards. He has a career passer rating of 164.3 with 90 career passing touchdowns to 17 interceptions. He wasn’t just a pure passer he has the ability to run and make big plays with his legs outside the pocket. Lawrence rushed for 943 yards for an average of 4.1 yards per carry and 18 touchdowns. We all saw his running ability in the 2019 Fiesta Bowl where he broke off a 67 yard touchdown run.

Of course, with all the numbers come awards and accolades. Lawrence has plenty of All-Honors from all of his seasons. He finished second in Heisman voting last year as well as a finalist for the Maxwell, O’Brien, and Camp Player of the Year Awards.

Lawrence is regarded as the ultimate NFL prototype in today’s game. With rare size, mobility, speed, awareness, arm strength, and accuracy Lawrence is set to play a huge role in the Jaguars future. Mel Kiper graded Lawrence as his fourth highest quarterback ever and the highest since Andrew Luck. The experts say Lawrence is an Elway, Luck, Manning type of player.

Lawrence is a smooth operator in the pocket, his awareness and athleticism allow him to move in the pocket and he uses his eyes and arm talent to make plays. He works well under pressure and can beat you outside the pocket. His experience in big games vs high quality competition gives NFL teams a clear view of his ability on the field.

Off the field, Lawrence doesn’t raise any red flags. Last year he missed a few games with a positive covid test. He was on the sideline engaged in the game and helping his teammates and team in whatever fashion he was able to. He showed another phase of his toughness and football spirit by having his pro day on February 12^th. He was scheduled for labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder on February 16^th. He’s expected to make a full recovery before camp and get ready for his rookie season.

Lawrence will make it four straight years a quarterback is picked number one overall. The Jaguars are rebuilding a team and former pro bowl receiver DJ Chark will be excited with his new signal caller. Of course, there are no guarantees of becoming a superstar in the NFL but Lawrence is an insanely talented prospect and one of great value for the Jaguars.

The second overall pick belongs to the New York Jets. A team that also is looking for a future leader at the quarterback position and one with a new first time NFL head coach. Robert Saleh was signed as the Jets new head coach back in January. Saleh has been an NFL coach on the defensive side of the ball since 2005. Most recently he was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers starting in 2017. With a new defensive coach and at the time a young quarterback the Jets were looking at prospects in the playmaking and defensive side of the ball. However, a lot has changed since January.

The Jets traded away Sam Darnold to the Panthers earlier this month. Darnold was supposed to be the savior of the Jets after being drafted third overall in 2018. Without a quarterback, the Jets are expected to draft Zach Wilson with the second overall pick.

The Jets have been linked to Wilson since his pro day at BYU. Wilson made some high level throws including a viral throw that may have started a trend in the following pro days. Wilson is a gunslinging quarterback prospect with the talent to make big explosive plays off schedule. Wilson broke out in his final season at BYU with many plays of this type. Wilson led BYU to an 11-1 in his junior season. He threw for 3692 yards, 33 touchdowns to 3 interceptions while completing 73.5% of his passes. The completion percentage ranked second in FBS last year and he broke Steve Young’s BYU record. He also used his rushing ability for 235 yards and 10 scores. Surprisingly to some Wilson does have Hawaiian ancestry and was named a co-recipient of the 2020 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year.

What the experts like about Wilsons 2020 tape is a vast improvement in play from previous years combined with explosive plays and the ability to execute tight window throws on and off schedule. Some of those tight window throws come with a lot of risks although only three went as turnovers scouts would like a higher level of decision making in the next level. His mobility kept defenders honest, he’s able to slide in the pocket and make accurate throws deep as well as good decisions while scrambling. His deep ball accuracy was over 50% and he gave big receivers plenty of opportunities to win 50-50 balls.  

Although BYU didn’t face elite completion Wilson was able to deliver the goods to show he’s an NFL caliber player. In the cougars lone loss vs Coastal Carolina another group of five school that was ranked Wilson played well but showed some holes in decision making and accuracy. He’s got the tools and ability to overcome those struggles and the Jets are likely to make him the second overall pick.

Even though Wilson will go after Lawrence some think Wilson will be the better NFL quarterback. Crediting his accuracy and playmaking. Gang Green get ready to welcome Zach Wilson after booing the commissioner.

The top two picks are nearly 100% locked in by all. The draft really starts at number three with the 49ers. Thursday night will be highly entertaining and the anticipation and excitement will grow more till your team is officially on the clock.

The post Why Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson are the top two picks appeared first on Pro Football Mania.