By Doug Farrar
In Rex Ryan’s first two seasons as head coach, the New York Jets went to two AFC championship games and established a toughness and multiplicity on defense that was the envy of the league. In the three seasons since, Ryan’s Jets have not been able to crack the .500 barrier, mostly because of a series of moribound offenses that couldn’t survive Mark Sanchez’s mediocrity and whatever it was that Tim Tebow was expected to do. While Ryan’s defenses still shine (it could be argued that the current iteration has the best front seven to date), the Jets’ inability to hit on a quarterback has set them far behind in a league that is more and more about the passing game — unless you’re the Seahawks or 49ers and have everything else on the ball. The Jets once subscribed to and personified that ideal, but now, they’re merely a half-built team with issues where their assets should be.
Best acquisition: Eric Decker, WR.
Decker has been one of the league’s most prolific receivers over the last two seasons, amassing 172 catches for 2,352 yards and 24 touchdowns. Those who would claim that he’s merely a product of a Peyton Manning offense are correct to a degree, but this is still a guy who caught eight touchdown passes in 2011, when his quarterbacks were Kyle Orton and Mr. Tebow.
He doesn’t yet have either of those things with the Jets, but he’ll be a major improvement over what this team trotted out at the receiver position last year.
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