A new front office, a new coaching staff, and a new quarterback. The Jets’ brand of football is being changed this season, with new head coach Aaron Glenn leading the charge.
The Jets of old are not the Jets of new. We should all expect big changes from this team and how it operates moving forward.
Adjustments the Jets will make on offense
This team last year was led by an aging quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. Despite his future Hall of Fame pedigree, that experiment did not work out in the slightest for the Jets. The stats do not paint the true picture, which, in all honesty, was a complete failure.
Justin Fields hops in now at QB, as he looks to make big strides towards becoming a quality starter.
I expect a heavy run game this season, with a mix of RPOs (run-pass options) and quarterback-designed runs. This offensive line is athletic, so seeing some form of quarterback sweeps should be expected. The team will be a power offense. They could attempt over 30 runs at a minimum per game this season.
Fields isn’t known for his elite arm, but getting Garrett Wilson — his former Ohio State teammate — involved will be crucial.
Rodgers and Davante Adams played crucial roles last year, but that didn’t benefit the growth of the young players on the offense. Wilson is now the lead guy and the only big-name threat at receiver, so we should expect a heavy dose of him.
The Jets’ defense will take a new shape and craft a new identity
This defense is a good unit, and it proved that last year through the first few weeks of the season under Robert Saleh.
But things took a turn for the worse when Saleh was fired and former defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took over as the interim head coach. Now, with Glenn being in charge, the defense is ready to come back to life.
The pass defense should be the unit’s strong suit. They have pass rushers like Will McDonald, Quinnen Williams, and, when healthy, Jermaine Johnson II getting after the quarterback.
They also have a strong defensive back group, headed by All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner. Glenn will likely deploy new forms of blitzing, with different defensive backs and linebackers finding ways to get home. This hallmark trait of Glenn’s defense is unlike anything the Jets had under previous coaching regimes.
The run defense will be something to keep an eye out for, especially with former starting linebacker C.J. Mosley having departed this offseason.
Signing defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi was a crucial move, as he will play a key role on early downs.
Quinnen Williams will also have to take another step up if they want to take a leap in run defense this season. Jamien Sherwood and Quincy Williams are a great duo at linebacker, and this is the area where their presence will be felt.