Giants Vs. Jets: Are The Jets Really The NFL’s Worst Team?

The annual New York Giants vs. New York Jets preseason game is almost here. With that in mind, let’s turn to our friends at SB Nation’s Gang Green Nation for some info on their team. John Butchko gives us the scoop in this week’s “Five Questions” segment.

Ed: Who is the quarterback? Actually, do the Jets really have a quarterback?

John: Josh McCown is probably going to be the Week 1 starter (although you might see more Christian Hackenberg Saturday night). He's a 38-year-old whose track record of NFL success consists of a couple of good games he strung together with the Bears four years ago. That's not so promising. Behind him you have a couple of major projects in Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty. Hackenberg wasn't even a successful college quarterback, and Petty has not shown much in his two plus years with the team to suggest he will be any sort of answer. I think the next Jets franchise quarterback probably isn't on the roster right now.

Ed: ESPN is calling the Jets the worst team in football. Your reaction to that?

John: It is what it is. You can quibble about whether the Jets are the absolute worst team in football. There are a couple of other contenders like Cleveland, but they are definitely in the discussion. I think there's probably some hyperbole. This team probably isn't bad enough to go 0-16. There is a ton of star power on the defensive line, and there is a young safety tandem that looks really good at this early point. There probably are enough players on the defense to drag this team to 2-3 wins against the softer part of the schedule. It's tough to figure out how this offense is going to have any sort of consistent success, though. The offensive line has more questions than answers. There aren't many playmakers at the skill positions, and we've already talked about the quarterbacks. The defense has some question marks, but if things break correctly it could be one of the better units in the league. The problem is the offense is almost certain to drag this team to the bottom of the league no matter how good the defense is.

Ed: Any thoughts on Sheldon Richardson continuing to bash Brandon Marshall? Does Marshall deserve it?

John: I guess you could argue Marshall deserves it, but I don't think that's really the point. The Jets had a lot of problems last year, and there is some evidence Marshall was to blame for some of the internal strife. So perhaps he "deserves" some of it, but I think Richardson comes off looking poorly in all of this. This is very much the case of a guy in a glass house throwing stones. Richardson was probably the biggest underachiever on the team last year, has two recent suspensions for off field stuff, and had to be benched at one point last year because he couldn't show up for meetings on time. I don't think you have room to criticize others when you fail to take care of your own business. And who even cares at this point? Marshall isn't on the team anymore. All this does is create a needless distraction that your coach and teammates have to answer for.

Ed: If you could take one player off the Giants roster NOT NAMED ODELL BECKHAM and put him in the Jets' lineup who would it be? Why?

John: Since Eli Manning isn't off the table, I'll go with him. I know he's 36, but the Jets need a quarterback.

Ed: Are there any young, under-the-radar guys we should look for Saturday night?

John: Robby Anderson comes to mind. He was a preseason star a year ago and had a moderately productive rookie season. Now he's the go to guy in the passing game. Miscast? Perhaps, but he's the closest thing to a weapon the Jets have. Marcus Maye, the second-round safety, has had a strong camp. Jamal Adams gets most of the focus, and deservedly so, but Maye's development could bring stability to the safety position for the Jets for a long time.