No Darrelle Revis, No Worries: The New York Jets Are Contenders

I get it—Darrelle Revis is good.

I got it after the New York Jets’ first playoff win in which Jets fans commended him for his suffocating single coverage on Chad Ochocinco. I got it when Jets fans complained about how badly Darrelle Revis got snubbed in the voting for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. I even got it when people tried to argue that Revis deserved the MVP award.

Jesus, this guy is a cornerback, a player who gets maybe 50 balls thrown at him all year and you want to give this guy the Most Valuable Player award over offensive players like Chris Johnson and Peyton Manning who are on the end of almost every offensive play?

In the wake of Revis’ contract holdout, I am here to tell Jets fans that their team is not as doomed as they think without the self proclaimed “best” cornerback in the league. 

The Secondary

One of the biggest acquisitions the Jets made all offseason was their transaction for Antonio Cromartie. A Pro-Bowler two years ago who bagged 10 picks that year, Cromartie is as talented as any cornerback in the league.

Truly a world class athlete, Cromartie has everything. He's got the size, the height, the length, the speed, the recovery speed, and good ball skills.

True, Cromartie has had only five picks in the last two seasons, but he remains a consensus top 15 cover corner in the league with a ton of upside.

An individual with maturity issues, perhaps the only person stopping Cromartie from reaching his potential is himself. The 26-year-old Cromartie has had seven children with six different women and has had clashes with Chargers head coach Kevin Gilbride.

However, if there is anyone who can help Cromartie mature, it is his new head coach Rex Ryan. Ryan, a defensive genius in the mold of his father the great Buddy Ryan, is best known for running those recent wonderful defenses in Baltimore.

Upon his arrival last year in New York, he transformed the Jets into a top flight defense and it was no coincidence that that was the same year Revis became a household name. Perhaps Cromartie is the next corner under Ryan to reach the ranks of the elite.

The Halfbacks

Another player that is vital to the success of this Jets team is Shonn Greene. Now the feature back of a run first offense, Greene is the explosive and disciplined runner that this Jets team needs in order to succeed.

Based on last year’s statistics, it is a fact that when Greene is in the game, the Jets play better. While he touched the ball only 10.5 percent of the time during the regular season, his involvement tripled in the Jets’ three playoff games. At a point when the Jets were playing their best football all season, Greene’s game participation was at its highest rate.

Greene averaged five yards per carry last season and should peak in his second official season in the NFL.

In addition, the Jets added LaDanian Tomlinson, who may not be the player he once was but is still a lethal goal line option. The guy still had 12 touchdown runs in arguably his worst statistical season.

Moreover, Tomlinson’s weaknesses will no longer be exposed now that he is part of a three-back system with Greene and rookie Joe McKnight. 

Joe McKnight, the supposed replacement for Leon Washington, has the ability to be a game changer during his rookie season. Out of high school, McKnight was rated the top running back in his class.

An explosive runner with elusive speed, McKnight was often compared to Reggie Bush. While McKnight’s career did not have as illustrious a career as Bush (whose did?), McKnight was a productive tailback who averaged 6.4 yards per carry in three seasons.

The Quarterback

While his stats were less than stellar, Mark Sanchez made the plays when the games mattered the most. He matured right in front of our eyes during the 2009 NFL playoffs by keeping his composure in tight games and making all the plays his team asked him to make.

After an inconsistent first season in the NFL, look for Sanchez to make gains as the leader of this Jets team. His ability is unquestionable and the Jets have put all the pieces in place for him to emerge this year.

The Wideouts          

What more needs to be said about the Jets’ acquisition of Santonio Holmes?

This guy is a big game receiver who was the 2008 NFL Super Bowl MVP for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He and Braylon Edwards will form a formidable receive corps that is clearly one of the best Jets receiver tandems ever.

The Linebackers

The addition of Jason Taylor, who is the active NFL sacks leader, makes the Jets significantly better. Taylor turns 36 on Sept. 1, but despite concerns about his age, he played a majority of the defensive snaps last season and had seven sacks.

Now that Ryan has made pass rushing a priority, look for Taylor to capitalize on the new scheme. After the Jets finished last season with a mediocre 32 sacks, Ryan told Taylor he wanted him to spend most of his time rushing passers.

The Rest of the AFC East

The rest of the AFC east did little to improve their teams. Outside of the Miami Dolphins, who acquired Brandon Marshall, no other team made upgrades. The New England Patriots simply re-signed role players like Leigh Bodden and Tully Banta-Cain , and brought in rookies like Brandon Spikes and Devin McCourty . 

All the Buffalo Bills really did was get rid of T.O. Sorry Bills fans, but it takes more than getting rid of Terrell Owens to improve your team.

And while the Dolphins added a big time player in Marshall, their starting quarterback Chad Henne is still an unknown talent who could either emerge as a star or regress into futility.

Simply put, the Jets made the most improvements to their squad and I believe it was enough to challenge the New England Patriots for the top spot.

Overall, the important thing is that the Jets have the talent at all the right spots. Their players have as much upside as any in the league and under a crafty coach like Rex Ryan, these players have a real chance to tap into that potential.