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With playoff hopes shrinking, what should NY Jets focus on now?

Jeremy Ruckert, New York Jets
Jeremy Ruckert, New York Jets, Getty Images

With their playoff hopes all but dead, here’s what the New York Jets should focus on for the rest of the season

Surprisingly, Tankathon has become a favorite site for New York Jets fans earlier in 2023 than in 2022. Few would have imagined that the Jets would be looking at a top-10 pick this season, but that’s where it could be headed. It’s difficult to remember that just three weeks ago, heading into a Monday Night Football showdown with the Chargers, the Jets were flying high with three consecutive victories.

It’s often difficult for anyone but the most ardent of fans to support a team with no playoff hopes by Week 12. At this point, the Jets’ offense is unwatchable, while the Bills put a template out for how to beat their defense. It could be a difficult slog down the road to the offseason.

Perhaps Aaron Rodgers will still choose a return attempt even if the Jets are mathematically eliminated from contention. That would be foolish from a tactical perspective, but what Rodgers wants, Rodgers gets. It would still be a spectacle worth tuning in for.

Other than that, why should any Jets fan watch the team this season? Taken another way, what should the Jets’ goal be now that their playoff hopes are all but dead?

Evaluate young talent

The Jets have a number of young players whose future role with the team should be the focal point of the team’s remaining games. There is no reason to give lesser veterans the majority of the playing time at this point.

For example, Will McDonald should be receiving a larger snap count. With Carl Lawson and Bryce Huff both hitting the free-agent market in 2024, there could possibly be two holes in the edge rusher rotation. Although the Jets might hope to re-sign Huff, he could price out of their range. Therefore, they need to know what they have in McDonald to see if he deserves a larger role in 2024.

What happened with Huff and Jermaine Johnson in 2022 is exactly what the Jets should seek to avoid with McDonald. In 2022, Johnson played 28% of the Jets’ total defensive snaps, while Huff played only 17%. As a result, the Jets had less than a complete evaluation of both players heading into 2023. They chose to greatly ramp up Johnson’s workload without a concrete reason, while they intended to keep Huff in a relatively minor role.

McDonald has started to show flashes of his talent with his meager snap count. The Jets need to see if he can stack positive performances and figure things out. On that note, they should also be looking at Johnson to see if he can continue to stack positive performances, which might influence other decisions along the edge.

Another player to closely monitor is Jeremy Ruckert. The Jets are finally giving him more snaps after demoting C.J. Uzomah. What can Ruckert give them in the passing game?

So far this season, Ruckert has 93 run-blocking snaps, 74 routes, and 11 pass-blocking snaps. He’s been targeted only 10 times on those 74 routes, posting eight receptions for 68 yards. Uzomah never gave the Jets much of anything in the passing game, but what can Ruckert do in that area? As a run-blocker, can he build some consistency after a few straight poor games?

Israel Abanikanda is another player the Jets should be evaluating. The team gave him one carry late in the Bills game compared to Dalvin Cook‘s 14. That number should be reversed, with Abanikanda taking the third-down snaps. Yes, Abanikanda struggles with blocking, receiving, and holding on to the football — but so does Cook, only he’s 28 years old and lacks juice in his legs.

Tony Adams‘ job as the Jets’ free safety should be under closer scrutiny. The second-year undrafted free agent has struggled this season, especially with tackling angles. Can the Jets rely on him in 2024?

Xavier Gipson and Jason Brownlee should get full looks considering how putrid the Jets’ receiving corps has been. Can either one be a viable fourth or fifth receiver in 2024?

Max Mitchell and Joe Tippmann are also on the evaluation list. Mitchell has struggled so mightily that it’s questionable whether the Jets should keep him around in 2024. That’s something they should be getting more of a read on. With Tippmann, the question is both how he plays and which position, center or guard, is ideal for him moving forward.

These are the players who should be the focus of both coaches and fans.

Decide which veterans to retain

The Jets have several veteran players who have underperformed this season but are still under contract in 2024, as well as a number of free agents. They need to take a hard look at those players and decide who they want to keep.

For example, Lawson and Cook pretty clearly will not be on the team in 2023. Uzomah’s demotion is also likely the writing on the wall. Whether they’re active or not on gameday does not really matter.

However, this list starts with two offensive linemen: Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton. If the Jets cut Tomlinson with a post-June 1 designation, they could save $13 million in cap space with only $5.9 million in dead cap. That’s a deal the Jets should sign up for; Tomlinson is a major negative along their offensive line. This is something they should be figuring out if they have not already.

Meanwhile, Becton is a tough question. He has struggled mightily this season and does not look anywhere close to the player he was as a rookie. Still, letting Becton leave in free agency would mean that the Jets need two new tackles, which is hard to fill in one offseason. If you combine that with Tomlinson, the Jets would need three starting offensive linemen as well as a number of backups. It’s a tough ask.

We’ll see what happens with Becton’s ankle injury. When he’s on the field, though, the Jets need to keep a close eye on him. Deciding whether to even offer him a prove-it deal or to simply let him go and possibly receive a compensatory pick should depend on his performance the rest of the way.

Quinton Jefferson started the season strong before fading somewhat over the last few games. How does he play the rest of the season, and is he worth retaining?

At safety, Jordan Whitehead, Chuck Clark, and Adrian Amos are all free agents next season. Which one, if any, do they want to bring back? The team should mix and match Whitehead and Amos on the field to evaluate them further for next season if they don’t already have a good idea. (Amos has been far superior to Whitehead in every way this season, and though his coverage skills are suspect, he’s an above-average tackler.)

Be aggressive

The Jets have been a chronically conservative offense during Saleh’s tenure as head coach. They’re now playing with house money, though. At the very least, this should give them the opportunity to go for it on fourth down, take deep shots on second and short, run some trick plays, and push the envelope.

They should at least attempt to make watching Jets football more interesting since the stakes are quite low.

Play spoiler or tank?

This is always a question for teams whose playoff hopes end around the midway point of the season or shortly thereafter. Is there value to winning more games that simply cost the team a better draft pick?

Realistically, this is not a question coaches or players are asking themselves. NFL teams play to win. Still, from a fan perspective or just a general football perspective, which one is preferable?

In my opinion, it would be ideal for the Jets to lose out, which could possibly happen with Tim Boyle under center. This would sharply spotlight just how barren the Jets’ roster is. If desperation fuels change, that level of desperation is necessary for the Jets to truly build up their offense rather than thinking okay is enough, which was their plan heading into 2023.

Additionally, the team needs multiple offensive linemen. After failing to acquire a top tackle in the 2023 draft, the best chance they have to get a plug-and-play starter will likely come in the 2024 draft. The higher their pick, the more likely that is to happen.

On a week-by-week basis, it may be difficult for fans to root against their team. Sometimes it’s based on pride or the principle of remaining loyal to the team through hard times. Still, when examining long-term ramifications, the Jets’ best chance to find a stud tackle comes with a higher draft pick — which makes that the preferred outcome for the team, in my view.

There is definitely a pride and thrill in playing spoiler, as well as coming out on top in the rivalry with opposing fans. The specter of losing to the Dolphins and Patriots is painful for those engaging with their fans on any medium. Perhaps short-term pain is often worth the long-term gain, though.

Jets fans, what will keep you watching this team for the final seven games of the season?

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