J E T S Jets Jets - Oh, who the Hell are we kidding...

OK fellow masochists, football season starts on Sunday, so it is time for the first annual season preview here at the Cafe.

Slight diversion before we begin...
As many of you know, I am a fan of the Mets, Jets and Islanders. Luckily, 2 out of the three teams have won championships during the time I am old enough to remember. Alas, the Jets have not won since I was about 3 months old. It's funny. The rivalry between Jet and Giant fans is nowhere near as intense as the rivalry between Islander/Ranger and Met/Yankee fans. For the Mets/Yankees, it is basically that Yankee fans are obnoxious jerks who act like they are a part of the team "We've won 26 championships" or something like that. Of course, most of them have only been fans for the past ten years, and would not know any players prior to that, but anyway. For the Isles and Rangers, the hatred stems from the Isles winning 4 Stanley Cups, while the Rangers went 54 years between Cups. So there is a lot of hatred there. For Jet/Giant fans, there is little in the way of hatred (so far as I can tell) primarily because for the most part, both teams have had awful stretches. I know, the Giants won 2 Super Bowls, but they stunk as bad as the Jets for a while as well. When they won, I did not root against them. I will always root against the Yankees and Rangers, as most Yankee and Ranger fans would never root for the Mets or Isles.

On too the preview.

Lets start with some of the management changes. Key additions through subtraction are the loss of Herm (Two-faced) Edwards. Despite protestations that he did not want the KC job, he left. I liked Herm, but there is no way he would have allowed a player to get away with that. Good riddance Herm, and enjoy life in KC without Priest Holmes. As for Chiefs fans, enjoys poor clock management and empty speeches.
Another plus was the departure of Terry B(r)adway. This is the man who let Laveranues Coles go, then traded Santana Moss to get him back. This is the guy who allowed Herm to get away for only a 4th round pick. This is the man who traded a first rounder for Doug (not so) Jolley and a 2nd rounder. He signed players to overpriced contracts. Again, Terry, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

To replace the above, we get Eric Mangini and Mike Tannenbaum. The jury is out on Tannenbaum for now, though he had some input on contracts, so I have some concerns. As for Mangini, Johnson better hope some of the Bill's rubbed off on him. While others are cracking wise about Mangini's age, I don't care how old he is. Personally, I like his youth, as I think he may be better able to relate to the players, and may not be as caught up in the old ways of doing things. Time will tell.

Offense
Key Losses
Kevin Mawae, Curtis Martin, what little strength was left in Chad's arm.
Additions
D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold on the line
A new playbook to replace the one that Paul Hackett left lying around?

The key here is going to be Chad. Is his arm stronger than a 2000 Florida ballot? If not, things are going to be real tough. There is no more Curtis Martin to keep defenses honest. Blaylock is a nice back, but he is not at the same level as Martin. Neither is Kevin Barlow. Hopes abound that Leon Washington can help. Patrick Ramsey is not an option, nor is Kellen Clemens (despite the unfortunate last name, I have high hopes for Kellen for 2007).
The tight ends still lack a go to guy. Chris Baker needs to show he can catch the ball. He is a good blocker however, which will be needed, given the youth on the line.
At Wide Reciever, Coles and McCareins return along with Jerricho Cotchery. It will be interesting to see if Cotchery can improve on last season. He has good speed, something the other receivers lack. Tim Dwight adds depth, and allows Justin Miller to stay away from return formations, reducing the possibility of a fumble.
The line is young with Mangold and Ferguson. Pete Kendall remains, hoping some veteran leadership rubs off on the youngsters. They need to keep Chad alive.

Defense
Key Losses - John Abraham.
The change from a 4-3 to a 3-4 is causing concern. Abraham is gone, after playing his first full season. Can Shaun Ellis rebound after a poor 2005, especially without Abraham around to attract double teams? Can Dewayne Robertson fulfill his first round promise? The same for Bryan Thomas, who moves to OLB.
As for the linebackers, Victor Hobson, Jonathan Vilma and Eric Barton return. Can they along with Thomas handle the 3-4 alignment. Vilma is too talented to not be able to. I think the front 7 will exceed expectations this season. Lots of pride and talent there.
The defensive backs are going to be vital again. Justin Miller must avoid brain farts like in the Giant game. Rhodes and Coleman need to keep the deep threat from being one. Andre Dyson is a nice pick up. David Barrett and Derrick Strait need to keep the nickel and dime packages from being exploited. Strait, after being all but traded, has a lot to prove.

Bottom Line
This is a rebuilding year. Make no mistake. Despite playing a soft 4-12 schedule, the Jets are going to be hard pressed to do much better than last season. Speaking of which, can someone explain why on the JETS commercials on SNY they show 1969, 1998 and 2006? Which of these does not belong. Christ, what a stupid commercial.
That being said, I will not be surprised to see them go 8-8. I will not put money on it, as my Dad taught me to never bet on the Jets (as well as things like Molson is good beer, 1960's rock music is good, and to hate the Yankees). Personally, anything better than 6-10 should be considered a good year, given a new coach, lots of new players, and the QB situation.
Buckle up Jet fans, its going to be a long season.