The New York Jets offseason has officially begun, and across the league we have already seen a number of teams make quick changes. Change is a constant and already there have been established names on the move, with Mike Vrabel leaving Tennessee, Pete Carroll leaving Seattle as their Head Coach and Bill Belichick leaving New England.

For the Jets, Woody Johnson has confirmed that Robert Saleh will return for his 4th year, but there will be and needs to be change within the playing squad before we tackle a brand new season.

Over the next three weeks, we’re going to take a look at three pillars of the NFL offseason. Next week, we’ll focus on free agency and some of the names that will be available; then the week after it’s all about the NFL Draft with the Jets slated to pick #10 overall. But this week, I wanted to take a look at those Jets players who will be heading to free agency.

For the sake of this article, we’re going to focus solely on unrestricted free agents, those who are due to hit the free agent market and negotiate with any team with no constraints.

The Jets are heading into the offseason with 18 players set to be unrestricted free agents. There are a number of difficult decisions that need to be made on players like Kenny Yeboah, Bryce Hall and Ashtyn Davis.

Some players who signed one year deals last offseason are likely to move on, creating space for some roster turnover. I think it’s vital for the roster to experience some turnover; it generates fresh ideas and perspectives, and hopefully improves the overall performance of each unit.

Some of the players who signed one year deals include receiver Randall Cobb, tackle Billy Turner, center Connor McGovern, defensive linemen Quinton Jefferson, Solomon Thomas and Al Woods, as well as safety Chuck Clark who missed the entire 2023 season due to injury.

Besides players who have only just arrived, there are some longer term contracts set to expire at the turn of the new league year.

Carl Lawson experienced a frustrating year in 2023, and the expectation within the fanbase is that he’ll move onto new pastures, considering the strength in depth that the Jets have at the defensive end position.

Jordan Whitehead has been a mainstay for the Jets over the last two years at strong safety, and led the Jets in interceptions this season with four, including three in game one of the season.

Duane Brown has experienced a year of injury frustration and his contract is also set to expire.

Possibly the biggest question mark for the Jets revolves around the contract of impressive edge rusher Bryce Huff, who has experienced a meteoric rise from undrafted free agent to pass rush superstar. The former Memphis man is coming off a season in which he hit career highs in sacks (10), tackles (29), tackles for a loss (10) and QB hits (21).

Huff has already confirmed there will be no hometown discount for the Jets, and he’s looking for an opportunity to show that he’s an every down defensive end. Signing Bryce Huff will be priority number one when it comes to the Jets maintaining their own talent.

Retaining the special teams unit will be pretty high on that list as well. Greg Zuerlein and Thomas Morstead are about to hit free agency, but considering the seasons they’ve had and how much love the fanbase has for them, I imagine Special Teams coordinator Brant Boyer will be banging on Joe Douglas’ door to get the deals done as quickly as possible.

We haven’t always experienced consistency with our special teams, but when you have good players in that unit, it’s important to keep hold of them. Zuerlein hit over 90% of his field goals this year; you don’t want to let that leg walk.

You also can’t talk about special teams without mentioning ST captain Justin Hardee, who’s also set to hit free agency. Hardee is the epitome of energy and conviction, and has been a leader both on and off the field for the Jets since he arrived from New Orleans; if he were to leave, he’d be a big absence.

Another big decision looms over offensive tackle, Mekhi Becton. The former first-round pick enjoyed a healthy season, but an inconsistent one. The Jets will need to decide if they believe that Becton will improve after finding his feet in 2023 following back-to-back injuries that forced him to miss multiple seasons.

As fans, we become attached to certain players and saying goodbye is sometimes the hardest thing to do. But just as General Managers will make the best decision for their own teams, players will make the best decision for themselves and their families. Some will sign on and stay in New Jersey, while others will see their future elsewhere.

All we know is that it’s going to be a key off-season for the Jets who have Super Bowl aspirations in 2024.

The Jets finished the 2023 NFL season on a high note last Sunday, capturing a 17-3 win over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.

