New York Jets: 5 Burning questions heading into 2018 training camp

3. Can special teams be special again?

Football is a three phase game — offense, defense and special teams. There’s one problem. In recent years for the Jets, specials teams was anything but special. In fact, they’ve been very ordinary.

Special teams is broken into four categories — kicking, punting, kickoff returns, and punt returns. Their kickoffs and field goal scoring were good, punting was slightly below average, and their return game left a lot to be desired.

Their return game did nothing to help their offense in terms of establishing good field position. Their kickoff returns average 20.1 yards — good for only 23rd in the NFL. Their punt returns were even worse ranking dead last in the NFL in punt return average at 4.5 — the only team in the NFL to average fewer than five yards per punt return.

In terms of punting, they were tied for 10th in gross average, but that was the only category in which they landed in the top ten. They were 20th in the NFL in net punt average and percentage of punts inside the 20 yard line. They also were one of only seven teams to allow more than 50 percent of their punts to be returned, and being one of nine to have a punt return yards allowed average at least 10 yards.

They need a lot of fixing, but if Brent Boyer — who’s going into his third year — can make it happen, it will only be a plus for the quarterback (whoever they choose to start).