2018 New York Jets Season Preview

Do the J-E-T-S still S-U-C-K?

by DS Williamson

The New York Jets wasted no time grabbing their quarterback of the future, trading up in the NFL Draft to grab USC prospect Sam Darnold without blinking an eye. Is Darnold the answer in New York? Check out my preview of the 2018 New York Jets!

New York Jets Season Preview

The big question on offense is whether Sam Darnold wins the job in training camp or not. He still has to beat out Josh McCown, who is returning from injury and always looms large as a veteran who already knows the playbook. The biggest question on defense...well...there are a lot of big questions about the Jets’ defense.

How Long Will it be Before Darnold Starts?

Darnold has all the tools to be a long time starting quarterback at the pro level. He’s that good. He can read defenses, he can anticipate the rush, he can throw on the run. There’s not much Darnold can’t do.

The upside to Darnold is obvious, but he comes with a bevy of in-game issues that make him a questionable pivot for the 2018 New York Jets. Darnold was an interception throwing, fumbling machine last season. He was the gift that kept giving to USC’s Pac 12 foes. Some coaches and USC fans are happy that he flew the coop to the NFL. They had grown tired of watching Darnold destroy USC’s hopes of a College Football Playoff berth.

That doesn’t mean that Darnold can’t play within himself. It just means that if he doesn’t, he’ll be the next bad Brett Favre instead of becoming the next good Brett Favre.

The rest of the Jets’ offense is decent enough to help him approach an elite level. The rushing attack will be okay because the offensive line should be better this season than it was last season. The wide receiver position could be a strength if Quincey Enunwa returns back 100% from his injury.

There are Major Questions with the Jets’ Defense

It must kill head coach Todd Bowles that the defense is a mess. I can’t go through every problem they have because the list seems endless. Let me just write a few things about the defense.

Okay, a couple of things about the defense.

Okay, ONE THING about the defense.

The defensive line absolutely needs to help stud DE Leonard Williams. Linebacker Demario Davis was decent at helping Williams stop the run. He’s now a New Orleans Saint and the team didn't do much to replace him. So, unless the Jets are able to help Williams pressure quarterbacks and stop the rush, the other questions about the Jets’ defense don’t matter.

Expect Another Horrible New York Jets Regular Season

It’s difficult to see the Jets winning more than more than five games this season. Even five wins seems like I'm pushing it. They should beat Indianapolis in Week 6 unless Andrew Luck is back at full force by then.  They should beat Chicago in Week 8. That game is in Chicago. The Jets should definitely beat Cleveland in Week 3. Cleveland might be a better team than the Jets this season, though. Feels like a lot of "maybe's" on this 2018 New York Jets schedule if you ask me.

That’s the problem. It’s not just difficult to find 4 to 5 games that the Jets will win, it’s difficult to find a single game that the Jets should absolutely win.

Because Todd Bowles is a good NFL coach, and because the offense should improve, the 2018 New York Jets are likely to win at least three games. It’s just hard to see where that happens.