Offensive MVP: Thomas Jones
Quarterback:
Mark Sanchez had the kind of season that is normally expected out of a rookie quarterback. He started out extremely hot in the first 3 games and led the team to a 3-0 record. However, this fast start may have caused Brian Schottenheimer and Rex Ryan to open up the offensive playbook a little too much which resulted in a tough middle of the season. However, Sanchez matured towards the end of the season and realized that his role on the team was to make sure the team didn't lose.
The biggest turning point of the season for Mark Sanchez may have been when Rex Ryan delved into the offense. He simplified the playbook and started limiting Sanchez's throws to 15-20 a game. Once this happened Sanchez became much more efficient and was a major factor in leading the Jets to the playoffs. Sanchez's play in the playoffs was a major reason that the Jets were able to advance. He played arguably his two best games of the season against the Bengals and Chargers in the playoffs.
Overall, this season was a growing experience for Sanchez. He matured greatly as the season progressed and I am almost 100% sure that he will continue to develop and eventually be one of the best starting quarterbacks in the league. He has the tremendous ability to escape pressure and make throws while on the run. Also, as the season progressed Sanchez showed much more poise in the pocket and was able to make the tough throws.
Season Grade: C+
Running Back:
Thomas Jones had an absolutely incredible season which exceeded all of my expectations. He finished with a league leading 331 carries and was 4th in the league with 1402 yards. He was also able to pick up 14 touchdowns. Jones was the workhorse back all season and was the main reason that the Jets were able to make the playoffs. Jones was consistent all season (until the playoffs) and was able to wear defenses down late in games. Jones wore down a little bit come playoff time because of a bad knee and a huge workload during the regular season. However, his play during the regular season is what propelled the Jets to having the #1 running game in the league.
Season Grade: A
Shonn Greene took over as the backup running back when Leon Washington went down with a broken leg in the beginning of the season. Greene finished the regular season with 108 carries for 540 yards and 2 touchdowns. The one thing I loved about Greene this year was his style of running the ball. I haven't seen a running back run as hard as him since Jamal Lewis during his prime and maybe Adrian Peterson. Greene absolutely wrecks people who attempt to tackle him. However, as well as Greene played during the regular season he really stepped up his game during the playoffs. As Thomas Jones appeared to be wearing down Greene took over the workload at running back and finished with 304 yards and 5.6 yards per carry. He was the major reason that the Jets were able to advance past both Cincinnati and San Diego and the Colts game might have turned out differently if he hadn't gone down with an injury. The only negative with Greene this year was a fumbling problem. However, he seemed to correct that because the ball was secure in the playoffs.
Season Grade: B+
Leon Washington was on his way to having another very good season before going down with an injury during the Raiders game. Since he wasn't around for much of the season I am not going to do a full write up but Washington looked like he would have had a greatly increased role this year and I hope he will be back at 100% next year.
Fullback:
Tony Richardson had another stellar year to add to his long and brilliant career. Richardson anchored a running game which finished #1 in the league and even at his age he is still able to open up holes for the running backs. As I said before the season, Richardson is great and I really hope he decides to forgo retirement for another year and be the lead blocker for this running game. If he retires he will be sorely missed.
Season Grade: A
Wide Receiver:
Jerricho Cotchery had an outstanding season with 57 catches for 821 yards and 3 touchdowns. Although this may not seem so special with the great numbers many wide receivers put up around the league, Cotchery anchored the Jets receiving core and provided a consistent target for Mark Sanchez. Cotchery rarely had a drop and he is one of the crispest route runners in the league. He stepped it up against the Colts (in a losing effort) and made a few incredible catches.
Season Grade: B+
Braylon Edwards came to the Jets with much hype after week 4 in a trade that sent Chansi Stuckey to the Cleveland Browns. Edwards came in with much fanfare and with a reputation for dropping the ball. We saw two sides of Edwards over the 12 games that he was a Jet. First, Edwards made some absolutely incredible catches this season. The one that stands out to me is his first game where he bailed out Mark Sanchez with a great catch down the sideline while somehow getting both feet in bounds. However, with the great plays came the inevitable drops. Most Jets fans will have trouble forgetting his drop where the ball literally hit him in the head. However, the one thing about Edwards that the casual fan will miss is his run blocking. He showed this year that he is committed to the team with outstanding run blocking on the outside. Unlike receivers like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens who give up on plays Edwards is always there making a key block.
