The 2010s will be remembered as a decade of disappointment for the New York Jets and their fans. Now, nearly 10 seasons after the Jets last appeared in the playoffs, everyone wonders if this team might finally be turning a corner. It’s an especially important question as the Jets enter a critical offseason.
Jets grounded in January: When the Jets last played in a playoff game, an AFC Championship loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Darnold was preparing for his freshman year in high school.
Even worse, the Jets have put their fans through six seasons with seven or fewer wins since the team’s last playoff appearance.
Concern at the controls: The Jets thought they found their leader when Rex Ryan helped coach the team to consecutive AFC Championship Games in 2009 and ’10. However, the team kept getting worse and New York ultimately fired Ryan after a four-win season in 2014.
In Todd Bowles’ first season under control, the Jets got off the ground with a 10-win season in 2015. New York fell a tiebreaker short of the playoffs, but seemingly had momentum going into the offseason. Once again, though, the Jets came crashing down with just 14 combined wins over Bowles’ final three seasons in New York.
New York brought in Adam Gase as its new head coach. Finally, only after general manager Mike Maccagnan bombed another offseason by wasting more than $100 million in cap space, the Jets hired Joe Douglas to take over and build a competitive roster.
Reviewing Gase’s first year: The hires of Gase and Douglas largely received praise. While each offered their own qualities, both men were viewed as the right personnel to help lift this team off the ground.
In Gase’s case, he was viewed as a bright offensive mind who could help Sam Darnold make a significant improvement in his second season and Gase could uplift the Jets’ offense.
Year | Games | Att. | TD: | INT: | CMP % | YPA | QBR | W-L |
Sam Darnold (’18) | 13 | 414 | 17 | 15 | 57.7 | 6.9 | 45.5 | 4-9 |
Sam Darnold (’19) | 13 | 441 | 19 | 13 | 61.9 | 6.9 | 41.4 | 7-6 |
Darnold showed slight improvements from his rookie season. He displayed better accuracy and committed fewer interceptions. However, ESPN’s total quarterback rating (QBR) captures how, when factoring in strength of opponents and his overall play, he failed to take major strides.
Yes, the Jets won seven games in 2019. However, that’s largely due to improvements on a defense coordinated by Gregg Williams. In fact, it’s Gase’s offense that held the team back from accomplishing even more.
The Jets are bringing Gase back for the 2020 season. While he might be a big part of what is holding this team back, he also isn’t alone. Horrendous decisions by the previous regime resulted in a roster plagued with holes that must be addressed for this team to fly once again.
Missing Parts: There is no going back to fix the mistakes from the last offseason. The metaphorical holes in the wings and engines that grounded this team for years, remain today.
Fixing the Jets: Even after some disastrous moves by the previous regime, Douglas is in good position to add talent this offseason. Supported with more than $50 million in cap space and a top-12 pick, this can be a great offseason for the Jets if Douglas executes his plan.
These offseason signings maximize the Jets’ cap space to address their key needs. When the draft begins, New York can go in with peace of mind. It already found a left tackle for Darnold and strengthened its secondary, making the plan of attack easier on draft day.
The Jets would come out of this offseason with upgrades on the offensive line and an improved receiving corps. Meanwhile, a better offense will be paired with more talent and athleticism for Gregg Williams to utilize.
Sam Darnold is the answer at quarterback. He earned his role as this team’s captain and he still flashes all the tools to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL. Really, it’s the coaching staff and surrounding talent that held him back the most.
This is the offseason the Jets can finally give him what he needs. There are plenty of talented offensive linemen available to improve this team’s pass protection and provide Darnold time to throw. New York can also cast a wide net to find exciting playmakers at receiver this offseason.
The Jets are close to finally taking flight. The fan base deserves to see a winner and New York would greatly benefit from this team becoming a contender once again. If the Jets can make moves like this, they will have turned a corner and can compete for a playoff spot in 2020.