Are the Jets ready to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2010? Adam Gase enters his second season leading Sam Darnold and company in hopes of finishing in the upper half of the AFC East. In 2019, the team finished with a 7-9 record, which was the first year with more than five wins since 2015. Todd Bowles won 10 games that season with 33-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick as the starting quarterback. At age 23, Darnold is looking to perform similarly to how he was on the field last year. If he does not, he and Gase may not be inside the Jets organization for long.
Read Also: New England Patriots Predictions and Odds
Table of Contents
2020 Jets Draft Picks
Mekhi Becton, OT (Louisville)
Denzel Mims, WR (Baylor)
Ashtyn Davis, S (California)
Jabari Zuniga, DE (Florida)
La’Mical Perine, RB (Florida)
James Morgan, QB (FIU)
Cameron Clark, OT (Charlotte)
Bryce Hall, CB (Virginia)
Braden Mann, P (Texas A&M)
Notable Other New Faces for the Jets
Joe Flacco, QB
Frank Gore, RB
Chris Hogan, WR
D.J. Montgomery, WR
Patrick Onwuasor, LB
Pierre Desir, CB
Quincy Wilson, CB
Bradley McDougald, S
Notable Jets in New Places
Trenton Cannon, RB – Carolina Panthers
Kenneth Dixon, RB – released
Jalin Moore, RB – retired
Robby Anderson, WR – Carolina Panthers
Josh Bellamy, WR – released
Quincy Enunwa, WR – released
Ty Montgomery, WR – New Orleans Saints
Jonotthan Harrison, C – released
Brandon Copeland, OLB – New England Patriots
James Burgess, LB – released
Nate Hairston, CB – released
Darryl Roberts, CB – Detroit Lions
Jamal Adams, SS – Seattle Seahawks
Brett Maher, K – released
Notable Jets on the Injury Report
Joe Flacco, QB – out for Week 1 with a neck injury; expected to return for Week 3
Lamical Perine, RB – questionable for Week 1 with an ankle injury
Denzel Mims, WR – questionable for Week 1 with a hamstring injury
Alex Lewis, OG – questionable for Week 1 with a shoulder injury
Jabari Zuniga, DE – placed on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury; eligible for Week 4 return
Avery Williamson, LB – questionable for Week 1 with a hamstring injury
Tarell Basham, LB – questionable for Week 1 with an ankle injury
Patrick Onwuasor, LB – placed on injured reserve with a knee injury
Marcus Maye, FS – questionable for Week 1 with a calf injury
Jets Who Have Opted Out of 2020 NFL Season
Josh Doctson, WR
C.J. Mosley, LB
Leo Koloamatangi, OL
Jets Offense Predictions
In each of Sam Darnold’s first two seasons, he played 13 games apiece. In 2019, he improved very much after recovering from mononucleosis. The Jets started 0-4, but then Darnold returned and went on to lead the Jets to seven victories in the final 12 contests.
Although he threw four interceptions in Week 7 and three interceptions in Week 8, he bounced back to commit just seven turnovers in his last nine season games. He passed for 2,207 yards (245 yards per game) and scored 16 touchdowns during that span.
Jets Running Backs: Will Le’Veon Bell Bounce Back in 2020?
Le’Veon Bell has a new change-of-pace running back in Frank Gore to share his backfield at MetLife Stadium this season. Bell enters his second year with the Jets after 2019 that included 789 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 461 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. Bell’s 3.2 yards per rushing attempt were the worst of his career, and he will be looking to improve in 2020.
Jets Wide Receivers: Can Darnold Find Success With Jamison Crowder, Breshad Perriman, and Denzel Mims?
After experiencing injuries before the season, receivers Breshad Perriman (knee) and Jamison Crowder (hamstring) seem to be ready for their Week 1 matchup, as they have been logging full practices. Meanwhile, the 2020 second-round draft pick Denzel Mims (hamstring) may not play in the Jets’ first game of the season.
In 2019, Crowder was Darnold’s favorite target, as he led the team in targets (122), receptions (78), receiving yards (833), and receiving touchdowns (six). Robby Anderson (779 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns) was the only other main receiver last year, and he signed with the Carolina Panthers.
