The New York Jets have the longest playoff drought of any team in the NFL. It’s been 11 years since the Jets were in the playoffs, and that’s five years longer than any other team in the league. Robert Saleh was hired to change all that, but the Jets didn’t show much improvement in his first season at the helm. They improved from 2-14 to 4-13, yet they still finished a distant fourth in the AFC East. There is reason to believe this franchise is finally turning things around though, and the Jets have an outside chance of winning eight games or more for the first time since 2015.
New York Jets Season Win Total
Over 6 Wins +100
Under 6 Wins -120
2022 New York Jets Schedule
| WEEK | MATCHUP |
| 1 | Vs. Baltimore Ravens |
| 2 | @ Cleveland Browns |
| 3 | Vs. Cincinnati Bengals |
| 4 | @ Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 5 | Vs. Miami Dolphins |
| 6 | @ Green Bay Packers |
| 7 | @ Denver Broncos |
| 8 | Vs. New England Patriots |
| 9 | Vs. Buffalo Bills |
| 10 | BYE WEEK |
| 11 | @ New England Patriots |
| 12 | Vs. Chicago Bears |
| 13 | @ Minnesota Vikings |
| 14 | @ Buffalo Bills |
| 15 | Vs. Detroit Lions |
| 16 | Vs. Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 17 | @ Seattle Seahawks |
| 18 | @ Miami Dolphins |
New York Jets Offense
Zach Wilson did not have a great rookie season. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft completed just 55.6% of his passes for 2,334 yards (6.1 YPA) with nine touchdowns and 11 interceptions. However, this offense did improve as it ranked dead last in the NFL in 2019 and 2020 with Sam Darnold under center. The Jets are hoping that Mike LaFleur can help bring Wilson along in his second season, but the BYU product is still a work in progress.
After years of doing nothing to help their talent at the skill positions, the Jets went all out this offseason. The Jets drafted wide receiver Garrett Wilson with the No. 10 overall pick and running back Breece Hall with the No. 36 overall pick, and they also signed tight end C.J. Uzomah from Cincinnati. This receiving corps might finally be dangerous once again as rookie Elijah Moore showed a lot of promise, and Corey Davis demonstrated his big play ability when he was healthy.
As for Hall, he is immediately slated to start at running back ahead of Michael Carter and Tevin Coleman. Hall was exceptional in his last two seasons at Iowa State, running for over 3,000 yards and 40 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 YPC. He proved to be a solid pass catcher too, so the Jets will be able to use him in that role.
The offensive line is solid as well provided Mekhi Becton and Laken Tomlinson are healthy. Tomlinson was signed to beef up this offensive line in the offseason, and Becton has the potential to be a franchise left tackle.
New York Jets Defense
It was disappointing to see the Jets’ defense take a step back in its first season under Robert Saleh. The former San Francisco defensive coordinator was expected to make improvement on this side of the ball, but Gang Green ranked dead last in the NFL in scoring defense and total defense.
The Jets addressed the defense by taking standout cornerback Ahmad Gardner with the No. 4 overall pick. Gardner was an elite cornerback with great recovery speed at Cincinnati, and he can be a ballhawker. He should immediately be the best player in the secondary.
There are more concerns along the front seven, but some of the pieces are there. C.J. Mosley finally suited up for the team and played well in 2021, and the defensive line has some talent too.
Prediction
In an interesting schedule quirk, the New York Jets will face every team in the AFC North in their first four games. This team is still a year away from challenging for a playoff spot, but the Jets have the potential to play spoiler in the AFC. They have a young, talented core on offense that could lay some great groundwork for the future, and this defense should be better. Don’t be surprised if they best either Miami or New England and finish in third place in this division.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
