WWL’s “Experts” Assess the Jets’ Chances
In their comprehensive Jets preview (there is one of these for each NFL team), 16 ESPN experts agree that the Jets aren’t going to catch the Patriots this year. Boldest of all is Seth Wickersham (who?), whose opinion is sure to get the juices flowing:
DIVISION FINISH: 4 Bad news, Brett: Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery are not Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. Worse news: The rest of the Jets aren’t great, either.
Also of note, 4 of the 16 experts predict that the Jets will be a wildcard team and two three of them have Vernon Gholston as their pick for defensive rookie of the year.
Not entirely unrelated bonus link: Two guys from Football Outsiders assess the Jets’ chances too and both give them the “over”.
Stayed tuned for the daily links from JetNation’s Maxman later this morning…
33 Responses to WWL’s “Experts” Assess the Jets’ Chances
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zenlaw says:
I’m not sure if Gholston will be D rookie of the year, but I hope he makes an impression.
I really disagree with the comment that Coles and Cotchery are not Driver and Jennings. Actually, I see a lot of similarities. Driver and Coles are both excellent possession receivers. Cotch and Jennings are both capable of stretching the field, though Jennnings may be slightly faster. All 4 WR’s excel at YAC.
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kc says:
i wonder how many of those 16 “EXPERTS” had the GIANTS in/winning the SUPERBOWL last year!?
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Johnny Styne says:
Favre is the team — The team is Favre — If Favre goes down (he never has in his pro career) then we are toast — If Favre starts the whole season, if Coles doesn’t divide the clubhouse through his spoiled child routine, if Thomas Jones starts running like Johnny Johnson instead of Blair Thomas, and if Mike Nugent somehow doesn’t blow any games for us, then we can win the division and we can compete for the Super Bowl — And just in case you think anyone’s forgotten — With Chad Pennington as quarterback, this team would struggle to make .500 –
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hank/naples says:
This “expert ” John Clayton is funny by saying that ” If Favre can improve the Jets’ offense from 16.8 to 22 points a game, N.Y. could get a wild-card berth.” Where has he been the last four or five months since our great additions (and sutractions).I pointed out through simple math that those changes should/will get us into the playoffs. Adding Farve MUST give us one or two more wins and nail a playoff spot. If Farve does not get us in (unless hurt ) Tangini should be fired for giving away the store for nothing !!
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JustAGreenGuy says:
I hate Seth Wickersham. He is why I’m pissed that they let just anyone be a sports writer. I wonder if he has ever seen Cotchery play? What a dweeb.
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Well Sammy is right about the WR comparison, Cotchery and Coles are not Driver and Jennings, they’re BETTER. Coles is Driver with way better hands and though Jennings is good he is one dimensional, Cotchery is a way more complete WR then Jennings and has never had a chance to utilize his deep speed due to Chad’s arm. Jennings had 50 catches last year and he has trouble staying healthy… Cotchery >>>>>>>> Any Packer WR
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i KNOW im gonna get HARRASSED and called “NAMES” for this,but I think if something happens to BRETT(and trust me i dont want that in any way}KELLEN or RATTY would STILL make us a COMPETITIVE team.I felt this way even BEFORE we signed FAVRE.
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Electric Ham says:
We would all hope thats the case kc,
Im pulling for ratliff i just have no faith in clemens
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kc:
You’re exactly right !!! Great comment. -
I think they both have talent. I haven’t given up on KC because Favre will make him better and if he was victimized by drops against the Redskins I think his preseason numbers would look alot better. He is reading through progressions better and hitting his recievers in the bread basket, which was a huge problem I and many others had with him.
I love what I’m seeing from Ratliff but let’s wait until he plays against at least second stringers. Jack Trudeau looked great against back ups too but when Boomer went down we were screwed.
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KELLEN looked almost FLAWLESS vs. the GIANTS and did have ALOT of drops vs the SKINS.was also TRIPPED up twice by the center in that SKINS game.
