New York Jets: Offense will have some early growing pains
The New York Jets kick off their preseason on Aug. 8 against the Giants. Don’t be surprised if there are some early growing pains offensively for Gang Green.
As the New York Jets go through the rigors of training camp as they prepare for their preseason opener against the Giants on Aug. 8, they will be looking to improve an offensive unit that ranked just 23rd in the NFL in scoring (20.8 points per game) in 2018.
There are several reasons to be very optimistic about the green and white offensively this coming season. Sam Darnold should continue to develop as a franchise quarterback. The offensive line, with the recent signing of five-time Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil, should be improved. Le’Veon Bell is one of the premier halfbacks in the league and wide receiver Robby Anderson seems to be blossoming into an explosive performer with high upside.
However, everything is not all roses and champagne. Not yet anyway. There will be growing pains as this squad learns to come together as a cohesive unit. Let’s take a look at Darnold, for example.
The USC product showed strong improvement over the last quarter of the 2018 campaign, firing six touchdown passes with just one interception. He’s being mentored now by head coach Adam Gase, who was the offensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos when Peyton Manning tossed an NFL record 55 touchdown passes in 2013.
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Gase is supposed to be a quarterback guru but why was he not able to develop quarterback Ryan Tannehill in Miami when he was the head coach there? The jury is still out on Gase. On the plus side, the improved offensive line should give Darnold more time to throw and set up play action.
Bell will need time to scrape some rust off after sitting out all of last season in a contract dispute with the Steelers. He’s known for hesitating to find a hole to burst through but will the revamped line give him the extra precious seconds that he needs?
The Jets will miss tight end Chris Herndon as well — for the first quarter of the season, anyway. The Miami Hurricanes product enjoyed a promising rookie campaign last season with 39 receptions for 502 yards and four touchdowns but he will be absent for the initial four contests this season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
He developed into a strong red zone target for Darnold last year so Quincy Enunwa may need to step in as a hybrid tight end-wide receiver. No other tight ends on the roster have Herndon’s pass-catching ability and upside.
Gang Green should own a top-15 offense by the time the 2019 season concludes. It will take time though. Rome was not built in a day. The most vital element is that Darnold continues to show improvement and promise. Everything else will fall into place.
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The Jets also need to stay healthy, which never happens. Expect growing pains early on. The final result should be a much improved contingent over last year’s squad by the end of this December. It will be very interesting to see how Darnold’s offense develops as the season progresses.