New York Jets Ready to Compete With Patriots Again: Enemy Week | NEPatriotsDraft.com
So let’s run down these points with some counter points:
1. Quinton Coples – maybe he is the next coming of Justin Tuck, but he’s a rookie and rookies who can transform a pass rush are rare.
2. No More Eric Smith – Or Jim Leonhard for that matter. Not out of the question that Landry could be a good anti-Gronk, but he’s still not healthy and hasn’t proven he can stay healthy. Yeremiah Bell could be helpful here too, but again saying they can stop Gronk and actually doing it are two very different things.
3. Brandon Lloyd will have minimal impact – Sure, if you put Revis on him the whole game, but it’s the trickle down effect that’s going to hurt because now you’ve got Cromartie and Wilson on Welker and Gaffney which are mismatches that favor the Patriots. There’s no other way to slice it, a legit X-receiver for New England makes things harder for a man to man team like the Jets.
Stephen Hill’s Downfield Threat – Hill was seen as extremely raw coming out this year, and assuming that he instantly has an impact, and that Mark Sanchez can develop the pocket presence and chemistry to make those deep throws is a bit of stretch.
Jeff Otah – again, not healthy.
Dedication to the running game – it takes more than dedication, it takes players to execute, and I’m not sure Shaun Green and whoever else are those players.
There’s no question that Coples, Landry, Bell, Otah and Hill could become significant impact players for the Jets and that would improve their team by leaps and bounds, but counting on all their rookies to make an impact and all their banged up guys to get and stay healthy is an extremely optimistic outlook.
But hey, maybe all our rookies and injured guys will be great this year too and then we’ll really be talking about some epic battles.