By: Jake Rajala

The New York Jets have a rebellion-like hope that their 2022 season will be more successful than their 2021 campaign. The Jets are also holding optimism that the second-year QB Zach Wilson, who recently suffered a meniscus tear, can start in Week 1. With that enunciated, I’m going to take a fun angle with the Jets 2022 season outlook and untwine 10 bold predictions for the Jets in 2022.

• Corey Davis makes the Pro Bowl

The former Tennessee Titans WR Corey Davis has been a stud this summer as the Jets WR1, to say the least. The most recent impressive play by Davis was his one-handed catch in the Jets-Falcons joint practice. I expect Wilson’s growth to depend on Davis and he will surely send lots of impressive darts and even prayers to his number one wideout in the upcoming season.

• Breece Hall runs for 1,000+ yards

The Jets 2022 second-round pick RB Breece Hall had a monster 70-yard TD run in camp yesterday. Brian Costello of the New York Post believes that Carter will be the Jets lead RB in 2022. Hall was an unstoppable work-horse for Iowa State in 2021 (1,472 rushing yds and 20 rushing TDs) and in 2020 (1,572 rushing yds and 21 rushing TDs). I foresee Hall continuing to torch defenses as an NFL rookie.

• Quinnen Williams has double-digit sacks

The Jets need former Alabama star Quinnen Williams to perform like he was drafted third overall in the 2019 NFL draft. Williams has been a modest performer with Gregg Williams and Robert Saleh over the past two seasons. Williams notched 7 sacks, 14 QB hits, and three pass deflections in 13 games in 2020 and he then exhibited six sacks, 12 QB hits, and 7 tackles for loss in 15 match-ups last season. I trust that he will slightly up his contest, stay healthy, and unleash double-digit sacks in 2022.

• Sauce Gardner makes second-team All-Pro

I like Aidan Hutchinson’s chances at winning DROY. However, I still believe Sauce Garnder, aka the Jets fourth overall pick in the 2022 draft, will be a nightmare against opposing signal-callers. In fact, I believe he can continue to be an extremely talented shut-down CB and garner second-team AP honors in his rookie campaign. He may be the next legendary CB after Darrelle Revis for Jets fans.

• C.J. Mosley earns a Pro Bowl nod

The Jets LB C.J. Mosley had a bounce-back season in 2021 in my opinion: 168 combined tackles, two sacks, 3 QB hits, and 2 FFs. I expect him to blossom in year two of Saleh’s scheme along an improved DL and garner his fifth-straight PB honors.

• Greg Zuerlein makes 30+ field goals

Greg the Leg still has a strong leg, fascinating ego, and the ability to be consistent in the league. He converted 29 field goals in 2021 and I believe he will be called on to make a lot of kicks for NY in 2022. He’s only converted 30+ FGs in two NFL seasons, but I expect him to crack 30+ FGs in the near future.

• The Jets obtain eight victories

It would be an understatement to say it wouldn’t be easy for the Jets to make the playoffs in the frigid AFC East next season. Nonetheless, I believe they can still take a big step from their four win season in 2021 to eight victories in 2022. The Jets have a talented and ascending QB, an extremely motivated HC in Robert Saleh, even more weaponry than last season, and they have one of the most talented rookies in Sauce Gardner.

• Solomon Thomas has 7+ sacks

Saleh and Solomon Thomas reunited in the Big Apple – as Thomas played under Saleh in SF. The former 49ers DL registered 3.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, and 2 FFs last season. I believe Thomas will have a career season (which will include 7+ sacks) alongside Williams on the DL. Saleh is in NY on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million dollars.

• Denzel Mims has 5+ touchdowns

At this point, I believe that the Jets will hold onto Denzel Mims for another season. He may not be a Top 3 WR on the depth chart, but his physicality should help him excel in the red-zone. I believe he can find unique success in the Jets offense and haul in at least five touchdown receptions in 2022.

• Duane Brown makes the Pro Bowl

The Jets new OT Duane Brown may be 36 years old, but he is absolutely talented football player. Brown made the Pro Bowl last season and notched a modest 71.5 grade by PFF. I believe he will do an admirable job against the likes of Von Miller and punch another ticket to the Pro Bowl.