With speculation swirling about whether this would be Patriots HC Bill Belichick’s final contest after an historic 24-year run, the Jets gained a split in the season series behind a career-effort from Breece Hall paired with a dominant defensive performance.

Hall was a brilliant workhorse, carrying a career-high 37 times for a personal-best 178 yards including a 50-yard score. The Jets defense hounded Patriots QB Bailey Zappe all afternoon, registering 7 sacks and 10 PDs. With the snow-capped road victory, the Jets (7-10) equaled their win total from last season and ended a 15-game losing streak to the Patriots.

“Credit to them,” HC Robert Saleh said of the streak. “You have to do something pretty special to be able to have a winning streak like that. Starting 2024 was the most important thing for us, starting strong and with a win. It was a really good effort from the team today.”

Sacking Zappe twice in the first quarter, the Jets gained the upper hand in the field-position battle and used a short field to grab their first lead at the end of the first quarter in their past 16 meetings at New England. Taking over at the NE 38 with 7:20 left in the opening frame, the Jets moved to the opposition 3 before Greg Zuerlein connected from 21 yards out.

The Pats countered in the second stanza on Chad Ryland’s 30-yard field goal, knotting the game at 3 with 9:32 remaining before halftime. Safety Tony Adams prevented a Mike Gesicki TD the previous play, neatly getting his hand on the ball and registering his fourth PD of the season. The battle of field goals continued when the Jets struck on Zuerlein’s 40-yarder into the driving snow, culminating an 8-play, 56-yard drive. Second-year wideout Garrett Wilson got the march going with a 30-yard reception up the sideline and Hall added a pair of 12-yard carries.

With both teams battling the wintry conditions, the Jets went into intermission up, 6-3, after having outgained the Pats 133 to 69. New England didn’t reach 100 yards until early in the fourth quarter and S Ashtyn Davis made a key play on a fourth-and-1, catching up an open Pharoah Brown to force a Zappe incompletion.

But the Jets had to sweat it out late when Davis’ INT of Zappe in the waning minutes led to a flip in possession the other way. While trying to lateral to CB Sauce Gardner, Davis was hit, and the ball was recovered by the Pats. Two plays later, Adams put the game on ice with an INT of a Zappe pass intended for Jalen Reagor.

Hall finished it with a 50-yard TD and snow angels ensued for the Green & White. After a trying season, New York’s AFC representative had reason to celebrate.

“Obviously not where any of us want to be or any of us expected to be at this point this year, but we all know what we have,” Saleh said. “It may seem like we’re really far away from the outside world, but we all know how close we are. Today’s game was about starting 2024 on the right foot, getting a win and hopefully the first of many in 2024.”

Jetcetera

…Bryce Huff had 2 sacks and his team-leading sack total moved to 10.5.

… Second-year WR Garrett Wilson, who had 2 catches for 34 yards, left in the third quarter with a head injury after Patriots S Jabrill Peppers appeared to inadvertently make contact with him following an incompletion along the Jets sideline.

… Rookie C Joe Tippmann (ankle) was carted off in the third quarter and replaced by Chris Glaser.

… Pro Bowl DT Quinnen Williams, who this week became the first Jets defensive lineman since John Abraham in 2001 and ’02 to be named to back-to-back Pro Bowls, became the fifth Jet with at least 4.5 sacks when he took down Bailey Zappe in the first quarter. Williams added to that total with his second sack of Zappe coming in the third quarter.

… During “Fox NFL Sunday,” league insider Jay Glazer said he expects that the Patriots and HC Bill Belichick would coach his last game for the Patriots on Sunday.

… Their 7-10 record means that the Jets will have the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which takes place in Detroit in April.

… Greg Zuerlein hit on 2 of 3 FGAs with his miss coming from 49 yards out, a right to left shot that hit the left upright.

… The Jets held the Patriots to 1 of 14 on third down.

… QB Bailey Zappe finished just 12 of 30 for 88 yards with 2 INTs.