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Harlan Lachman says:
Kewpies to all the above. An extra large one to KC for putting these experts in their correct places (masters of 20-20 hindsight).
Frankly, I could see us losing our first game and then getting creamed in the next two and the entire year falling apart (at least much worse than my expectations for eeking into the playoffs).
I could also see us splitting our first four games as it turns out Mangini was being careful not to show too much, we squish the Fish and crush the Cards and go just enough better than a 500 season to probably catch a wild card. Good enough to beat all but the best (unfortunately we play the Pats twice, and SD early but then it is a doable schedule for this type of team).
And, thinking about how the first team D has looked, the fact that all the additions look a lot better than the guys they replaced, and the fact that if Tangini are decent coaches they could catch a lot of teams unaware, I could see the Jets making the NFL very happy, win three or four of their first four games, upset the Pats and create some real excitement in the big apple to make up for what might be a falling off by the Jints (cause they too play in a tough division and instead of adding talent they subtracted some).
I will have a good sense of which way things go after the Fish game.
Harlan
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Bent says:
Heh, I knew this would get you all going.
Nothing wrong with a bit of optimisic thinking, KC. Nobody’s gonna be calling anyone any names if I can help it.
Harlan’s been in a generous mood lately…
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dakar says:
kc
i felt the same way about our QBs before favre…
harlan
i agree…we should win 3 or all 4 of our 1st 4 games…after all…before we got favre many of us were looking at a 10-6 or 11-5 record this year…favre makes getting there so much easier…just my thoughts…
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Harlan,
you do post some of the most thought out comments on this site however you are saying to us that you can see us going
A) 0-4
B) 1-3
C) 2-2
D) 3-1 or
E) 4-0not exactly your most genius comment to date.
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billvv says:
Small kc, I agree on capital KC has caught the confidence bug that is spreading throughout the team. After the first four games and the bye, I can see five winnable games before any trouble. That should cement the feeling for sure.
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ramble914 says:
Johnny Styne,
That’s brilliant…Favre is the team – the team is Favre! Wow! did you stay up all night thinking of that one? It’s so deep and introspective, I can hardly stand it. Wow!
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Brett is definitely not the team. It sounds Bugs-bunny like to say that. But it doesnt matter what receivers he has he wil make them better. All they need to do is run their route and catch the ball. You couldn’t say that about our fine feathered throwing friend Chad. Receivers couldn’t run a double move with that arm. It would be too far for him to throw. Needless to say i’ve been bored with Chad. He did throw one bomb that I remembered and actually flexed his bisep afterwards. But it was his left arm. :)
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Nikolas says:
Come on guys… I may root for Chad ..but this Jet team can go 11-5 with average effort. The schedule is easy, the defense is very good, so even if Favre has a mediocre year they can do it. What they will not do is go to the SB. I do not think that Favre is the guy to take them there.
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PS: And from they 5 loses 2 will be present from Chad.
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Hahahahhahaha you think Chad will be starting at the end of the Dolphin’s season. Hahahhahahahhaha
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nyckage says:
sam whats his name is right cotchery is not driver he is better
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HOZ THE JET says:
WOULD IT BE SOMETHING IF LOWREY BECOMES ROOKIE OF THE YR.LOL
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Harvlis says:
Seth W just wants to make a name for himself. I have forgotten him already. I might have some Playoff tickets to sell him. I hope he has lots of money. Brett Favre in the Playoffs is going to cost.
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THE NFL IS A DEFENSIVE LEAGUE. IF BRETT CAN KEEP THE OTHER TEAMS DEFENSE OUT ON THE FIELD FOR 3 MORE O-SERIES OF PLAYS A GAME THE DEFENSE WILL CREATE MORE PROBLEMS FOR THE OPPOSING TEAMS O.
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Electric Ham. The reason for the wide range of possibilities is that that I don’t think anyone really knows how competent our FO and CS really are.
The experts look at the Pats and Bills and see 3 or 4 Jet losses in 4 in division games so they right us off.
