Nov. 23, 2008 Is a Long Way Away for These New York Jets

Nov. 23, 2008.

That was the last time the New York Jets resembled a playoff team. They had just beaten the Tennessee Titans 34-13 in Nashville to improve to 8-3 and they were already popping the champagne and making postseason plans.

Unfortunately, they then went on to win just one more game and finished 9-7 in what turned out to be one of the bigger collapses this organization has faced in recent years. Blame Brett Favre or dismissed coach Eric Mangini, the team choked away its chance at what some people were saying was a Super Bowl appearance.

With Mangini gone, the Jets brought in the defensive mastermind that is Rex Ryan. Along with him came a few of his former players from Baltimore in linebacker Bart Scott and safety Jim Leonhard.

Clearly bigger than those two players is the attitude that comes along with Ryan. 

"The players will have each other's backs, and if you take a swipe at one of ours, we'll take a swipe at two of yours," Ryan told reporters at his introductory press conference.

That's all well and good, but if you don't have a proven quarterback you're not going to get very far. Just ask the Minnesota Vikings about it. 

The Jets, though, are hoping Sanchez or Clemens is more Joe Flacco than they are Tarvaris Jackson. We all know Flacco by now. He was the rookie quarterback for the Ravens who led his team to the AFC Championship Game a year ago.

Jets fans around the country are having that 'aha!' moment. Ryan was the defensive coordinator on the Ravens. They had a rookie quarterback. And they went to the AFC Championship Game. 

Perfect!

Well, not so fast. That Ravens defense from a year ago was one of the best the league has seen in awhile. Sure, Ryan will bring the same scheme with him to New York, but he doesn't exactly have all the pieces in place.

There is no Ray Lewis and say what you want about Kerry Rhodes, he is not Ed Reed. Those guys, more than their physical skill set, were leaders on the field and in the locker room. Right now, the Jets are without a true leader that can motivate a team. That comes with time and a familiarity with playing together. The Jets simply aren't there yet.

Yet.

That's the key word that keeps jumping out at me. You look at the roster and they're still built to win right now, but I still can't honestly sit here and say they're a playoff team with. Two major concerns jump out at you. The quarterback position and wide receiver are questionable at best. 

The Jets no longer have Laveranues Coles, who was one of the most efficient wide receivers the organization has seen. Jerricho Cotchery finds himself as the top receiver returning from last year and second-year receiver Chansi Stuckey as the other top option. Brad Smith, David Clowney, Wallace Wright and Paul Raymond will also see time.

Does that sound like a group of receivers that will be able to elevate the play of Clemens or Sanchez? Is Clemens or Sanchez the type of quarterback that can make receivers like that better?

They are putting a lot of stock in an unproven fourth-year quarterback or, better yet, a rookie quarterback to lead them to where they thought they were going a season ago.

My response to that is simpl—good luck and prove me wrong.

They are a long way away from Nov. 23, 2008, but it's only mid-May. Whomever is under center for the Jets when they open up their season in Houston on Sept. 13 will have the future of the season squarely on their shoulders.