If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets

[doitny]

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets

Story by Brian Costello

 

The frustration of another season without a playoff appearance is here again for Jets fans. It has been a tradition every January for the past 13 seasons.

The Jets resemble that road construction you see on your way to work — it never seems to end and it is hard to see progress.

These playoffs have several teams that were in similar situations to the Jets recently and turned things around. That can be both a source of frustration and hope for the Jets and their fans.

Watching teams such as the Texans and Lions is a reminder that rebuilding a team does not have to take 10 years. It shows what having a good coach, a good quarterback and a solid supporting cast can do.

The Jets feel like they have the first and the third ingredients and will have the second if they can keep Aaron Rodgers healthy in 2024.

If you go back to the 2021 season, the five worst teams that year were the Jaguars, Lions, Jets, Giants and Texans. The Jaguars and Giants each won a playoff game last season. The Lions and Texans did this past weekend.

So, why is the Jets’ playoff drought hitting puberty?

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

Jared Goff celebrated the Lions’ first playoff win since 1991 just two seasons after the franchise finished 3-13-1 in 2021. Getty Images

The simplest answer is often the correct one, and in this case, it is clear the quarterback play has held them back.

C.J. Stroud and Jared Goff were home runs by the respective front offices of the Texans and Lions. The Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence has not lived up to his “generational quarterback” label from the pre-draft process, but he is clearly going to be a solid starter for many years. Daniel Jones had a monster season in 2022, and the Giants went to the playoffs in part because of it.

 

The Jets entered the 2021 offseason facing the biggest decision in recent memory. After going 2-14 in 2020, they had the No. 2 overall pick, a position you don’t want to be in ever again. They had to decide whether to keep Sam Darnold at quarterback or to move on.

Joe Douglas chose to trade Darnold to the Panthers and draft Zach Wilson at No. 2.

The pick has turned out to be a terrible one, and the Jets are expected to trade or release Wilson this offseason.

Nothing sets a franchise back more than blowing a first-round pick on the quarterback. The Jets did it twice in four years with Darnold and Wilson.

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

It seems increasingly likely that Zach Wilson has taken his last snap for the Jets, three years after they drafted him No. 2 overall. Bill Kostroun for the NY Post

To their credit, the team pivoted away from Wilson last offseason and made the trade for Rodgers. That plan, of course, went poof after four plays, forcing the Jets to turn back to Wilson.

That resulted in a second consecutive 7-10 season and Jets fans again watching the playoffs without their team to root for.

The question is whether the Jets can be the team that flips things around in 2024. The defense and special teams were both playoff-caliber in 2023. Douglas has done a good job building those units.

The offense is the question. Is a healthy Rodgers enough? Can Douglas finally get a strong offensive line to protect him? Can they find a wide receiver to complement Garrett Wilson?

It may feel as if the perpetual rebuild is never going to end. But remember the Bills had a 17-year playoff drought that ended in 2017, and they are now a perennial playoff team. The Browns went 17 years before making the playoffs in 2020, and they just went for the second time in four years.

It can be done.

While seeing teams like the Lions and Texans winning playoff games can make you scream if you are Jets fan, it also should give you hope.

A better Bowles?

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

In two seasons as the Buccaneers head coach, Todd Bowles has led the team to two NFC South titles and a wild-card win Monday night. AP

Todd Bowles’ success with the Buccaneers is further proof that to be a good coach you need good players.

I don’t think Bowles suddenly became a much better coach in Tampa, where he has now won two division titles and won his first playoff game on Monday.

When Bowles was with the Jets, he had a strong, older roster in his first year and went 10-6. The next year, that old roster got really old and the season fell apart. In 2017, the team basically stripped the roster down, and then in 2018, he got one year with a rookie quarterback in Darnold.

 

It was hard to judge how good a coach Bowles was because the talent on the roster was terrible. In hindsight, Bowles got too much blame and GM Mike Maccagnan did not get enough. Maccagnan failed to give Bowles a roster he could win with.

That is not to excuse Bowles’ mistakes with the Jets, because there were plenty.

