Getty New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson attempting to evade the Buffalo Bills pass rush.
The general consensus around the league has been pretty positive on what the New York Jets were able to accomplish this offseason.
Although not everyone is drinking the Kool-Aid as we found out this week.
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Torn to Shreds
Former NFL quarterback and current analyst Brady Quinn was blunt when asked about the Jets during an appearance on CBS Sports HQ:
“Their season [the Jets] is going to be over before the bye. I mean that is just the reality of it. They play the entire AFC North and they might go 0-4. Then you have that winnable game against the Miami Dolphins, great they’re going to host them but they’ll be feeling pretty desperate and beat up after that 0-4 start. I mean there is a realistic scenario where they’re 1-8 maybe 0-9. As good as the roster has improved I just haven’t been a fan of Zach Wilson. I think this is an unbelievably difficult schedule that lines up in the second half but they could be decimated by that point. I’ve got them winning five games and probably going back to the drawing board at the quarterback position in the 2023 NFL draft.”
Former #NFL QB Brady Quinn (@Brady_Quinn) is not a fan of the #Jets this year, ‘their season is going to be over before the bye’ + ‘there is a realistic scenario that they start 1-8 maybe 0-9’ + ‘I’m not a believer in Zach Wilson’ 😳: 🎥 @CBSSportsHQ #TakeFlight
The former Notre Dame passer originally entered the league back in 2007 as the No. 22 overall pick in the first round.
Quinn ended up playing for seven different NFL teams during his eight-year playing career. That of course includes his short stint with the Jets for a handful of months in 2013 as a reserve non-active quarterback:
- 4-16 record as a starting quarterback
- 3,043 career passing yards
- 12 touchdowns to 17 interceptions
Investigative Journalism
That is the harshest criticism that Wilson or the Jets have received this offseason, but let’s dive into it.
Quinn says the Jets could start 1-8 or 0-9 based on the brutal start to the season.
According to the ESPN advanced analytics, Gang Green is currently a projected underdog in each of their first nine games of the 2022 season.
However, when you look at the situation closely there are several winnable games basely purely on the quarterbacks they are scheduled to play:
- Week 2 at Cleveland (Jacoby Brissett)
- Week 4 at Pittsburgh (Mitch Trubisky)
- Week 5 vs Miami (Tua Tagovailoa)
- Week 8 vs New England (Mac Jones)
The NFL hasn’t ruled on the Deshaun Watson case, but it seems likely he will receive some level of a suspension. That opens up a golden opportunity for the Jets to get the upset on the road.
Additionally, none of those other quarterbacks scare you on the games we circled. While some other facets of their team may be impressive, this is ultimately a quarterback-driven league.
To be blunt the Jets can’t have that kind of start to the season or heads are going to roll. General manager Joe Douglas and head coach Robert Saleh have pounded the same message of their desire to play “meaningful games in December.”
If that is going to happen, despite their underdog status, the Jets have to survive the first half of the schedule. If they can sneak a couple here or there, then the second half of the schedule lines up for a potential rally to make something happen.
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