The Kansas City Chiefs will go back on the road in Week 4 as they travel to New York to take on the Jets on “Sunday Night Football”.
Despite finishing with a losing record, the Jets improved greatly in 2022. They jumped out to a great 7-4 start before collapsing and losing the rest of their games. Most of the blame can be attributed to the offense, which finished 28th in scoring. New York has failed to score a single goal and has been held to under seven points in each of its last three games.
The biggest issue for the Jets offense was quarterback play. Zach Wilson was clearly not ready to be a starting NFL QB despite being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. This led New York to make one of the biggest moves of the season, trading for Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers.
The Jets then got a couple of new weapons familiar to Rodgers in receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. They then added some speed, signing former CEO Mecole Hardman. The cupboard wasn’t bare before the additions, as NY already had the 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and speedster running back Breece Hall.
The Jets will hope that those gains will be enough for the offense to catch up with the defense, which was one of the best units in the league last season and carried the team. NY’s defense ranked fourth in both scoring and yards allowed, and also boasted Defensive Rookie of the Year in backup Sauce Gardner.
The Jets bolstered an already dangerous defense by signing veteran defensive tackle Al Woods and drafting defensive end Will McDonald IV in the first round. They also added veteran safety Adrian Amos to make sure they were in the middle of their secondary. Suddenly, it looks like the Jets could have one of the most complete records in the AFC as they try to end their league-leading 12-year playoff drought.
Now let’s take a look at some of the top Jets players and their outlook for the 2023 NFL season:
QB Aaron Rodgers
Now entering his 19th NFL season, Rodgers’ only mission is to capture another Super Bowl ring before calling it quits. Despite being a first-team All-Pro and a four-time MVP, as well as a 10-time Pro Bowler, Rodgers is still thought of by some as someone who only managed to win one Super Bowl.
The big question for Rodgers today is whether age is catching up with him. Last season he threw for the fewest yards in a full season of his career. He also threw for the second most interceptions of his career with 12. With that said, though, Rodgers won back-to-back MVPs before last season and still has a very good arm.
One of Rodgers’ biggest challenges in 2022 was the lack of playmakers around him. He now has more to work with in NY, as well as a much better defense. An energized and revitalized Rodgers could mean trouble for the rest of the AFC, or perhaps father time is indeed catching up with him, setting Jets fans up for more disappointment.
RB Breece Hall
Hall was off to a great start in his rookie year before tearing his ACL and hand in Week 7. He was on pace for over 1,000 yards from scrimmage and was named the FedEx Ground Player and Pepsi NFL Player of the Year Rookie of the Week in Week 5.
Hall is an elite athlete, with 4.3 speed and power back attributes. Hall’s recovery is reportedly going very well and there is a strong possibility that he will be ready to go for Week 1 of the regular season. When healthy he is a three down back and is a threat in both the run and passing game.
WR Garrett Wilson
What Wilson accomplished last season as a rookie with what he had to work with at quarterback is nothing short of amazing, catching 83 passes for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. Wilson has good hands and is a very good route runner, but it’s his yard after catch ability that makes him special.
With rookie growing pains out of the way and now patched up by Aaron Rodgers, Wilson could push for elite status among NFL receivers. Even if he stays the course, Wilson is a legitimate No. 1 receiver who can compete with the best defensive backs in the league.
DT Quinn Williams
Williams elevated his game to another level in 2022, tying a career high in total tackles with 55 and nearly setting a career high in sacks with 12. He also had two forced fumbles and a touchdown closed field on special teams. Those numbers earned him his first career Pro Bowl and a First-team All-Pro selection.
Williams’ 90.1 Pro Football Focus grade was good for fourth-best among inside linebackers in 2022. At just 25 years old, Williams appears to be hitting his prime and is he is poised to be one of the best defensive linemen in the NFL for the next several years.
CB Sauce Gardner
Pro Football Focus called Gardner’s rookie season one of the best in NFL history. His 90.2 coverage grade was first among all cornerbacks in the league. He recorded 75 total tackles and two interceptions, facing wide receiver talent such as Tyreek Hill and Stefon Diggs four times.
Gardner is already being compared to hall of famers such as Darrelle Revis and Deion Sanders. Gardner expertly uses his length and physicality and can be trusted to be left on an island for the duration of a game. He could be a perennial contender for defensive player of the year over the next decade.
This story first appeared on Chiefs Wire