But it is worth remembering as we try to evaluate Robert Saleh as the Jets coach that the quality of the players, especially the quarterback, goes a long way in how much success a coach has.

Stat’s so

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

Greg Zuerlein’s 35 field goals this season broke a Jets record that had stood since 1968. AP

Greg Zuerlein had a great season kicking for the Jets this year. He set a new franchise record with 35 field goals.

Here are the team’s top 10 single-season leaders in field goals made:

1. Greg Zuerlein, 2023: 35-38 (FGM-FGA)

2. Jim Turner, 1968: 34-46

3. Jason Myers, 2018: 33-36

3. Nick Folk, 2013: 33-36

5. Jim Turner, 1969: 32-47

5. Nick Folk, 2014: 32-39

7. Nick Folk, 2010: 30-39

8. Jay Feely, 2009: 30-36

8. Greg Zuerlein, 2022: 30-37

10. Mike Nugent, 2007: 29-36

[UntouchableCrew]

I mean the key difference between the Jets and those teams is QB play. The Texans are directly analogous — they hired the stud SF DC and drafted a QB 2nd overall. The kid they drafted was just a stud and the kid the Jets drafted is horrible.

[Rhg1084]

Jets need Rodgers to be healthy (obviously)… and they need to revamp the OL and add a WR. But yes next year at this time we should absolutely be in the playoffs 

[slimjasi]

7 minutes ago, Rhg1084 said:

Jets need Rodgers to be healthy (obviously)… and they need to revamp the OL and add a WR. But yes next year at this time we should absolutely be in the playoffs 

I would say “could” not “should”

Even if he can stay healthy, it all depends on how much Rodgers has left coming off a torn Achilles at 40 years old and none of us know the answer to that question 

[Adoni Beast]

Everything is easier when you have a good head coach and QB. When those 2 things click, a lot of wins follow.

[LockeJET]

I think when you look at what Love did with Green Bay compared to what Rodgers did the year before it is a huge concern. We better hit on every off-season move since the likelihood of Rogers declining is very good. Old, coming off A catastrophic injury and was already in decline the year prior. 

[SomebodytoAnybody47]

QB QB QB…QB

[Beerfish]

This past off season in the draft the Lions added:

Immediate impact player RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Immediate impact player TE Sam LaPorta

Immediate impact player LB Jack Campbell

Immediate impact player S Brian Branch

This past off season the Texas in the draft added:

Franchise QB CJ Stroud

Immediate impact player DE Will Anderson

Starting OG Juice Scruggs

Immediate impact player Tank Dell

The Jets added a C who they refused to play early on.

A low snap pass rusher who barely got on the field and no one else.

The Jets total sell out to get Aaron Rodgers may have deep sixed this version of a jets rebuild.

[Saul Goodman]

2 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

This past off season in the draft the Lions added:

Immediate impact player RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Immediate impact player TE Sam LaPorta

Immediate impact player LB Jack Campbell

Immediate impact player S Brian Branch

This past off season the Texas in the draft added:

Franchise QB CJ Stroud

Immediate impact player DE Will Anderson

Starting OG Juice Scruggs

Immediate impact player Tank Dell

The Jets added a C who they refused to play early on.

A low snap pass rusher who barely got on the field and no one else.

The Jets total sell out to get Aaron Rodgers may have deep sixed this version of a jets rebuild.

 

[TuscanyTile2]

2 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

The Jets added a C who they refused to play early on.

A low snap pass rusher who barely got on the field and no one else.

The Jets total sell out to get Aaron Rodgers may have deep sixed this version of a jets rebuild.

I guess we can think of this going into next year as:

-Added HOF QB

-Added potential star pass rusher

-Have a starting C going into next year

[Rhg1084]

22 minutes ago, slimjasi said:

I would say “could” not “should”

Even if he can stay healthy, it all depends on how much Rodgers has left coming off a torn Achilles at 40 years old and none of us know the answer to that question 

I mean we won 7 games this year with 0 production out of QB position. Even if Rodgers puts up his 2022 “down” season you’d think we get 3-4 more wins 

[OilfieldJet]

45 minutes ago, doitny said:

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets

Story by Brian Costello

 

The frustration of another season without a playoff appearance is here again for Jets fans. It has been a tradition every January for the past 13 seasons.

