FLOURHAM PARK, NJ — Despite missing some time in practice due to a strained right calf, quarterback Aaron Rodgers has delivered enough impressive throwing in Ota practices to fuel the New York Jets’ overflowing optimism. It wasn’t just his arm’s strength or accuracy that caught their attention; It was more accurate than that.
It was the way he used his eyes to manipulate defenders, the way he expected open receivers because he perceived coverage and pressure. The guy has played nearly 14,000 shots in his career, so those eyes have seen a lot. He gave his new team a glimpse of what top-level quarterback play really looks like.
“It’s a different atmosphere,” said midfielder CJ Mosley of Rodgers’ influence. “He sets the standards. He sets expectations with his resume, with his name and the way he approaches the game every day.”
Just having Rodgers makes the offense better than last season, which ended with an embarrassing string of inept performances. The Jets scored just 15 points combined over the last three games, which led to big changes. Offensive coordinator Mike Lafleur came out, came Nathaniel Hackett, whose hiring was a turning point as he helped lure Rodgers out of potential retirement and set up the eventual Jets-Green Bay Packers trade.
The question is, could Rodgers’ addition turn the Jets — 29 in scoring last season — into a high-performance offense?
“[We’re] Away. In assessing the state of the offense after final practice, we have a lot of work to do, Hackett said. There are a lot of players who aren’t there and we need to see them and be able to assess and see how they fit, but there’s still a lot of work to do.”
Let’s compare the 2022 crime to the expected 2023 unit:
quarterback
Returnees: Zack Wilson, Chris Striveler
losses: Mike White and Joe Flacco
Extras: Rodgers, Tim Boyle
Better, worse, or the same: Much better
You’d be hard pressed to find a group of sites across the NFL that have improved as much as this group. Flooded with 15 touchdown passes and 18 interceptions in 22 career starts, the Jets went from Wilson to a future Pro Football Hall of Famer. However, Rodgers still has some questions to answer.
He’s coming off his worst season – a career-low 39.3 QAR. A broken right thumb and a bunch of inexperienced receivers probably had a lot to do with that. There’s also the health question: Is the calf injury, which I sustained in my pre-workout warm-ups on May 23, a bad omen or a bad omen? When healthy, Rodgers takes the Jets to a quarterback level they haven’t reached since Brett Favre in 2008.
By all indications, Wilson embraced his demotion, saying the opportunity to learn from Rodgers would benefit his career. There’s no reason to suspect it, but what happens if Wilson is forced to take action, like, now? His footwork has improved and he is “more accurate” than last season, according to coach Robert Saleh. The key, of course, is how he responds in the face of a pass rush – something that can’t be answered until he’s in the game. When under pressure, his career as a QBR is a historically poor 3.4 – 34 out of 34 qualified passers over the past two years, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
running back
Returnees: Bryce Hall, Michael Carter, Zonovan Knight, Nick Bowden (FB)
losses: Ty Johnson, James Robinson
Extras: Israel Upanikanda (R), Travis Day (R)
Better, worse, or the same: same
They would be in the “better” category if there was more certainty with Hall’s surgically repaired left knee. Hall is already up to 22 mph on GPS tracking, Saleh said, creating optimism he’ll be ready for Week 1, but ACL injuries can be hard to predict. While Hall has regained his top speed before the injury, the metric we don’t know is his rate of acceleration – one of the keys to a full recovery. When Hall’s right — he averaged 5.8 yards per carry on limited action — he’s a playmaker.
The RB2’s stand is up for grabs between Carter, Knight, and Apicanda, a fifth-round pick with hall-like speed. Don’t be surprised if he emerges as an early fielder due to his home runs ability; He averaged 6.0 yards per carry for Pitt last season. Can the Jets count on Carter and Faris for important roles? And consider: On one key metric—rushing yardage above expected per carry—Carter and Knight ranked 50th and 51st, respectively, out of 52 running backs last season (minimum: 80 attempts), according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
wide future
Returnees: Garrett Wilson, Corey Davis, Denzel Mims, Irvin Charles, Malik Taylor, Deontay Spencer
losses: Elijah Moore, Braxton Berreuse, Jeff Smith
Extras: Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Mekol Hardman Jr., Jason Brownlee (right), Xavier Gibson (right), Jerome Kapp (right), TJ Luther (right)
Better, worse, or the same: better
They are bigger, more explosive and more experienced than last season. Essentially, the Jets added starting outsider in Lazard and traded slot receivers Moore and Berrios for Cobb and Hardman. With Wilson, Lazard, and Davis on the outside, and Cobb or Hardman on the inside, they have the advantages of a very good receiving corps. One statistic to watch is yards after a catch. When Hackett was the Packers’ coordinator from 2019 to 2021, they ranked second in YAC per reception (6.0).
Of course, the star is Wilson, the NFL’s 2022 Rookie of the Year. He’s already impressed Rodgers, who said, “I love Jarrett. [He’s an] Wonderful, wonderful little boy. the whole world [is] in front of him. He has all the talent and ability.”
Neither Cobb nor Hardman spring trained as they recovered from injuries, so their health bears watch. OTHER QUESTIONS: What kind of role will Davis play? Is there a place for mimis?
tight end
Returnees: Tyler Conklin, CJ Uzumah, Jeremy Ruckert, Kenny Yeboah
losses: no one
Extras: Zack Koontz, (R) EJ Jenkins (R), Izaiah Gathings (R)
Better, worse, or the same: better
The top four is unchanged, but we’ll lean towards “better” over “same” because of Ruckert’s expected improvement. Slowed by plantar fasciitis, he was inactive as a junior (1 reception). He moved better and seemed more confident in his OTA practices, which sparked optimism that he’s ready for the leap sophomore. The Jets could use more big plays than the entire squad; The tight ends combined for only four receptions in the red zone in 2022.
offensive line
Returnees: Duane Brown, Luck Tomlinson, Connor McGovern, Alicia Vera Tucker, Mickey Picton, Max Mitchell, Adam Banke, Chris Glaser, Greg Sennat
losses: Georges Fant, Nate Herbig, Dan Feeney, Cedric Ogbuehi, Laurent DuVernay-Tardif, Mike Rimmers
Extras: Joe Tipman (right), Carter Warren (right), Wes Schweitzer, Billy Turner, Tristan Colon, Yodny Kagost, Brent Laing (right)
Better, worse, or the same: same
This group has the potential to be better than last year, but it’s hard to make that leap now because there are so many questions. There are three points in the air – left tackle (Brown vs. Picton), center (McGovern vs. Tippman) and right tackle (Mitchell vs. Turner). Picton made it clear that he wanted to play left tackle, but there was little chance of him defeating the Browns.
Best case scenario: Becton embraces the right tackle, stays healthy and wins the job; Tippman overtakes McGovern and locks the axle. Tipman and Picton would add much-needed youth and strength to the line. McGovern was the team’s 22nd-lowest-ranked catcher, based on ESPN’s run rates and winning block pass percentage for each position.
Becton, a 2020 first-round pick, is the biggest wild card. It dropped about 50 pounds, but durability is an issue. He missed 33 of 34 games due to knee injuries.
“I think from what I’ve seen of him he’s shown really good maturity,” line coach Keith Carter said. “He made some really good decisions outside of football to get to where he is now. It’s exciting to see where that takes us.”