The post 10 bold predictions for the New York Jets in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Jake Rajala

The New York Jets had the seventh least amount of sacks under the first-year, defensive-mind head coach Robert Saleh in 2021. It was clear that Josh Allen looked forward to comfortably sitting back and slicing up the Jets pass defense in their two match-ups. With that said, I believe the Jets pass rush will be a lot more lethal in 2022.

The Jets fearless edge-rusher, Carl Lawson, missed the entire 2021 season via a ruptured Achilles. It’s clear that Lawson (who ousted 5.5 sacks, 32 QB hits, and 36 combined tackles in 2020) will make his Vin Diesel-like head coach happy moving forward. Of course, Lawson should thrive with excellent match-ups next to his friend, Quinnen Williams, who is from the CFB powerhouse in Alabama. Williams notched 12 QB hits, six sacks, three pass deflections, and seven tackles for loss last season. He is also appeared to be okay after his ankle injury per the Jets HC. The former third overall pick is also approaching a contract season, so it’s clear he will leave everything out on the field.

The former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator also reunited with Solomon Thomas this off-season on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million dollars. The versatile Thomas, who is also a mental health advocate, had personal best figures in the following categories: 3.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, 2 FFs, and 2 pass deflections.

It’s obvious that health and experience will benefit the Jets group of QB hunters this off-season. The Jets may not be able to bring back the days of showcasing a few Pro Bowl DL, but they can absolutely be a middle-of-the-pack pass-rushing force in 2022. Some Jets fans might say that the sky is the limit for the Jets DL with Saleh’s attitude.

The post What to expect from the New York Jets pass rush in 2022 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Andy Davies

The San Francisco 49ers are one of the most successful franchises in NFL history. Only the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers (both 6) have more Super Bowl wins than the 49ers (5). The 49ers’ five Super Bowls all came between the years of 1981 and 1994. They have lost two since, in the 2012 and 2019 seasons. The quarterbacks that led the 49ers to the Lombardi Trophy were Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young. Three of those five wins saw Montana as the starter and Young as the backup.

Young is seen by many as the best backup quarterback in history, considering the gold jacket that he earned despite many years as the backup to Montana. He would win a Super Bowl as the starter after the franchise moved on from Montana. Ever since Young decided to hang up his cleats, the 49ers have struggled to find his replacement. Have they found the guy in Trey Lance?

Perhaps, but here is why the quarterback situation involving Lance and current starter Jimmy Garoppolo could prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West during the 2021 season.

Struggles Since Young

Jeff Garcia was the man to come in for Young. During his five seasons in the Bay, he threw for 113 touchdowns and 56 interceptions as well as 16,408 passing yards. He had a 35-36 record as a starter for the 49ers in the regular season and a 1-2 record in the postseason, meaning he never hit the heights of his predecessor.

Alex Smith was the number one overall pick in 2005, shattering Aaron Rodgers’ dreams. However, he was a good quarterback, not a great quarterback. Colin Kaepernick replaced Smith and took the 49ers to the Super Bowl. They ended up losing to the Baltimore Ravens in a game often called the ”˜Blackout Bowl’. Kaepernick failed to live up to the standards he set that season.

He would be kicked out of the league for taking the knee in a protest against police brutality in 2016. He has not played a snap in the NFL since. Jimmy Garoppolo was traded from the Patriots to the 49ers midway through the 2017 season. He gave hope to the organization after winning all five of the games he started in 2017. The fanbase had hope going into the 2018 season.

Many non-49ers fans had San Francisco down as their dark horse for the season. A season-ending injury to Garoppolo in Week 3 saw the starting role shared between Nick Mullens and C.J. Beathard. However, the 49ers finished 4-12 as they went into 2019 with the second overall pick. Nick Bosa was selected and transformed the defense of San Francisco and Jimmy G had the best season of his career. He threw for 3,978 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Despite these stats, Garoppolo saw his production limited in the NFC Championship game as the coaching staff decided to use more of their running game. This led to many questions leading to the Super Bowl. The 49ers threw away a ten-point lead in the fourth quarter as they would end up losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 54.

Garoppolo was criticized heavily for an overthrown pass to Emmanuel Sanders that would have given San Francisco back the lead. His 2020 season saw a mixture of poor form and injury. During the 2021 offseason, the 49ers traded up with the Miami Dolphins to gain the number three overall pick. They took Lance with the pick, showcasing their intentions to eventually move off from Garoppolo. There is now talk of whether San Francisco and head coach Kyle Shanahan will start Lance in week one. The other scenarios discussed are either Lance coming in mid-season or sitting out the whole campaign as the backup to Garoppolo. The uncertainty will have a significant impact on the 49ers’ season.