The Jets resemble that road construction you see on your way to work — it never seems to end and it is hard to see progress.

These playoffs have several teams that were in similar situations to the Jets recently and turned things around. That can be both a source of frustration and hope for the Jets and their fans.

Watching teams such as the Texans and Lions is a reminder that rebuilding a team does not have to take 10 years. It shows what having a good coach, a good quarterback and a solid supporting cast can do.

The Jets feel like they have the first and the third ingredients and will have the second if they can keep Aaron Rodgers healthy in 2024.

If you go back to the 2021 season, the five worst teams that year were the Jaguars, Lions, Jets, Giants and Texans. The Jaguars and Giants each won a playoff game last season. The Lions and Texans did this past weekend.

So, why is the Jets’ playoff drought hitting puberty?

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

Jared Goff celebrated the Lions’ first playoff win since 1991 just two seasons after the franchise finished 3-13-1 in 2021. Getty Images

The simplest answer is often the correct one, and in this case, it is clear the quarterback play has held them back.

C.J. Stroud and Jared Goff were home runs by the respective front offices of the Texans and Lions. The Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence has not lived up to his “generational quarterback” label from the pre-draft process, but he is clearly going to be a solid starter for many years. Daniel Jones had a monster season in 2022, and the Giants went to the playoffs in part because of it.

 

The Jets entered the 2021 offseason facing the biggest decision in recent memory. After going 2-14 in 2020, they had the No. 2 overall pick, a position you don’t want to be in ever again. They had to decide whether to keep Sam Darnold at quarterback or to move on.

Joe Douglas chose to trade Darnold to the Panthers and draft Zach Wilson at No. 2.

The pick has turned out to be a terrible one, and the Jets are expected to trade or release Wilson this offseason.

Nothing sets a franchise back more than blowing a first-round pick on the quarterback. The Jets did it twice in four years with Darnold and Wilson.

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

It seems increasingly likely that Zach Wilson has taken his last snap for the Jets, three years after they drafted him No. 2 overall. Bill Kostroun for the NY Post

To their credit, the team pivoted away from Wilson last offseason and made the trade for Rodgers. That plan, of course, went poof after four plays, forcing the Jets to turn back to Wilson.

That resulted in a second consecutive 7-10 season and Jets fans again watching the playoffs without their team to root for.

The question is whether the Jets can be the team that flips things around in 2024. The defense and special teams were both playoff-caliber in 2023. Douglas has done a good job building those units.

The offense is the question. Is a healthy Rodgers enough? Can Douglas finally get a strong offensive line to protect him? Can they find a wide receiver to complement Garrett Wilson?

It may feel as if the perpetual rebuild is never going to end. But remember the Bills had a 17-year playoff drought that ended in 2017, and they are now a perennial playoff team. The Browns went 17 years before making the playoffs in 2020, and they just went for the second time in four years.

It can be done.

While seeing teams like the Lions and Texans winning playoff games can make you scream if you are Jets fan, it also should give you hope.

A better Bowles?

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

In two seasons as the Buccaneers head coach, Todd Bowles has led the team to two NFC South titles and a wild-card win Monday night. AP

Todd Bowles’ success with the Buccaneers is further proof that to be a good coach you need good players.

I don’t think Bowles suddenly became a much better coach in Tampa, where he has now won two division titles and won his first playoff game on Monday.

When Bowles was with the Jets, he had a strong, older roster in his first year and went 10-6. The next year, that old roster got really old and the season fell apart. In 2017, the team basically stripped the roster down, and then in 2018, he got one year with a rookie quarterback in Darnold.

 

It was hard to judge how good a coach Bowles was because the talent on the roster was terrible. In hindsight, Bowles got too much blame and GM Mike Maccagnan did not get enough. Maccagnan failed to give Bowles a roster he could win with.