Season Grade: B
Brad Smith entered this season as a disappointment to most Jets fans but he is leaving it as a fan favorite. Since he has been drafted we have heard that Smith has the ability to change the game by both running, catching, and even throwing the ball. However, we haven't seen this talk come to fruition. After Leon Washington went down the "Seminole" offense seemed to die and a new option offense was formed from it led by Brad Smith. Smith was incredible out of this offense and we even got to see him throw in the Colts game which I know most people were not expecting. Smith is still not a great receiver but his ability to make plays out of the option offense is something that cannot be overlooked. He ran straight through the Bengals in Week 17 to put the Jets into the playoffs.
Season Grade: B+
Quarterback:
Mark Sanchez had the kind of season that is normally expected out of a rookie quarterback. He started out extremely hot in the first 3 games and led the team to a 3-0 record. However, this fast start may have caused Brian Schottenheimer and Rex Ryan to open up the offensive playbook a little too much which resulted in a tough middle of the season. However, Sanchez matured towards the end of the season and realized that his role on the team was to make sure the team didn't lose.
The biggest turning point of the season for Mark Sanchez may have been when Rex Ryan delved into the offense. He simplified the playbook and started limiting Sanchez's throws to 15-20 a game. Once this happened Sanchez became much more efficient and was a major factor in leading the Jets to the playoffs. Sanchez's play in the playoffs was a major reason that the Jets were able to advance. He played arguably his two best games of the season against the Bengals and Chargers in the playoffs.
Overall, this season was a growing experience for Sanchez. He matured greatly as the season progressed and I am almost 100% sure that he will continue to develop and eventually be one of the best starting quarterbacks in the league. He has the tremendous ability to escape pressure and make throws while on the run. Also, as the season progressed Sanchez showed much more poise in the pocket and was able to make the tough throws.
Season Grade: C+
Running Back:
Thomas Jones had an absolutely incredible season which exceeded all of my expectations. He finished with a league leading 331 carries and was 4th in the league with 1402 yards. He was also able to pick up 14 touchdowns. Jones was the workhorse back all season and was the main reason that the Jets were able to make the playoffs. Jones was consistent all season (until the playoffs) and was able to wear defenses down late in games. Jones wore down a little bit come playoff time because of a bad knee and a huge workload during the regular season. However, his play during the regular season is what propelled the Jets to having the #1 running game in the league.
Season Grade: A
Shonn Greene took over as the backup running back when Leon Washington went down with a broken leg in the beginning of the season. Greene finished the regular season with 108 carries for 540 yards and 2 touchdowns. The one thing I loved about Greene this year was his style of running the ball. I haven't seen a running back run as hard as him since Jamal Lewis during his prime and maybe Adrian Peterson. Greene absolutely wrecks people who attempt to tackle him. However, as well as Greene played during the regular season he really stepped up his game during the playoffs. As Thomas Jones appeared to be wearing down Greene took over the workload at running back and finished with 304 yards and 5.6 yards per carry. He was the major reason that the Jets were able to advance past both Cincinnati and San Diego and the Colts game might have turned out differently if he hadn't gone down with an injury. The only negative with Greene this year was a fumbling problem. However, he seemed to correct that because the ball was secure in the playoffs.
Season Grade: B+
Leon Washington was on his way to having another very good season before going down with an injury during the Raiders game. Since he wasn't around for much of the season I am not going to do a full write up but Washington looked like he would have had a greatly increased role this year and I hope he will be back at 100% next year.
Fullback:
Tony Richardson had another stellar year to add to his long and brilliant career. Richardson anchored a running game which finished #1 in the league and even at his age he is still able to open up holes for the running backs. As I said before the season, Richardson is great and I really hope he decides to forgo retirement for another year and be the lead blocker for this running game. If he retires he will be sorely missed.