… With the win, the Jets finished 2-4 in the AFC East and 3-5 on the road.

The New York Jets will look to bring the curtain down on a frustrating season with a win against the New England Patriots on Sunday evening. It would mark a first victory against Bill Belichick’s team since December 27, 2015.

The Patriots have won 15 in a row against the Jets but have just four victories to their name this season and this Week 18 clash could be Belichick’s last in Foxboro after delivering six Super Bowls to the fans in New England.

While head coach Robert Saleh would not be drawn on that losing streak this week, ending it has become a source of motivation for his players, who have yet to enjoy success against New England in a Jets uniform.

Edge rusher Bryce Huff, who has a team-leading eight sacks on the season, said: “It’s definitely motivating knowing that I’ve never gotten the chance to beat the Patriots and how they won against us every single year is kind of annoying to think about. I definitely want to end this season on a good note and to get a ‘W’, especially on them.”

Linebacker Quincy Williams, who has recorded 131 tackles in the 2023 campaign, added: “The goal is breaking the losing streak. It’s in the back of everyone’s minds, for sure.”

With Zach Wilson not cleared from concussion protocol, Trevor Siemian will continue at quarterback and will be keen to emulate some of New York’s recent offensive performances. The Jets have reached the 30-point mark in two of their last four outings. They will look to out-score a New England offense that has not scored 30 points in any game this season. Siemian completed 71 percent of his passes against the Cleveland Browns last week.

This could turn into a war of attrition with both teams leaning heavily on their excellent defenses. Bailey Zappe threw three interceptions for New England last week and if New York can force him into turnovers in what could be a snow game on Sunday, the Jets could yet end a trying campaign on a winning note.

New York Jets Player to Watch

Jermaine Johnson – Defensive End

New York’s 2022 first-round draft pick is blossoming into a star in his second NFL season with head coach Robert Saleh insisting Jermaine Johnson is “playing at a Pro Bowl level.” Johnson has shown disruptive, game-changing skills against the run and the pass. He has recorded six and a half sacks on the year, adding 40 key run stops, 15 quarterback hits and seven pass deflections. In prime time against Cleveland last week, Johnson batted a Joe Flacco pass into the air, intercepted it and ran 37 yards for a touchdown. The Jets cannot wait to see what Johnson serves up in 2024, his third season in the NFL.

New England Patriots Player to Watch

Kyle Dugger – Safety

New England have leaned heavily on their defense in 2023 and one of their key men has been versatile safety Kyle Dugger. Belichick’s key defensive chess piece makes plays all over the field, recording 103 tackles, one and a half sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble. He will be out to make life difficult for Siemian and the Jets’ offense in Week 18.

Stat Attack!

Garrett Wilson leads the Jets with 93 receptions and 1,008 rec yards in 2023. He is the first player in team history with more than 1,000 receiving yds in each of their first two seasons. Wilson also became the first Jets player with more than 1,000 receiving yards in consecutive seasons since Keyshawn Johnson in 1998-1999.

Keys to the game

Get Breece Hall going… The Jets have to find ways to move the football on the ground against one of the best rushing defenses in the league. And that means getting Breece Hall his touches. That has been a point of emphasis in recent weeks. In New York’s past two games, Hall has rushed 33 times for 179 yards and two touchdowns, adding 21 catches for 138 yards and one score.

Attack the quarterback… Whether it be Bailey Zappe or Mac Jones, New England have struggled at the quarterback position this season. Zappe threw three interceptions last week against Buffalo, undoing the good work of New England’s defense. Pressuring the Patriots’ passer into mistakes will be key in Week 18, presenting the New York offense with some short fields and scoring opportunities.

The season finale is upon us and it’s fitting that we finish with a game in New England, against the arch enemy. The Jets are currently riding a 15-game losing streak against the Patriots, and while some fans are hoping for a loss to improve draft position and prevent New England from snagging one of the top quarterbacks in the draft, many are hoping to put one over Robert Kraft and his Gillette army to the north.

Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick refused to be drawn into a comment on his future this week, insisting that his sole focus was beating the Jets. It’s been a disappointing season for both teams, but there are no dead rubbers when it comes to the Jets and Patriots.

The Jets have failed to score more than 20 points in six straight games against the Patriots; in fact, they’ve scored more than 20 points in just one of the last 15 games against New England. If they’re hoping to break that streak, the offence will have to turn things up a notch.

It’s already been confirmed that Zach Wilson, Jeremy Ruckert and Jake Hanson will miss the season finale but there are still plenty of things to keep an eye out for ahead of a key offseason. If you wished for one thing as the ball dropped on the New Year, I hope it was for a season of health…for yourself and the New York Jets.

Here are a couple of things to watch for in New England.

The Jets and Dalvin Cook decided to part ways earlier this week, putting an end to the former Pro Bowler’s time in New York. The deal really didn’t work out for either side and coach Saleh confirmed that it was in the best interests of everyone to move on. Cook will get to try and catch on with a team bound for the playoffs and the Jets will open up some snaps for rookie Israel Abanikanda.

The former Pitt man has had somewhat of a redshirt season this year, making it onto the field for just 22 snaps. With snow expected on Saturday night in Foxborough, and with Zach Wilson ruled out…chances are we’ll see a heavy ground game, opening up opportunities for Izzy to make a statement and finish a season full of lessons on a high.

Talking of rookies, Joe Tippmann will have the opportunity to really finish the season strong in week 18. After starting the year on the bench, moving to guard and then slotting in at center when Connor McGovern suffered a season-ending injury, it’s been an up-and-down season for the 2nd round pick from Wisconsin.

After allowing sacks in back-to-back weeks against Houston and Miami, Tippmann has allowed 0 sacks and just 2 pressures across his last 107 pass-blocking snaps and could be putting down a much needed marker as a stalwart of the offensive line.

While some fans look at the game as a damp squib, there are plenty of players on this roster who will be keen to impress in the final game of the year and cement a spot in the Jets’ plans for 2024.

Jason Brownlee played 97% of the offensive snaps last week and Sunday will offer a chance for the UDFA to build momentum for 2024; the same can be said for players like wide receiver Xavier Gipson, and guard Xavier Newman-Johnson.

There are also a number of players who are heading to free agency, and as such their time in New York is in danger of coming to an end. This includes Jets’ sack leader Bryce Huff who has had an excellent season, with many fans hoping we’ll be seeing more of him in Green and White in the future.

Jets interception leader Jordan Whitehead could also be playing his last game for the team as he heads to free agency. If Whitehead records three tackles on Sunday, he’ll join linebackers C.J. Mosley and Quincy Williams with 100+ for the season.

As disappointing as this season has been, this will be the last Jets game for 8 months, so I’m determined to enjoy it. Once Monday hits we’ll turn our focus to the offseason, free agency and the Draft, but for now, let’s just sit back, and enjoy some football.

When a season falls short of expectations, it’s sometimes easy to miss the positives.

It’s not that Sauce Gardner is going unnoticed, but I’m not sure his play is receiving the attention or recognition that it deserves. His pass break-up when matched up with Terry McLaurin last week received national attention.

It was picture perfect, showcasing the skills that make him one of the best cornerbacks in football. Patience, acceleration, length, instincts and leverage. If you’re teaching cornerback play, that’s a rep that will be on your training video.

It was a timely reminder that Sauce is special, something the Jets knew when they took him 4th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Any fear of Gardner experiencing a sophomore slump following his NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award last year have been well and truly put to bed.