That is not to excuse Bowles’ mistakes with the Jets, because there were plenty.

But it is worth remembering as we try to evaluate Robert Saleh as the Jets coach that the quality of the players, especially the quarterback, goes a long way in how much success a coach has.

Stat’s so

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

Greg Zuerlein’s 35 field goals this season broke a Jets record that had stood since 1968. AP

Greg Zuerlein had a great season kicking for the Jets this year. He set a new franchise record with 35 field goals.

Here are the team’s top 10 single-season leaders in field goals made:

1. Greg Zuerlein, 2023: 35-38 (FGM-FGA)

2. Jim Turner, 1968: 34-46

3. Jason Myers, 2018: 33-36

3. Nick Folk, 2013: 33-36

5. Jim Turner, 1969: 32-47

5. Nick Folk, 2014: 32-39

7. Nick Folk, 2010: 30-39

8. Jay Feely, 2009: 30-36

8. Greg Zuerlein, 2022: 30-37

10. Mike Nugent, 2007: 29-36

You lost me at “good coach”.

[Beerfish]

5 minutes ago, TuscanyTile2 said:

I guess we can think of this going into next year as:

-Added HOF QB

-Added potential star pass rusher

-Have a starting C going into next year

HOF QB means zero, how good is he now?

Yes mcdonald will be better but we are going to let go a better guy in huff.

Tippman is good and will be our starter next year.

 

[Beerfish]

8 minutes ago, Saul Goodman said:

 

The Jets had a legit chance to add about 3 more good players last years draft but we traded down then took a developmental pass rusher we did not need, traded a 2nd rounder and then again a 2nd this year.  These other teams did not panic, the jets panicked.

[TuscanyTile2]

27 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

HOF QB means zero, how good is he now?

Yes mcdonald will be better but we are going to let go a better guy in huff.

Tippman is good and will be our starter next year.

Agreed on all.  I was just trying to find the silver lining.

[GangGreened]

54 minutes ago, slimjasi said:

I would say “could” not “should”

Even if he can stay healthy, it all depends on how much Rodgers has left coming off a torn Achilles at 40 years old and none of us know the answer to that question 

People are really holding on to that thumb injury in 2022, when it was probably just natural decline. He said himself the thumb injury was not an issue and his knee injury in 2018 was harder to throw the ball with. And the play he got hurt on for the Jets wasn’t exactly pretty either. 
 

its going to be wildly entertaining next year one way or another 

[slimjasi]

36 minutes ago, Rhg1084 said:

I mean we won 7 games this year with 0 production out of QB position. Even if Rodgers puts up his 2022 “down” season you’d think we get 3-4 more wins 

That assumes the defense stays relatively healthy (as they have been the past two seasons) and doesn't regress - two big assumptions. 

Also, what if Rodgers is worse than he was in 2022? There's simply a lot we don't know. 

I will say that I expect Rodgers to be hella motivated and I'm hopeful he will return with a vengeance, but until we see him play, what he has left remains an open question. 

[Creepy Lurker]

18 minutes ago, TuscanyTile2 said:

Agreed on all.  I was just trying to find the silver lining.

No

[southparkcpa]

59 minutes ago, Beerfish said:

This past off season in the draft the Lions added:

Immediate impact player RB Jahmyr Gibbs

Immediate impact player TE Sam LaPorta

Immediate impact player LB Jack Campbell

Immediate impact player S Brian Branch

This past off season the Texas in the draft added:

Franchise QB CJ Stroud

Immediate impact player DE Will Anderson

Starting OG Juice Scruggs

Immediate impact player Tank Dell

The Jets added a C who they refused to play early on.

A low snap pass rusher who barely got on the field and no one else.

The Jets total sell out to get Aaron Rodgers may have deep sixed this version of a jets rebuild.

 

56 minutes ago, Saul Goodman said:

 

Im too lazy to prove it, but i saw a piece on how teams like that dominate have 2nd , 3rd and 4th rounders contributing.   Compared to average, our drafts are piss poor going on 15 years in a row.   Except 2022.  We dont have enough young talent.   

