On defense, the key is the no. 2 CB position. If Lito returns to his All-Pro form, the defense will be scary good because with Jenks, Harris and Scott, the Jets will be very difficult to run on.

Let me be clear, I hope whoever starts at QB plays great, and that I’m hopeful Sanchez is our long term answer at QB.

On offense, it’s a toss up between Mangold and TJ. With our QB and WR situation, our running game is obviously key for us.

Lil Shott, OTOH, has gotten his chance to prove that he is the real deal or just a wanna be (my suspicion not buying into the Eric made him do it analysis). He has been granted the ideal opportunity to demonstrate his ability to get the most out of players. No mediaot thinks highly of our WR. None think much of starting a rookie Qb or Kellen Clemens. If our offense is even in the top third of the league, lil Shott will get his HC job, much as Rex got his the year someone else got the HC job he coveted.

Yet lil Shott has a stable of good runners, a solid (if depth free) OL, a rookie Qb who played for a national championship and held himself together for the most part (or a KC who at least knows his system and had something to get drafted in the second round) and at least our unknown WR are fast and can catch.

Kewpies to both Harlis and StvDoe for brilliant analysis that is outside the nine dots. I be impressed.

harlan

But if one must pick a player it’s Sanchez. And all he’s got to be is above average. If he can throw for 16 TDs, 10 picks, and about a 60% completion average I think we’ll win 10 or more games. If he throws more picks than TDs we’re in for a long season.

Grocery’s covered, it’s all on the Big Blowhard to prove he can make this team walk his talk and that comes down to smart and cool game management better than Herm, at least as good as Mag-Genius, hopefully better. It’s about putting Vernon, Kerry, Kris, etc. in the best position to have an impact. Even if that’s resting on the bench. It’s about burning Schott’s ass if he’s being an ass and not putting the ball in the hands of our playmakers like Leon (assuming he’s still with us, FO) and Dustin and any emerging talent.

Finally, it comes down to the choice of Kellen or Mark. That’s Rex’s call. Mag-Genius didn’t sit Farve when he fell apart along with the season. That would’ve taken huge testicles that did not come with that version of a Jet coach. Hopefully, the Big Guy has the right size to damn the torpedoes and put the best player on the field each week.

if tj conley wins the punting job which i think he will…..he needs to be just as good as he was in college with his 47 yard punt average…….

reggie hodges 35.5 yard net average was good enough for 28th in the league and his 42.8 overall kick yardage average wasn’t much better at 25th in the league…. ben grahams 32.0 net average was good enough for 38th which means he’s worse than some replacement punters…..I dont know what tj conley’s net averages were in college…but i assume than its better than that…..the punter is always such an overlooked position but its key to success

4 or 5 extra yards everytime you punt can add up to hundreds or yards in field position every year…..an extra 5 yards on a punt can force an opposing team to punt instead of kick a field goal….

as for feely…..how many games in the nfl were won and lost by field goals last year…….feely can be the key to a few wins or loses for the jets this year…….especially if they are going to be scrapping for points and leaning on the defense to stay in games…..

feely went 24 for 28 in field goals last year and i think a few of those game in the first game or two so he was pretty solid…..if i figured it out right opponents starting field position was the 28 yard line on average…that could be a little better….but he’s a pretty decent kicker and he and conley can play a much bigger role than people are giving them credit for right now