New York Jets 2011 Schedule: 10 Bold Predictions for Regular Season

The New York Jets have high expectations as they soar into the 2011-2012 season. After two straight AFC Championship game losses, the Jets are primed to be one of the top contenders to participate in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis come February.

With a dominant defense led by head coach and defensive guru Rex Ryan, and an improving offensive led by third-year starting quarterback Mark Sanchez, the Jets may not have a better chance in the near future to win only their second Super Bowl in franchise history.

But will their expectations pan out? Or are Jets fans in for another year of disappointment?

While they may be bold, here are 10 predictions for how the Jets will fare this season.

10. The Jets Will Have the League's No. 1 Defense

With a defense that includes Darelle Revis, David Harris, Bart Scot, Calvin Pace, Antonio Cromartie, Sione Pouha and Shaun Ellis, it's no wonder the Jets allowed the third-fewest yards per game in the NFL last season.

They followed up their tremendous regular season by knocking off two of the NFL's greatest quarterbacks of all time, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, in back-to-back weeks in the playoffs.

In 2011, the Jets could be poised to be even better. With the additions of rookies Muhammed Wilkerson and Kenrick Ellis to the front seven as well as many of the above-stated players returning, including the league's best corner in Revis, the Jets will be a force to be reckoned with on the defensive end.

Another factor in the Jets being the league's top defense will be their head coach, Rex Ryan. Ryan, who gained his stripes as being the defensive coordinator for one of the league's top defenses in Baltimore for many years, has turned the Jets into a force to be reckoned with, and there's no telling what new wrinkles he and his staff will implement in the 2011 season.

This is not even factoring in what defensive free agents the Jets may pick up which include highly sought-after cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. If the Jets can land Asomugha, they would not only be the league's top defense for this season, they could be talked about as one of the greatest defenses of all time.

9. Shonn Greene Will Rush for over 1,000 Yards

Shonn Greene fell short of many people's expectations of the season he would put together in 2010.

Part of this was due to having to split carries with LaDainian Tomlinson, who will still be around in 2011, but Greene now seems much more primed to break out with another year under his belt.

Greene rushed for 766 yards and two touchdowns on 185 carries last season. Expect those numbers to go up this year as Greene will likely get more carries with Tomlinson aging another year. Also, with questions remaining as to whether the Jets will be able to re-sign wideout Brad Smith, the Jets' version of the Wildcat offense could be dramatically decreased next season opening up more carries for Greene.

It doesn't hurt either that Greene gets to play behind one of the best offensive lines in football that includes D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold and Brandon Moore.

8. Rex Ryan Will Get Fined by the NFL

OK, so maybe this one isn't so bold.

Rex Ryan is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining coaches in professional sports. Confident, witty and never afraid to speak his mind, Ryan provides gold every time he steps up to the podium for journalists looking for a quote or two to make headlines.

Ryan doesn't shy away from controversy and has predicted championships for the Jets ever since he has arrived in New York. Although Ryan has fallen short of those predictions, he still has made it to within one game of the Super Bowl in each of his first two seasons as a head coach.

But it is no secret that sometimes Ryan can put his foot into his mouth (I'm sorry, I couldn't help it), and it's just a matter of time before he spews off something that will not only amuse NFL fans but catch the ear of Roger Goodell in the commissioner's office as well.

Only time will tell what it may be for, but look for Ryan to be coughing up the cash to the league office at some point next season. 

7. Sione Pouha Will Be the Unsung Hero of the Jets Defense

Outside of New York, you may be hard-pressed to find non-die-hard NFL fans who have heard the name Sione Pouha.  

However, Pouha was one of the keys to the Jets defense last season. He stepped in admirably after All-Pro nose tackle Kris Jenkins went down with a season-ending injury early in the year. Pouha recorded over 50 tackles for the first time in his career last season, and will have an even bigger role to play for the Jets this year. 

At 325 pounds, Pouha eats up space with his sheer size and power and has the ability to drop a rusher in the backfield every time he takes the ball for a carry.

Pouha and Mike Divito are the unsung heroes of the Jets D. While other players get the attention, they do the dirty work and hold the defense together. 

Pouha may or may not put up impressive stats next season but having him in the lineup changes the game plan for opponents and allows Rex Ryan to dial up the blitz, knowing they have the reliable Pouha holding down the middle.

6. Nick Folk Will Be Cut Before the End of the Season

Although many fans remember his clutch game-winning kick in last year's postseason against the Indianapolis Colts, Nick Folk may be on thin ice going into this season with the Jets.

Folk made 30-of-39 kicks in last year's regular season, including five from 50 yards or further, and there is no doubt Folk has the leg to be a successful NFL kicker.

The question is does Folk's mental makeup allow him to be maximize his ability? Folk was run out of Dallas after having an awful 2009 season before signing with the Jets last year. Folk was extremely inconsistent; at times he would seem like he was automatic and at times he would seem completely lost and terrified before a kick.