Last year, Perriman accumulated 36 receptions, 645 receiving yards, and six touchdowns with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Darnold has more weapons heading into 2020, and he hopes to be able to utilize his main three receivers along with his top two tight ends.
Jets Tight Ends: Darnold Will Look to Involve Both Chris Herndon and Ryan Griffin This Season
Darnold found tight end Ryan Griffin for 34 receptions, 320 receiving yards, and five touchdowns in 2019. Chris Herndon is getting a second chance to build off his 2018 rookie campaign. He failed to get on the field for Gase’s Jets last year after receiving a four-game suspension for his DUI charge. With Darnold and Herndon possibly regaining their chemistry from 2018, the Jets will have multiple weapons at the tight end position this season.
Read Also: Buffalo Bills Predictions and Odds
Jets Defense Predictions
Gregg Williams returns as the defensive coordinator for his second season, as he and the rest of the organization are looking to improve the passing defense in 2020. Overall, New York’s defense was effective at reducing yardage for opposing offenses last year (seventh-best in the league) but struggled in terms of allowing points.
The Jets finished 16th in overall defense, but it may have been due to the team’s struggling offense. New York finished with the 11th-best points per drive allowed and fifth-best yards per drive allowed. If Darnold’s offense can improve and put the defense in better field positions, maybe the Jets defense can perform better in 2020.
The Jets are without their solo tackle leader from last year. The Jets traded disgruntled SS Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks in July. New York did receive a decent amount in return, though, as the Jets accumulated multiple first-round selections and S Bradley McDougald. When targeted in 2019, McDougald allowed a mere 58.8 opposing passer rating so that he could make a massive impact on the Jets secondary.
Read Also: Miami Dolphins Predictions and Odds
Jets Special Teams Predictions
After waiving K Brett Maher, the Jets will hope that K Sam Ficken makes a major jump in his second full season. Ficken, who went undrafted in 2015, had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams and played four games over two seasons with them. In 2019, Ficken did not impress after joining the team in Week 2: he made 19 of his 27 field goal attempts (70 percent) and missed three of his 26 extra points (89 percent).
If Ficken does not improve early in the season, he should be on a short leash. In April, the Jets signed Ficken to another one-year contract. They are paying him $675,000 this year as he attempts to improve his kickoffs as well. His touchback percentage was below 50 percent in 2019. His NFL career could be affected very much by how he performs in 2020.
Jets Head Coach Predictions
Just like most of the Jets players, Adam Gase will have to prove himself this season. His head coaching career began in 2016 when he joined the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins hired the former Denver Broncos, and Chicago Bears offensive coordinator, and Gase went on to lead Miami to a 10-6 season and a playoff spot. Unfortunately, Gase’s only playoff game as a head coach was a 30-12 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Since the beginning of the 2017 season, Gase has gone 20-28, including a 7-9 performance in his first year with the Jets in 2019. Gase has had a below-average offense in all of his four seasons as a head coach, but if Darnold can work well with his weapons in 2020, maybe Gase can turn his record around.
Jets Predictions for Week 1
In Week 1, the Jets will head to Bills Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, for a 1:00 pm eastern contest. Buffalo opened as a 5.5-point favorite, and bookmakers have adjusted the line to 6.5 points. Darnold and Ficken will be critical in Week 1, as the over/under of 39.5 points is easily the lowest of the opening week of the 2020 season.
In 2019, Darnold scored just two touchdowns in two games against the Bills. The only game in which both teams played their starters last year was Week 1’s meeting between the two teams. The Jets opened the season with a 16-0 lead against Buffalo, but the Bills came back and scored 17 unanswered points to win the game. Ficken was signed after this loss because K Kaare Vedvik missed his only two kick attempts, an extra point, and a 45-yard field goal, in the 17-16 loss.
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Jets Predictions for 2020 Season
There may be value with the Jets’ over of 6.5 wins in 2020. The AFC East may be turned upside down this season if New York upsets Buffalo in Week 1. The Jets will have to play much better than last season, and although Jamal Adams is now in Seattle, the Jets could still improve on defense as well as offense. They added McDougald to the secondary in addition to Perriman and Mims to the receiving group.
The Jets also get back Herndon for his second full season. The Jets’ +15000 Super Bowl futures bet is very unlikely, but being the third-least likely to win the Super Bowl appears low even for a team that often underachieves.
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