Robert Saleh was asked to summarise Sauce’s season this week and he compared him to another corner who used his instincts and length to make good things happen:

“Sauce, I think he’s doing a really nice job. He’ll be the first to say that, when they throw the ball his way, when they do, he’s got to go take it. The challenge for him is going to be to stay locked in and he is. I’ll make sure I say this, because the way he approaches practice, games and all that stuff, meetings, he’s very deliberate. He’s very locked in. He’s very focused and I kind of compare it to ‘Sherm’ (Richard Sherman), when we went to coach Richard Sherman, you can get bored out there, when teams are just deliberately trying to avoid you. So, he’s locked down that left side of the field and he’s earned that right.”

The New York Jets squeezed past the Washington Commanders in Week 16, winning 30-28 on Greg Zeurlein’s 54-yard field goal with five seconds remaining. That took New York to six victories in what has been a difficult season at times, starting four different quarterbacks along the way.

That win total is a credit to head coach Robert Saleh and the spirit of his team. The Jets have a really good locker room and the team has stuck together through some trying moments in 2023. And now they have a chance to get to seven or eight victories on the year as they end at the Cleveland Browns and then at the New England Patriots.

Tonight’s game against the Browns will see the Jets take on a very familiar face in Cleveland’s emergency quarterback Joe Flacco, who has been red-hot in recent weeks; placing the Browns on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. The 38-year-old Flacco, who spent much of this season on the sofa, played for the Jets in 2020 and again, in parts of 2021 and 2022.

Flacco is not among the new age of mobile quarterbacks, so the Jets defenders know where he is going to be as they unleash their dominant pass rush. But the veteran passer has seen it all before and his form is excellent. The Super Bowl 47 MVP has thrown for at least 300 yards and two touchdowns in three straight games for the Browns.

The chink in Flacco’s armour is his confidence. He seems willing to take chances and perhaps that gives the Jets D an opportunity to strike? Flacco has thrown five interceptions in his last two games.

The Jets will be facing the best pass defense in the NFL, which makes this a massive Breece Hall game. He was outstanding against Washington last week and more of the same will be needed in Week 17.

New York Jets Player to Watch

Breece Hall – Running Back

With two weeks of the regular season remaining, no pitch count is required for Breece Hall. Give him the football and give it to him often. The Jets understand that is their best option for moving the football. Hall carried 20 times for 95 yards and two scores against the Commanders. He added 12 catches for 96 yards, giving him 32 touches for 191 yards and two touchdowns. He was the driving force of a New York attack that gained 381 yards on the day.

Cleveland Browns Player to Watch

Amari Cooper – Wide Receiver

He may not be the fastest receiver in the league nor is he the biggest and most powerful, but Amari Cooper always seems to get open and he is one of the NFL’s most productive players. Last week against Houston, Cooper caught 11 passes for a club record 265 yards and two touchdowns. The four-time Pro Bowler has been revitalized with Flacco at the helm.

Stat Attack!

Last week saw Breece Hall record his second career game with at least 95 rushing yards and 95 receiving yards in the same game. The only player with more such contests since 1950 is Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton.

Keys to the game

Make Cleveland one-dimensional… The Browns have not completely ignored the run in recent weeks, but with Joe Flacco averaging 327 passing yards per game, you can see why Cleveland has taken to the air a lot more. Flacco has brought the best out of Cooper and tight end David Njoku. The Jets have to find a way to make the Browns turn to their rushing attack. Would you rather defend a red-hot Amari Cooper or running back Jerome Ford? Sauce Gardner has a key role to play in shutting down Cleveland’s passing attack. He has not allowed a completion where he was the nearest defender in coverage since Week 14!

Control the clock… This goes back to feeding Breece Hall the rock. If he can chew up yardage and time against the Browns defense, it bodes well for the Jets in all aspects of this game. New York’s defense has been on the field an average of 65 plays per game – that’s seventh-most in the league. If the Jets are more established on offense, the defense can play fresher and be more aggressive in getting after Flacco.

2023 didn’t exactly go to plan, but Aaron Rodgers is doing his best to rally the troops ahead of 2024. For many Jets fans, the promise of future success is all too familiar, but you can take comfort in the fact you’ll be welcoming back a Hall of Fame Quarterback next season, and one who believes we’re a lot closer to where we want to be than the record may suggest.

