Five Reasons To Be Excited About Jets As Preseason Games Are One Week Away

Eric Decker (Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)

We are officially one week away from the Jets’ first preseason game of the year, which is in Detroit on Thursday night. Since we are so close to the first kickoff, let’s take a look at the top five most exciting parts about the Jets this season.

1. Defensive Line – It may not be the “Sons of Anarchy” from last year because of the Sheldon Richardson suspension, but it is still a thing of beauty. Muhammad Wilkerson, David “Snacks” Harrison, and 2015 first round pick, Leonard Williams will surely be fun to watch.
2. The Rest of the Defense – Last year, the Jet defense got hard to watch at times. It seemed like any quarterback could throw for 300+ yards against their secondary. But after signing cornerbacks Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromarti, and Buster Skrine, the secondary will be tough to pass on. Dee Milliner, a former first round pick, will be returning from injury this year to add to the depth. The linebacker positions will be anchored by David Harris and Calvin Pace. The defense will certainly be relied on this year to keep them in games.
3. Running Backs – The Jets have a very exciting running back core this year. Other than Chris Ivory, the Jets also have former Patriot, Stevan Ridley, and former Ram, Zac Stacey. Ridley has always been a solid back for the Patriots. Stacey had a really good rookie campaign in 2013 but his numbers dropped off a little last year. But these three backs at their best can be very dangerous.
4. Receiving Core – In the offseason, the Jets signed star receiver, Brandon Marshall. He will be playing alongside Eric Decker and Jeremy Kerley. Decker didn’t have a fantastic year last season, but that was mostly due to injuries and not having Peyton Manning throw to him like the previous season. But now he is not the only target so he can now be used more effectively. Devin Smith, second round pick in this year’s draft, could also be a factor when he comes back from his fractured rib injury.
5. Quarterback – Maybe this is nothing to be excited over, but it is definitely something to watch this year. Geno Smith his entering his third season in the NFL. Although he was not too consistent his rookie season, he still exceeded expectations. Last year, Smith was nothing short of embarrassing. But this year, he is working under a new head coach and has more weapons on offense. The defense is also significantly better so he will not have to lead the offense to 25+ points per game to give the Jets a chance to win. The defense will keep them in games. Geno just has to be consistent, which is very possible given the weapons he has on offense.

Just one more week until kickoff! The season is right around the corner and we will certainly learn a lot about this team during the preseason.