Season Grade: A
Wide Receiver:
Jerricho Cotchery had an outstanding season with 57 catches for 821 yards and 3 touchdowns. Although this may not seem so special with the great numbers many wide receivers put up around the league, Cotchery anchored the Jets receiving core and provided a consistent target for Mark Sanchez. Cotchery rarely had a drop and he is one of the crispest route runners in the league. He stepped it up against the Colts (in a losing effort) and made a few incredible catches.
Season Grade: B+
Braylon Edwards came to the Jets with much hype after week 4 in a trade that sent Chansi Stuckey to the Cleveland Browns. Edwards came in with much fanfare and with a reputation for dropping the ball. We saw two sides of Edwards over the 12 games that he was a Jet. First, Edwards made some absolutely incredible catches this season. The one that stands out to me is his first game where he bailed out Mark Sanchez with a great catch down the sideline while somehow getting both feet in bounds. However, with the great plays came the inevitable drops. Most Jets fans will have trouble forgetting his drop where the ball literally hit him in the head. However, the one thing about Edwards that the casual fan will miss is his run blocking. He showed this year that he is committed to the team with outstanding run blocking on the outside. Unlike receivers like Randy Moss and Terrell Owens who give up on plays Edwards is always there making a key block.
Season Grade: B
Brad Smith entered this season as a disappointment to most Jets fans but he is leaving it as a fan favorite. Since he has been drafted we have heard that Smith has the ability to change the game by both running, catching, and even throwing the ball. However, we haven't seen this talk come to fruition. After Leon Washington went down the "Seminole" offense seemed to die and a new option offense was formed from it led by Brad Smith. Smith was incredible out of this offense and we even got to see him throw in the Colts game which I know most people were not expecting. Smith is still not a great receiver but his ability to make plays out of the option offense is something that cannot be overlooked. He ran straight through the Bengals in Week 17 to put the Jets into the playoffs.
Season Grade: B+
David Clowney had a very disappointing season and didn't even eclipse 200 yards. He got into trouble early in the season with Twitter and he never really regained a prominent role in this offense.
Season Grade: C-
Dustin Keller came into the season with high expectations (at least in my mind) and he partially fulfilled them. Keller is a great pass catching tight end and he showed that during the playoffs with 3 straight games with a touchdown. However, Keller was hurt this year by the slow development of Mark Sanchez. With the Jets only throwing the ball 15-20 times a game by the time the season ended there weren't enough balls going around for Keller to put up gaudy stats. However, he had a fairly good season and was second on the Jets in both receptions and yards. I expect him to be utilized next year a lot more as Sanchez develops.
Season Grade: B-
Offensive Line:
D'Brickashaw Ferguson has developed into one of the best left tackles in the league. In a division where there are some great pass rushers (Aaron Schobel and Jason Taylor) Ferguson rarely missed an assignment. Also, I will say this for every member of the line, anytime your team leads the league in rushing the offensive line is the major contributor in that. Ferguson is going to the pro-bowl along with teammates Alan Faneca and Nick Mangold
Season Grade: A
Alan Faneca is one of the most respected offensive lineman in the league but he is going to the pro bowl this year based on reputation and not play. Faneca was the most disappointing member of the line this year. However, even while having a disappointing season Faneca is a veteran anchor who still is good at his job. I am not sure if he will be around next year (I am thinking he will be).
Season Grade: C
Nick Mangold is the best center in the league and he continues to get better year after year. I recently read an article that said that there were two types of centers in the league. There are power guys and finesse guys. This article said that the reason Mangold is so good is because he is a mix of both. I can't say it any better myself so I will just refer to that. A few years ago the Jets made the brilliant move of picking up two offensive lineman in the first round of the draft. Although many were skeptical at the time, this move has turned out to be genius. Mangold has replaced Kevin Mawae and hasn't missed a beat, which is really saying something. Mangold will once again be going to the pro-bowl.
Season Grade: A
Brandon Moore came into this season as the most underrated member of the Jets offensive line and he leaves it the same way. However, you can't downplay his impact in the power running game. The Jets run over the right side of the line a ton and Moore is a major reason for that. He is a dominating run blocker who doesn't get the credit he deserves.
Season Grade: B+
Damian Woody is another member of the line who gets overlooked. Woody has made the move to right tackle flawlessly over the past 2 years and now anchors the right side of the line where the Jets run the ball all the time.
Season Grade: B
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