A week into camp and the Jets have started to get some hype around the league. It all started once Ryan Fitzpatrick re-signed with the team. Once he was back, Wilkerson was signed, a team that was expected to be different, started to look the same. That is a good thing when you went (10-6) a year before. Still, some point out the schedule was not tough or that the team choked in the most important game (Week 17 in Buffalo). No matter how you look at it, the Jets 2016 season is filled with potential. So I thought I would look at the rest of the AFC to see where they stack up. 1. The defending Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos -I am not sure how good Denver will be. They lost some pieces on the defensive side of the ball, but re-signed Super Bowl MVP Von Miller. Mark Sanchez looks like he will take over the QB job, but has some competition. I think Denver will surprise people and contend again this year. 2. New England Patriots -Tom Brady is missing the first four games, but besides that I still expect the Patriots to be one of the best teams in the NFL. By the time they play the Jets, Brady will be back. A top offense with a good defense has done the Patriots well in the past. I expect them to be the same in 2016. They are beatable though. Especially for the AFC East. 3. Pittsburgh Steelers -Big Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown are the best 1-2 punch in the league, perhaps. The Steelers offense is great. I think they have an average defense though. The Jets can certainly take them. 4. Kansas City Chiefs -The Chiefs are an interesting team. I think they have a great defense and a really solid offense. They are actually similar to the Jets. Alex Smith holds me back from saying they are Super Bowl caliber, but I think they are closer than people think. They could have beaten NE last year if they coached/played better. 5. Houston Texans -The Texans won their division last year and got BEAT DOWN in the playoffs. Now they have added Brock Osweiler at QB. He has potential, but is not quite proven. They have a great D as we witnessed last season. I think it will take them the 2016 season to get settled, but they could contend in the future. 6. Cincinnati Bengals -The Bengals won the AFC North last year and then blew it all against the Steelers in the playoffs. Andy Dalton is back and that defense is good, so expect the Bengals to compete in 2016. The Jets see them Week 1 and it will be a crucial game for both. In fact, the first few games in the Jets schedule could shape the entire AFC playoff picture down the line. 7. Oakland Raiders -The Raiders have quietly been getting better the last few seasons. Oakland and Jacksonville are actually molded in a similar way. Young QB's with great potential, same with their WR's and solid defenses who are also young. Both could break out in 2016 or both may take another year to do so. 8. Jacksonville Jaguars See Above. 9. Buffalo Bills -Rex got the Bills to (8-8) last year, mostly by winning 2 games against the Jets that they had no business winning. It was a mess of a first season. You would have to assume the Bills will be better in 2016, but it is no guarantee. They are a true Wild Card team, meaning I could see them (6-10) or (10-6). 10. Baltimore Ravens -Everything went wrong for the Ravens in 2015. I expect them to bounce back this year. Flacco is going to have to play great for them to make the playoffs, but I could see them competing. 11. Miami Dolphins -Ryan Tannehill gets another shot to lead the team. The defense looks like it will be better and Arian Foster is a solid RB. Miami is another team with potential to succeed, but I don't think that they will. 12. Indianapolis Colts -Andrew Luck looks like he is healthy this year. If he stays that way, the Colts could be a contender. I don't really like the rest of their roster though. The division is not that tough, so they could definitely win it if things go their way. I guess I would draw the line here and say that the Chargers, Titans and Browns would most likely not be playoff teams this year. We all know anything can happen though. So if I feel 13 teams have a realistic chance of making the playoffs, where do the Jets fit on that list? I have been called a sunshiner or a homer in the past, but I truly feel they rank near the top of that list. No one in the AFC is that much better than the Jets. They have a great defense, a solid offense with playmakers and a team chemistry that has not been this good since Chad Pennington's early days. I won't make playoff predictions, but this is how I currently rank the AFC: 1. New England Patriots 2. Pittsburgh Steelers 3. New York Jets 4. Cincinnati Bengals 5. Kansas City Chiefs 6. Oakland Raiders 7. Denver Broncos 8. Indianapolis Colts 9. Jacksonville Jaguars 10. Houston Texans 11. Baltimore Ravens 12. Buffalo Bills 13. Miami Dolphins 14. Cleveland Browns 15. Tennessee Titans 16. San Diego Chargers What do you guys think?
the AFC is really wide open. a lot will depend on injuries, especially with this tight a pack. so your guess is as good as anyone's. personally, i think the Bills and Ravens will be a lot better than you listed, and we'll be competing with them for a WC. the AFC South doesn't wow me, I don't think the Broncos will do much, i still need to see the Raiders prove something before i'll believe them, and for some reason i think the Bengals will slip. call it a hunch on Cincy.. injury bug has already begun.
I think the last three are: -Titans -Chargers -Browns Anyone is better than the Browns. Not that it matters much anyway since they are at the bottom but that's just my two cents.