Folk missed three field goals in a regular-season game against the Browns and also missed an important kick against the Patriots in the playoffs. 

If Folk gets out to a rough start in 2011, look for the Jets to cut ties with him before it gets any worse.

5. The Jets Will Lose to the Bills Next Season

Although they might not say it publicly, the Jets could be taking their in-state rivals lightly going into the 2011 season.

After breezing by Buffalo twice last season, the Jets may look to their two division games against the Bills as easy wins. That would be a huge mistake.

There seems to be one or two games a year where the Jets just don't show up, and next season it could come in Week 8 or Week 12 when they take on the Bills.

Buffalo got off to an atrocious start last season before showing signs of life behind quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, including an overtime loss to eventual AFC champions Pittsburgh and a road win against the Miami Dolphins.

In the NFL, there is truly complete parity as any team can beat any other team on a given week, especially inside of a division. The Bills will no doubt want to prove to the world they can compete with the top teams in the AFC East next season and a win over the Jets would do just that.

4. Darelle Revis Will Not Get an Interception

Believe it or not, this prediction is actually intended as a compliment to Darelle Revis' talent and impact he can have on a game.

The fact is, he simply does not get thrown at, and there is a good reason for that.  

Revis did not record an INT last season either but with him, the Jets still had the sixth-best pass defense in the league.

Revis makes such an impact that teams will throw away from him at any cost, which allowed his partner in crime, Antonio Cromartie, to pick up three picks last season.

Revis has unbelievable ball skills which he has shown throughout his career, leading to incredible interceptions. Revis's reputation has now gone league-wide and he can have an impact on the game without showing up in the box score.

3. Santonio Holmes Will Lead the AFC in Touchdown Receptions

The Jets made potentially their biggest move of the offseason yesterday by re-signing their star Wideout Santonio Holmes.

Many analysts believed the re-signing of Holmes could make or break the Jets' season before it even began, but management came through and gave the former Super Bowl MVP the contract he deserved and he will be staying in a Jets uniform for the next several seasons.

Now that he's back, Holmes will look to put up even bigger numbers than he did last season. Despite missing the first four games due to suspension, Holmes still managed to garner over 700 receiving yards and six touchdowns, including back-to-back game-winners against the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans.

But he'll lead the entire AFC in touchdowns? It is a bold prediction, but that's what this is all about. It certainly is possible, as Holmes is likely the No. 1 target for Mark Sanchez in the red zone this season, and also has the potential to take any reception to the house with his great speed and tackle-breaking ability.

2. Mark Sanchez Will Make the Pro Bowl

In his second year as a starter, Mark Sanchez improved by leaps and bounds over his rookie campaign.

After having an interception-filled rookie season in which Sanchez threw for only 12 touchdowns and 20 picks, he was often handicapped by the Jets coaching staff. But Sanchez broke out last season and had a nice year, throwing for 17 touchdowns and limiting his interceptions to just 13. Sanchez was also given more freedom as the Jets opened up the offense more with the additions of Santonio Holmes and LaDainian Tomlinson.

But this year, Sanchez is primed to go from being a descent starting NFL quarterback, to one of the league's elite.

In today's NFL, it is becoming more and more common to see a QB start in his rookie season and Sanchez is one of those players who has become a success story. But perhaps the best evidence as to why Sanchez will break out next season and have an All-Pro-caliber year is looking at two quarterbacks drafted just one year ahead of Sanchez who were in their third year as starters last season, like Sanchez will be this year.

Both Joe Flacco of the Baltimore Ravens and Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons had outstanding seasons last year, throwing over 25 TDs apiece and leading their teams to deep playoff runs. After achieving moderate success in their first two seasons from a personal standpoint, Flacco and Ryan took the next step to being All-Pro-caliber players (Ryan might have been there already) in their third year of running their team's offense.

Now Sanchez will look to achieve the same success, and there is no doubt that Mark has all of the physical ability, confidence and weapons around him to make it to Hawaii this season.

1. The New York Jets Will Be Super Bowl XLVI Champions

Rex Ryan has already predicted the Vince Lombardi Trophy will be headed back to New York next February and I can't help but agree with him.

Instead of making a case in this slide as to why the Jets will take home the title, I feel as though my other predictions have led to this one.

If indeed the Jets put together the league's No. 1 defense, have an All-Pro starting quarterback and one of the league's best wideouts and rushers, then they will no doubt make it back to the postseason at the very least, where they have proven they can have success over the last two seasons.

But now it is time for them to take the next step—as a team and an organization—and win a Super Bowl for the first time in over 40 years.

The fans deserve it, the players deserve it, management deserves it and 2011 might be the Jets' best chance in a long time to get the job done.

Thirty-one other teams will have the same aspirations heading into the 2011-2012 NFL season but if my predictions come true, it will be the New York Jets who will be the ones who leave Indy as champions.