I see that if our CS can mold the talent that I think we have, if they have used the preseason to really get the team ready and ready to go (even though many of us question some of the decisions as to how to use game time), if Eric and Mike have made the right personnel choices (as it appears, albeit in preseason, that they have), I think this could be a very strange, surprising and exciting year.
But this is the same CS that used Smith as a slash retarding his development and our team’s play. It is the same OC that went for gimmicks more than using our WR’s, stuck with Barrett, Chatham and Kassel in key situations, etc.
And this is the same FO that drafted Schlegel, signed BLT to a big long term deal, drafted Brick, etc. They showed an older smart QB the door for a much older hot shot QB. Was this move brilliant or stupid? At this point, we are all hoping; no fan really knows.
So, if we start off with a loss to the fish, lose, as projected to the two top teams in the entire conference, and start off 0-3, I could see things getting ugly. Fast.
On the OTOH, if we squish the fish, and dominate one or both of the Pats or Chargers, I think things could snowball as hope springs eternal.
Maybe not the genius post you wanted. But I think one of the more honest assessments. Right now, anything is a guess because, frankly, this is the year where we get lots of hope for the future or hope we are not stuck to the FO and CS that we have.
harlan
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pat d says:
In comparing Coles/ Cotchery to Driver/ Jennings the nod has to go to Green Bay. Jennings scored 12 TDs last year as a 2nd year receiver and the odds of Coles playing the entire year without injury are not that good.
I’m not saying that Green Bay’s receivers are going to have a better year but just comparing these 4 at this time just about any expert would pick Green Bay.
That being said no one has seen what Cotchery and company can do with a QB like Farve. I expect Cotchery to make it to the pro bowl and Keller will have a great rookie season. The rest of the receivers are better than what Green Bay has and when Clowney gets healthy he is going to be great.
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Vernon Gholston played DE in college and will be playing OLB for the Jets. There is no way he will be defensive rookie of the year. But to say he is a bust like some have said on this blog is a joke. I guess Peyton Manning was a bust since he went 3-13 his first year.
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Andrew Weiss says:
Some day when I get some time I ‘m going to do a careful study of prognosticator predictions correlated to the previous season’s record. In statistics, they say that the best predictor of future performance is past performance so its no surprise they say the Jets are going to be sniffing NEs behind this year. Accepting that caveat, however, overall record is hardly the only rubric. Just because the Jets were 4-12 last year does not necessarily indicate a team’s current personnel, its weaknesses or moves in the off-season that may have changed its outlook dramatically.
I sympathize with a guy who knows nothing about a team who is asked to make a prediction. What does he base it on. He’s got a deadline. He’s gonna be compared with his fellow pundits. I suppose I can only complain loudly when they’re flat wrong about the personnel. Some of this stuff is a little sickening. Cotchery mediocre? Best five players featured NO elite players. NONE? Not Kerry, Revis, Cotchery, Faneca, Harris or Favre? The Pats are supposed to have 3 elites including Seymour, who hasn’t really played in two years. It’s all perception.
To be honest, at this point, there isn’t one personnel group on the Pats I would rate higher than the Jets with the possible exception of wide receivers. TEs-even with Keller. OLine-even. DLine-even w/slight edge to Pats when Seymour’s healthy. LBs-Jets. Secondary-Jets. RBs-even. Who wants to deal?
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On paper the Jets should have about three super bowls by now.
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pat d,
I’ve been saying that all preseason, VG dosen’t even get the first month, already he’s a bust. NY is a tough crowd. Let’s at least give him a season.
Actually three of them have VG as DROY.
Which I find to be surpising since I see him as a work in progress, although I would love to see him win it.
He will have to do a 180 within the next couple weeks tho.
IDK who the bleep seth wickersham is but he needs to be fired. Dude doesnt have a clue, I suppose he thinks we would be better with chad? This guy must have some hidden childhood anger towards the Jets.