[doitny]

18 minutes ago, slimjasi said:

Also, what if Rodgers is worse than he was in 2022? There's simply a lot we don't know

true but can he be as bad as Zach? i dont think a HOF QB no matter what age or what not has ever falling down that low. so it will be an upgrade.

[slimjasi]

1 minute ago, doitny said:

true but can he be as bad as Zach? i dont think a HOF QB no matter what age or what not has ever falling down that low. so it will be an upgrade.

He can be plenty bad enough for us to miss the playoffs if he's washed. Go look at Marino's last year playing. When these guys decline, they decline really quickly. 

[THE BARON]

The difference ??? One word. WOODY.  A ship sails in the mold of it's master. 

Blame the QB. Blame the GM. Blame them all.  BUT...  All are there because of WOODY.  And that goes for all the previous failed regimes... 

Nothing will change for the better unless it is an accident.

Columbus bumbled upon the "New World".

Perhaps Woody one day will bumble in the right direction. 

[Rich Thornburgh]

On 1/18/2024 at 2:38 AM, THE BARON said:

The difference ??? One word. WOODY.  A ship sails in the mold of it's master. 

Blame the QB. Blame the GM. Blame them all.  BUT...  All are there because of WOODY.  And that goes for all the previous failed regimes... 

Nothing will change for the better unless it is an accident.

Columbus bumbled upon the "New World".

Perhaps Woody one day will bumble in the right direction. 

Until woody sells or dies nothing is changing

[BP]

Nope, the lions threw Bob Saleh out of the building after interviewing him. “There’s the door, Bob.”

 

The Jets?

”SLOGANS? T SHIRTS? CHRISTOPHER!!! WE HAVE OUR GUY!!!”

[BP]

On 1/17/2024 at 8:38 PM, THE BARON said:

The difference ??? One word. WOODY.  A ship sails in the mold of it's master. 

Blame the QB. Blame the GM. Blame them all.  BUT...  All are there because of WOODY.  And that goes for all the previous failed regimes... 

Nothing will change for the better unless it is an accident.

Columbus bumbled upon the "New World".

Perhaps Woody one day will bumble in the right direction. 

A rudderless ship a drift in a sea of feces

[Prodigal Syndicate]

Dump this entire regime and start over.

Show grandpa Aaron the door.

 

[Jetluv58]

Who’s the back-up QB in 2024? 

[southparkcpa]

On 1/17/2024 at 7:20 PM, Adoni Beast said:

Everything is easier when you have a good head coach and QB. When those 2 things click, a lot of wins follow.

 

On 1/17/2024 at 7:06 PM, Rhg1084 said:

Jets need Rodgers to be healthy (obviously)… and they need to revamp the OL and add a WR. But yes next year at this time we should absolutely be in the playoffs 

 

On 1/17/2024 at 6:58 PM, UntouchableCrew said:

I mean the hey difference between the Jets and those teams is QB play. The Texans are directly analogous — they hired the stud SF DC and drafted a QB 2nd overall. The kid they drafted was just a stud and the kid the Jets drafted is horrible.

Those teams didn't trade away 3 2nd round picks to draft Darnold, THEN pick a second bust and then trade away draft capital for a 40 year old QB.  The Jets management team for the last 10 years has been comprised of well below average GM's.  Who drafts Jamal Adams while leaving Fitzpatrick as your QB?   That's an organizational issue.  Rodgers was 9-8 his last year. So if we have a 10-7 season with Rodgers, then what??? Saleh has been outperformed by both DC's that have replaced him in SF.  

[TheNuuFaaolaExperience]

On 1/17/2024 at 6:55 PM, doitny said:

Nothing sets a franchise back more than blowing a first-round pick on the quarterback.

The 49ers never got that memo. 

A single back pick or even several bad picks does not set a franchise back. Not admitting that the pick was bad and moving on is what sets a franchise back. 

The Rams haven't had a first round pick 2016 and it doesn't seem to have set that franchise back. 