Great post. Absolutely loved it. I will say this. I think Denver falls off a cliff with Mark Sanchez under Center. They may have a top tier defense but unlike those 2009/2010 Jet offenses, Denver ranked 17th in rushing last year and aren't even close to featuring a dominant run game needed in order to protect and hide the limitations of Sanchez. Due to a lack of a rushing attack Sanchez will become exposed while Denver has a frustrating season. I look for K.C & Oakland to contend for the West. Jets have more potential than both. Also the New England Patriots could be in trouble. Not only starting off the 1st 4 games without Brady, but what if it takes Brady a good 2-3 games upon return to shake off rust? His first 4 games returning from injury aren't exactly cakewalk @ Cleveland, VS Cincinnati, @ Pittsburgh & @ Buffalo. Until proven otherwise N.E's gotta be the favorite but I think they'll have to fight extremely hard to finish off with 10-11 wins and very well unlikely they'll cruise to another 13-3/14-2 type of season. We might just have a real chance at competing for both a division title as well as a conference bye week as a top two AFC contender.
For the fun of it ... here's mine 1. New England Patriots 2. Pittsburgh Steelers 3. Kansas City Chiefs 4. Cincinnati Bengals The above mentioned teams are locks to make the playoffs in my book yes Brady will miss 4 games but until they don't make it I'll put em up there ... The following 7 teams I think have a decent shot to either win their respective divisions (minus the Bills) or make it in via the wild card. I think the Jets have a shot to win the division if they pounce on the 4 game suspension and start off strong out the gate. of course it will come down to QB play as depending on Fitz and TB second year adjustments we could finish 7 -9/8 - 8 or as good as 11 - 5 ! Denver Broncos Oakland Raiders New York Jets Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Baltimore Ravens Buffalo Bills The rest of the pack 12. Miami Dolphins 13. Jacksonville Jaguars 14. San Diego Chargers 15. Tennessee Titans 16. Cleveland Browns
Yeah, I agree with all of that. The Bills and the Ravens can definitely make a run for a playoff spot. They could also flop too. Similar to most of the AFC. Should be fun to see what happens! Agreed, but the Browns could surprise people. We are not sure how their new Head Coach or RGIII will do. Might do well. Yeah, you make good points. The Broncos really are a question mark, but I won't go as far as saying they will fall off a cliff. Like most of the AFC though, it would not shock me if they succeed or fail. The Patriots have it tough, but they are still the Patriots.... unfortunately. Haha. That is a pretty good break down. The Jaguars are a little low, but they have not proven they can win yet. The potential is there.
We will win 10 games again. Yes, I know we have a harder schedule, but we were a rookie team last year under Todd Bowles & Company. This year every starter has been through the entire program and knows the play book inside and out, STARTING camp. Bottom line our team has to play better out of the shoot, and in it's 2nd year, it should. Plus our team has gotten better in some key areas. We won't be missing Richardson for 1/4 of the season like last year. The chemistry between Fitz/Marshall/Decker et al will be even better. Places we got killed last year (slow LBrs) has been 'fixed' with young speed demons. And our young LBrs and Leonard Williams from last year who did very well playing sparingly will now have a full shot at it. Our defense has only gotten better. Revis' broken wrist that forced him into a 'playing off the WR' will be gone this year. Revis will be back on the line, in the WRs face, smacking them down. Revis will play much better this season. OK, that's enough. We won 10 games last season as a rookie team coached by rookie coaches and with slow LBrs and an injured Revis. We're such a better team this year everywhere it counts, so another 10 win season against a bit harder schedule is very doable. Only this time our 10 wins wins the AFCE.
We actually have about a 10%+ shot as sweeping the entire AFCE. We've sweped Miami many many times, and not too long ago. We SHOULD have had 2 easy wins against the Bills. This year we will. We already split with NE, and the 2nd games are always nail-biters close. A single awesome play by any of our young guns and we could win both. Like I said, about 10% chance, but on a game by game analysis it's pretty possible, so I'm rooting for the Jets 6-0 in division play. Yup!
Mathematically a 10% chance of sweeping the division implies that we're an 11-5 team. You think we're that good?
I feel a divisional record of 4-2 is doable. As long as the Pats drop the Dolphins and Bills games during Tommy's suspension we should be good.
Having a potentially STUD young QB and good young receiving core doesnt mean jack if your O-Line sucks donkey balls and he's always on his back.... not to mention running game sucks too. It's like the reverse Jets / Sanchez start to his career
Good thread. My heart says 11-5 but my head says 9-7/10-6 and we grab a WC. I believe this team will be better in Year 2 of the Bowles regime with the nucleus of last year's 10-6 team returning, stronger chemistry and more talent on both sides of the ball (Forte, Amaro, Lee, Jenkins, Sheldon for almost the full season).
I'm not even sure where we rank in the division at this point, let alone the conference. Wouldn't be surprised if we took the division if the Pats struggle or if we finish near the bottom (don't think we finish last though, barring injuries).
Have to say if all things pan out better then last year; We are a top AFC team perhaps...Maybe I just don't putting my hopes that high lol