The Strength of the NFC West

This is a problem that will affect all four teams in the best division in the NFL. There is a chance that all four teams can make the playoffs. Los Angeles has an exciting new quarterback in 2009 first overall pick Matthew Stafford. Both the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals have quarterbacks in Russell Wilson and Kyler Murray that they would never dream of trading away. Meanwhile, the 49ers’ starting quarterback is largely unpopular by fans, due to a mixture of the overthrown pass in the Super Bowl, his poor 2020 campaign and his injury record.

San Francisco has the least trusted quarterback in the division. With the position being one of the most crucial in all sports, it does not bode well for a team when there is uncertainty in the position. Garoppolo may be benched at some point during the season for Lance. However, the 49ers would be putting a rookie that will still be learning the system into the toughest division in the NFL.

Learning From Mahomes, Jackson, Tua and Burrow

If San Francisco are to help Lance succeed, they will need to take some lessons from recent draft classes. Patrick Mahomes, widely seen as the best quarterback in the league, spent all but one game of his 2017 rookie season as a backup to Alex Smith. The Chiefs then traded Smith the following offseason and Mahomes has never looked back. In his first three full seasons as a starter in the NFL, he has reached two Super Bowls, winning one. He has also been crowned MVP and Super Bowl MVP and reached three successive AFC Championship games. All three have been at home. On the flip side, 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow started in week one of his rookie year. He wouldn’t last the season, only playing ten games before injury curtailed his first NFL campaign. He was impressive before his injury but there are no guarantees he will be the same player when he returns.

Lamar Jackson was a backup to Joe Flacco during his 2018 rookie year but won the starting role midseason. He has since gone on to win an MVP award and is the future of the franchise. Meanwhile, the Miami Dolphins brought Tua Tagovailoa in mid-season but he struggled in his rookie season. He is seen to already be on the hot seat, with many feeling the Dolphins rushed him in. These examples all show there are reasons for the 49ers to be hasty when it comes to choosing when to bring Lance into the starting role.

Lance Or Garoppolo In 2021?

The 49ers will have to decide soon who their starter will be in 2021. Considering Lance has only played one full season (2019), he is likely to start the season as the backup. He only threw for a combined total of 31 passing attempts, two touchdowns and 1 interception across the 2018 and 2020 seasons, albeit the latter campaign being disrupted by the pandemic. He is likely to be a work in progress but his 28 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in 2019 mean that he is one for the future.

Garoppolo will likely start in week one but it was clear from the NFC Championship game that Shanahan doesn’t completely trust him.

Jimmy G is a capable quarterback but his health is a concern. Expect Garoppolo to remain as the starter provided the 49ers are winning games but for Lance to come in should Garoppolo either be injured or start the season poorly.

Should this happen, this will be the end of Garoppolo’s time in San Francisco. Depending on timing, he will then be traded either before the deadline or in the 2022 offseason.

Can The 49ers Returning Players Avoid A Repeat Of 2020?

This is key if the 49ers are to challenge for both the NFC West and the NFC. After earning the number one seed and reaching Super Bowl 54 during the 2019 campaign, San Francisco finished 6-10 in 2020 and bottom of the division. A ”˜Super Bowl Hangover’ played its part but the main cause of such a decline was down to a colossal amount of injuries the team suffered. Along with the aforementioned Garoppolo, the 49ers also saw Bosa, Dee Ford, George Kittle, Raheem Mostert, Deebo Samuel and Solomon Thomas miss large chunks of the 2020 season due to injury.

San Francisco had 33 players reported questionable and there were 186 occasions when the 49ers reported a player on injured reserve. They had the second-most injuries of any team in the NFL over the past twenty years. Should all these players come back, then this 49ers roster will be one of the best in the league. This will make life much easier for whoever the San Francisco starting quarterback is.

However, from the strength of the division to the uncertainty at quarterback, San Francisco will find it tough to win the NFC West.

The post Why the QB situation may prevent the 49ers from winning the NFC West appeared first on Pro Football Mania.