It bears mentioning that the team stands to be MUCH better at QB in 2018. Undoubtedly, at least right now, the most improved spot on the team.
I agree that a rookie probably won't top McCown's season, but Teddy could. What's a career year? They aren't all equal imo. A career year for Aaron Rodgers would look very different than McCown's career year. Even with all McCowns good stats, the Jets only won 5 games. Teddy could have worse statistics but the Jets still win more games than they did last year with McCown starting. If memory serves me correctly, McCown also cost the Jets a game or two this past season with mental meltdowns. Teddy could also have a breakout season and blow McCown's stats from last season away. Teddy is a true FQB prospect if he's healthy. McCown isn't and never was. Long should be considerably better than Wesley Johnson was, and that alone should help make the OG's play better, but Winters played hurt much of last season, so if he's healthy, the interior play of the OL should get even better. That should help Shell and Beachum as well. If the Jets are able to get Ragnow in the draft, the OL play could be even better. Having Enunwa back should also help the offense, as should Crowell's replacing Forté. If Anderson isn't suspended or released, his play should be even better this season, and I would hope that Stewart, Hansen and Leggett would make larger contributions as well this season.
i'd expect a 6-10 7-9 season if mccown starts, worse if they go with whatever rookie, better if teddy becomes what he was drafted to be.
Great post, thanks! Yeah, I know it is early to discuss expectations, but you filled in the gaps pretty well. I agree, 7-9 to 9-7 is pretty much the range the Jets organization/fans should expect, but we all know a bounce here, bounce there, play here, play there, and you can be 5-11 or 11-5.
I don’t expect much as far as wins and losses go, this is still a young team. I think as long as the team shows signs of ascending and the rookie QB looks to be the guy going forward Macs job is safe. This trade and bringing in the Qab of the future keeps him around til the Qb proves to be a bust. Bowles is gonna have to greatly improve his weaknesses and also prove to not be holding back the rookie QBs development in order to keep his job. Can certainly see the Jets following in the footsteps of the Rams and Bears and pairing the QB with an offensive minded HC who can get the best out of him.
This is pretty much exactly what I think. I think the rest of the team is better, but I expect McCown to be worse (that's what almost always happens when someone has a career year, especially when they're at the end of their careers, not the beginning), so I definitely make 7-9 the ceiling for McCown. On the other hand, the team isn't that much better, so unless something truly amazing happens a rookie won't win more than 5 or 6. If Bridgewater is healthy he can easily win 8 or 9, but of course that's a gigantic if. The point of the coach is important too, especially if the rookie plays. Remember, Goff was a joke his rookie year and suddenly a star his second year. Jets fans better hope that Bates is the real thing and Bowles gives him the freedom to work if the rookie plays, because if he isn't/doesn't it will get very ugly very quickly.
McCown was better last year than Bridgewater was in either of his two seasons. So if Bridgewater is going to outplay 2017 McCown, he has to get healthy and improve as a QB, which won't be easy considering he'll be rusty after missing two years. But 2017 McCown was probably a fluke, so Bridgewater may be better than 2018 McCown.
I believe that 2019 is put up or shut up time for Bowles and Mac and that if the Jets don't reach the playoffs by then, both will be gone. Short of a total disaster this year, both likely stay.
I think we still have too many moving parts to be a really solid, consistent football team this year. Too much "new" going on. New OC, new OLC, 1 39yr old Qb learning another system who's one injury away from the IR. I could go on but I think the point is made. 2019 is the make or break year for this regime. I think Chris Johnson has already given a mulligan for 2018 and that I believe will stick. I can easily see 5-11 again for this team. 8-8 if all goes exceptionally well.
Way too premature to ask this question in march given the state of the team...... aside from to suck LESS than last year
Even before the Vikings/Teddy fans joined our site, some posters here had said that Teddy had shown a lot of improvement towards the end of the 2015 season and was looking great in the 2016 preseason. These fans have confirmed that and said that Teddy really looked great in 2016 prior to his injury. He practiced last season, so he shouldn't have all that much rust. I definitely think that last season was a fluke for McCown. Teddy may not be able to beat that, but he has a shot.
If this was any other team, you'd probably be right. But let's remember, the Jets were starting rookie nobodies and the Wayne Hunter of centers at Center. (We just didn't know it at the time lol.) I think we've seen the bottom of the talent dearth.
First, it depends on who the QB is. If it's McCown I have higher expectations; if it's Bridgewater, my expectations will start low, but if he proves to be the guy he used to be, my expectations will climb accordingly; if it's the rookie, my only expectation is that he proves he can play in the NFL. I expect to see Bowles finally mature into a HC that can manage a game properly, and not give up so easily; he also needs to continue to hold players accountable. I'm not so much concerned about the W/L record, but definitely want to see a team that shows real promise, from the F.O. all the way down.
If it is Josh McCown starting, my expectations would drop instead of rise. Don't let one season fool you. Bridgewater or the 1st Round QB likely has a higher 2018 ceiling than a McCown led team. I also think the horrendous play of Petty and Hackenberg made McCown seem better to fans. I give him credit for what he did last year. He played solid in most of the games. He was a real hot or cold QB though, who rarely played a 60 minute game, which cost the Jets several times.
McCown/Bridgewater + Barkley - Expectation is playoffs. McCown/Bridgewater + Rookie QB - Expectations shifted to 2019.
Not really true. The team that Idzik left them was hardly the team that took the field in 15. They did have a lot of cap space but they did use it and bring in more than just a few players. Starting with the QB who won 10, somehow.