[TheNuuFaaolaExperience]

On 1/17/2024 at 7:39 PM, Rhg1084 said:

I mean we won 7 games this year with 0 production out of QB position. Even if Rodgers puts up his 2022 “down” season you’d think we get 3-4 more wins 

I agree. The 2023 Jets with a full season of declining Rodgers wins 11 games. 

[BurnleyJet]

1 hour ago, TheNuuFaaolaExperience said:

I agree. The 2023 Jets with a full season of declining Rodgers wins 11 games. 

Good enough for third in the AFCE

[NYDreamer]

As for the Texans it would have been interesting if the Panthers owner didn't step in for Bryce Young.  Frank Reich and the office wanted Stroud.

Beerfish was spot on with his 3 excellent points.

 

[Ecuadorian Jet]

There's no pride for football success in the Jets organization. It's all about PR moves, tv money, ticket sales, and merchandising.

That's the difference with the Jets and any other sports organization, and that's why the Jets will never win anything.

Poor injury diagnosis and injury treatment will go away with QB play?  Poor quality turf will go away with QB play? Poor coaching all around will go away with QB play? Mediocre GM decisions will go away with QB play?

[Bobby816]

The thing we at least know now as a fan base is what we need.

We have money and have the 10th pick to address these needs.

There's no secret that we know we need OL help. JD has shown he is more than willing to draft OL. He just has had awful luck with injuries with those picks. Hard to fully put that on him. None of Becton or AVT were injury prone players before we drafted them. But we know we need for sure 2-3 new starting OLineman on this OL. And I expect that to get addressed. My guess is the 10th pick is used on an OT as well as an OT and a OG brought in in FA.

We need a WR. Lucky for us there's some good options out there. Higgins, Ridley, Evans to name a few. Adams via trade (if the price makes sense). Or if we address OL in FA we could even go the WR route at 10 (maybe Nabers or Odunze). Maybe even Bowers at 10. Who kind of hits 2 needs. Big time receiving threat and can hold his own blocking as well. Depending on how we address FA... he is actually who I like the most for us to go at 10. But that would have to be with us already fixing the OL in FA.

We know we need a vet backup in case Rodgers gets injured again. There's no way we don't do this IMO. Brissett, Tannehill, Minshew, etc are all guys who I expect us to be linked to. Making us more at ease if there is an unexpected injury from Rodgers.

Draft a developmental QB in the mid rounds. Zach needs to go. Take whatever we can for him. Just get a rookie in here to sit and learn behind a HOF QB and a savvy vet.

 

On defense... Get 2 run stuffing DTs. Luckily these guys don't cost much and can be had later in drafts. As good as our defense was... we were bad against the run up the middle.

Figure out what we're doing at SS. I expect us to resign Davis and have Adams and Davis at FS. But I think we let Whitehead walk (too many missed tackles and bad angles). I still would love to resign Clark. He should be had cheap after missing the whole season. But will be 100% for camp. Sure tackler. Which is what we need.

 

Resign our ST guys

[SAM SAM HE'S OUR MAN]

On 1/17/2024 at 6:55 PM, doitny said:

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets

Story by Brian Costello

 

The frustration of another season without a playoff appearance is here again for Jets fans. It has been a tradition every January for the past 13 seasons.

The Jets resemble that road construction you see on your way to work — it never seems to end and it is hard to see progress.

These playoffs have several teams that were in similar situations to the Jets recently and turned things around. That can be both a source of frustration and hope for the Jets and their fans.

Watching teams such as the Texans and Lions is a reminder that rebuilding a team does not have to take 10 years. It shows what having a good coach, a good quarterback and a solid supporting cast can do.

The Jets feel like they have the first and the third ingredients and will have the second if they can keep Aaron Rodgers healthy in 2024.

If you go back to the 2021 season, the five worst teams that year were the Jaguars, Lions, Jets, Giants and Texans. The Jaguars and Giants each won a playoff game last season. The Lions and Texans did this past weekend.

So, why is the Jets’ playoff drought hitting puberty?

