2009 Recap: New York Jets

The New York Jets’ somewhat surprisingly successful 2009 season can be traced back to 2008. Coach Eric Mangini and the organization orchestrated a trade that brought legendary quarterback Brett Favre to the Meadowlands. Despite starting out 8-3 and looking like a sure playoff team, the Jets and Favre faltered down the stretch, losing four of their last five. Mangini was fired, Favre went into “retirement” and the Jets were left without a head coach and a legitimate starting quarterback.

Luckily for the Jets, Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan’s contract was up and he was looking to take over his own team. The burly and brash Ryan was known for his record-setting defense in 2000 when the Ravens held opponents to a record low 165 points during the regular season. After signing a four-year contract, Ryan immediately went and brought in safety Jim Leonhard and linebacker Bart Scott from the Ravens via free agency. The team also traded for former Pro Bowl corner Lito Sheppard from the Philadelphia Eagles.

By draft day, the only quarterbacks on the roster were Kellen Clemens and Brent Ratliff. Ryan and the organization made a bold move trading up from the 17th pick to the 5th pick in a deal with the Cleveland Browns who were headed up by none other than Eric Mangini. In exchange for the fifth overall pick, the Jets sent the 17th pick, their second round pick, defensive end Kenyon Coleman, safety Abram Elam, and Ratliff to the Browns. With the fifth pick, the Jets selected quarterback Mark Sanchez of USC. The team also traded up in the third round to select Shonn Greene of Iowa, winner of the Doak Walker Award in 2008, to add depth to the running back position.

The Jets started out the season hot even beating their division rival New England Patriots in week two. Many fans and sportswriters even begin deeming Sanchez “the Sanchize.” On October 7, the team orchestrated a trade for the highly-talented but inconsistent receiver Braylon Edwards from you guessed it – the Browns in exchange for receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker Justin Trusnik, and two draft picks.

However, the team hit a long rough streak, losing six of their next seven games. Sanchez turned the ball over at an alarming rate and the team had lost nose tackle Kris Jenkins and running back/kick returner Leon Washington to season ending injuries.

What did remain consistent throughout the season was Ryan’s complex and relentless defense which constantly harassed opposing quarterbacks. Led by Pro Bowl corner Darrelle Revis, the Jets finished the regular season ranked first in pass defense. The team rode the defense to a 5-1 finish, securing a playoff berth as the fifth seed.

The Jets surprised everyone by advancing to the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts. Despite holding both the Chargers and Bengals to 14 points each in their two playoff wins, Peyton Manning and the offense put up 30 points on the Jets and advanced to the Super Bowl where they eventually lost to the New Orleans Saints.

Sanchez, who only started one full season under Pete Carroll at USC, finished the year with a poor 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions despite leading the team to nine wins. The team’s strength on offense came on the ground as the Jets led the NFL in rushing with 172.3 yards per game. Veteran Thomas Jones had another good year, rushing for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns. Green came on strong at the end of the year, running for 500 yards in the team’s last 10 regular season games. He was also a force in the playoffs, gashing the Bengals and Chargers for 135 and 128 yards respectively.

Although Edwards made the Pro Bowl in 2007 after posting 80/1,289/16, he continued to display inconsistent hands despite being a field stretcher. He finished the season with only 45/680/4. Outside of Edwards, the Jets only other receiver of note was the reliable Jerricho Cotchery who had 57/821/3. Tight end Dustin Keller posted similar numbers to his rookie year (45/522/2) but was not as big of an impact player as some had hoped.

The team’s real strength was their offense line which features three Pro Bowlers in left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, left guard Alan Faneca, and center Nick Mangold. The line surrendered only 26 sacks and paved the way for the NFL’s leading rushing attack. However, Faneca and right tackle Damien Woody will be 34 and 33 respectively next year so the Jet’s could pursue some depth in the off-season.

On defense, the Jets were excellent in nearly every department. Their defensive line actually played well without Jenkins, finishing the season ranked eighth against the run. Defensive end Shaun Ellis made the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement after posting 6.5 sacks.

The addition of Scott only enhanced the Jet’s talented group of linebackers. Although Scott didn’t make many big plays, his counterpart, third-year inside linebacker David Harris had a very good season, leading the team with 127 tackles while also posting 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions. Outside linebacker Calvin Pace, a free agent signee in 2008, led the team with eight sacks despite missing the first four games of the year because of a suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

Andre Johnson – four catches for 35 yards, Randy Moss – four catches for 24 yards, Marques Colston – two catches for 33 yards, Terrell Owens – three catches for 13 yards, Steve Smith – one catch for five yards, Roddy White – four catches for 33 yards, Reggie Wayne – three catches for 33 yards.
Chad Ochocinco , a six-time Pro Bowler, - 0 catches for 0 yards.

These were the best efforts the top receivers in the NFL could put up against the NFL’s newest shutdown corner in Revis who finished the year with a league-leading 37 passes defended and six interceptions. An All-Pro selection, Revis is firmly planted in the league of elite, shutdown corners.

Outside of Revis however, the Jets’ secondary was an inconsistent group that got exposed in the AFC Championship game. Sheppard’s days of being a Pro Bowl corner appear to be over and Kerry Rhodes didn’t emerge as a playmaker until after he was benched.

Built in the same fashion as the 2008 Ravens and Falcons, the Jets did surprise everyone by making it to the AFC Championship game despite having a rookie head coach and quarterback. The Jets will need to add a few more pieces in the off-season despite having no picks in rounds 3-5, but the future does look bright.

Offseason Issues to Address:
1. A playmaking receiver: Even after trading for Edwards, the Jets' passing offense lacked explosiveness. Brandon Marshall and Anquan Boldin are on the trading block but the Jets could look to add a wideout via the draft.

2. Front Seven: The defensive line was solid, but Ellis and Jenkins will both be over 30 in 2010. The team could use an upgrade at defensive end. A pass-rushing linebacker could also be added after the team whiffed badly on Vernon Gholston with the sixth overall pick in 2008.

3. Secondary: The Jets could look to add a playmaker at either the safety and/or the corner position. Rhodes has a big signing bonus due and he could be a potential candidate for a trade or release. Sheppard and Dwight Lowery didn’t seem to cut it especially with opposing quarterbacks throwing away from Revis. Ryan is a defensive guru so he should be looking to add more talent to an already talented defense.