By Dominic Capone
The New York Jets already exceeded expectations by winning their first game against their division rivals in the Miami Dolphins. Many so-called experts prematurely labeled them as the worst team in football and predicted them to go 0-16. Now sitting at 3-2, they are right up there with the best teams in the NFL. Coaches in the NFL will never admit they are in a rebuild, but it is blatantly obvious the Jets are in that category. Coaches want to see improvement in their team every week. It is just an added benefit that they are winning while rebuilding.
A big bright spot for the Jets is their rookie defensive backs. Their number one pick in the draft was sixth-overall selection Jamal Adams. Many people said that he was the best player in the draft and rightfully so. Standing at six feet tall, he is not the biggest safety around, but he uses lightning-fast speed to fly downhill all while maintaining the composure to change directions. He has a hitter’s mentality that Todd Bowles, head coach of the Jets and former defensive back, loves to see. He has a great ability to close the gap between him and the receiver, but what he is most known for is his leadership.
Despite being a rookie, he is the primary leader of this Jets defense. He is always pumping up the crowd and making explosive plays. He is not your prototypical safety as the Jets can stack him in the box to defend the run. They can use him in different formations and schemes to change the opposing quarterback’s mind and to fluster him. Paired alongside Marcus Maye, Adams could be a fixture in this Jets defense for a long time.
The aforementioned Maye was the Jets’ second round pick and was added to compliment Adams as the safeties. Maye has the same height and build as Jamal Adams but has a different style. Maye is more of a pass defender and uses his vision to locate the quarterback’s eyes and his receiving target. With these players’ strengths, the Jets have immensely improved from last year’s disaster at the position, when they gave up 3,898 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns with only eight interceptions.
Even though the Jets are exceeding expectations and the young guys are coming together to play as a team, the team still doesn’t have a quarterback for the future. This team doesn’t have the talent to make it to the playoffs this year, but it is possible for them to go 6-10 or even 7-9. However, those records won’t help them get a high level quarterback in the draft. This team could make significant strides in the coming years, but to do so they will need to find a franchise quarterback. Whether it is Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg, or someone they draft, a team is only as good as its quarterback and the Jets haven’t had a solid franchise quarterback since Joe Namath.