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

Jared Goff celebrated the Lions’ first playoff win since 1991 just two seasons after the franchise finished 3-13-1 in 2021. Getty Images

The simplest answer is often the correct one, and in this case, it is clear the quarterback play has held them back.

C.J. Stroud and Jared Goff were home runs by the respective front offices of the Texans and Lions. The Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence has not lived up to his “generational quarterback” label from the pre-draft process, but he is clearly going to be a solid starter for many years. Daniel Jones had a monster season in 2022, and the Giants went to the playoffs in part because of it.

 

The Jets entered the 2021 offseason facing the biggest decision in recent memory. After going 2-14 in 2020, they had the No. 2 overall pick, a position you don’t want to be in ever again. They had to decide whether to keep Sam Darnold at quarterback or to move on.

Joe Douglas chose to trade Darnold to the Panthers and draft Zach Wilson at No. 2.

The pick has turned out to be a terrible one, and the Jets are expected to trade or release Wilson this offseason.

Nothing sets a franchise back more than blowing a first-round pick on the quarterback. The Jets did it twice in four years with Darnold and Wilson.

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

It seems increasingly likely that Zach Wilson has taken his last snap for the Jets, three years after they drafted him No. 2 overall. Bill Kostroun for the NY Post

To their credit, the team pivoted away from Wilson last offseason and made the trade for Rodgers. That plan, of course, went poof after four plays, forcing the Jets to turn back to Wilson.

That resulted in a second consecutive 7-10 season and Jets fans again watching the playoffs without their team to root for.

The question is whether the Jets can be the team that flips things around in 2024. The defense and special teams were both playoff-caliber in 2023. Douglas has done a good job building those units.

The offense is the question. Is a healthy Rodgers enough? Can Douglas finally get a strong offensive line to protect him? Can they find a wide receiver to complement Garrett Wilson?

It may feel as if the perpetual rebuild is never going to end. But remember the Bills had a 17-year playoff drought that ended in 2017, and they are now a perennial playoff team. The Browns went 17 years before making the playoffs in 2020, and they just went for the second time in four years.

It can be done.

While seeing teams like the Lions and Texans winning playoff games can make you scream if you are Jets fan, it also should give you hope.

A better Bowles?

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

In two seasons as the Buccaneers head coach, Todd Bowles has led the team to two NFC South titles and a wild-card win Monday night. AP

Todd Bowles’ success with the Buccaneers is further proof that to be a good coach you need good players.

I don’t think Bowles suddenly became a much better coach in Tampa, where he has now won two division titles and won his first playoff game on Monday.

When Bowles was with the Jets, he had a strong, older roster in his first year and went 10-6. The next year, that old roster got really old and the season fell apart. In 2017, the team basically stripped the roster down, and then in 2018, he got one year with a rookie quarterback in Darnold.

 

It was hard to judge how good a coach Bowles was because the talent on the roster was terrible. In hindsight, Bowles got too much blame and GM Mike Maccagnan did not get enough. Maccagnan failed to give Bowles a roster he could win with.

That is not to excuse Bowles’ mistakes with the Jets, because there were plenty.

But it is worth remembering as we try to evaluate Robert Saleh as the Jets coach that the quality of the players, especially the quarterback, goes a long way in how much success a coach has.

Stat’s so

 

If the Lions and Texans can become playoff success stories, so can the Jets© Provided by New York Post

Greg Zuerlein’s 35 field goals this season broke a Jets record that had stood since 1968. AP

Greg Zuerlein had a great season kicking for the Jets this year. He set a new franchise record with 35 field goals.

Here are the team’s top 10 single-season leaders in field goals made:

1. Greg Zuerlein, 2023: 35-38 (FGM-FGA)

2. Jim Turner, 1968: 34-46

3. Jason Myers, 2018: 33-36

3. Nick Folk, 2013: 33-36

5. Jim Turner, 1969: 32-47

5. Nick Folk, 2014: 32-39

7. Nick Folk, 2010: 30-39

8. Jay Feely, 2009: 30-36

8. Greg Zuerlein, 2022: 30-37

10. Mike Nugent, 2007: 29-36