“I believe in the leadership that we have here,” Rodgers said on his weekly appearance on the Pat McAfee show. “I believe in our guys. I think it’s not a situation where we have to rebuild. We need to reload a little bit, and there’ll be some tough decisions for sure, but I like the pieces that we have in place.”

Earlier this week we looked at some of those tough decisions, but Rodgers isn’t wrong to be optimistic about the direction of this franchise. It’s just hard to accept another season without playoff football; but for as frustrated as we are, every single person inside 1JD is just as, if not more, frustrated.

The Jets will need to make a lot of very tough roster decisions with 21 players set to hit free agency. Within that group of players are regular starters like Mekhi Becton, Connor McGovern, Jordan Whitehead, Quinton Jefferson, Greg Zurlein, Thomas Morstead and Justin Hardee, not to mention star pass-rusher Bryce Huff.

You won’t be able to keep everyone and strengthen the side, so while the core of the team will remain unchanged in 2024, there will be significant change. Rodgers spoke about his ability as a recruiter, and like college coaches who travel up and down the country ahead of National Signing Day, Rodgers will have to break out his best pitch ahead of NFL free agency.

That said, the Jets do have some key factors in their favour as we head into an offseason that will shape the future of this franchise. So what do the Jets have going in their favour? Like a questionable 90’s dating show, let’s list the attributes.

To start with the very obvious one: the Jets have Aaron Rodgers, a future Hall of Fame QB who has openly said that he doesn’t see 2024 being his final year. If you’re a player, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, you can sign on knowing that one of the best to ever play the game is going to be leading the team in 2024 and beyond. If you want a selling point, that’s a pretty big one.

The Jets currently have one of the best defences in football, and the vast majority of the core is signed through the 2024 season. Players like Quinnen, CJ Mosley, Quincy, Sauce, MC2, Reed, Johnson, JFM and more are here to stay. When you’re pitching to free agents on any side of the ball, being able to say you have a top-10 defensive unit is a huge positive, especially when that unit has unlimited potential.

Despite the defence being on the field a lot this year, they’re still ranked as the 5th best unit in terms of red-zone scoring, allowing touchdowns on 43.59% of opponent trips, the 11th best unit in terms of opponent scoring with 20.5 points allowed per game, and the 2nd best unit against the pass, allowing a measly 170.4 passing yards per game. The NFL is a passing league and the Jets defence is dominant against the pass.

Despite the offensive struggles this year, there is very real talent in the unit. If you look at Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall, AVT and Tyler Conklin, you have four pillars that you can build around. When you’re averaging 14.4 points per game, you know there is work to do. But welcoming back Aaron Rodgers is a very good start, and we all know that the offensive line is going to be a priority over the course of the off-season.

Which brings me to another positive. Due to the season we’ve had, we’re almost guaranteed to have a top-10 draft selection, and considering we’ve mentioned the likes of Sauce and Garrett on this list, you know how vital those picks are. I’m sure we all would have taken a full season of Rodgers and the 1st-round pick heading to Green Bay, but if we couldn’t have that, I’ll certainly take a premium choice.

It’s hard right now to keep the positivity flowing, but with Christmas just around the corner…it’s a time for hope, and the hope is that 2024 will be significantly better for your New York Jets.

The Jets have officially been eliminated from the playoffs, meaning their postseason drought will continue into a 13th year. Nobody within the organisation will find that acceptable, but the manner in which they were eliminated will grate even harder.

The Dolphins came ready to play despite missing key players on the offensive side of the ball, and the Jets unfortunately did not have an answer. Although there are 3 games yet to be played, the period of reflection will start now. Plans for the 2024 season would have begun a long time ago, but for the fans, those plans will now come into sharper focus.

So what are the priorities as we hurtle towards the end of the season?

The first priority is to ensure that Aaron Rodgers is 100% healthy. The second is to focus on continuing to build the roster the right way; a big part of that is the Draft.

If the season were to end today the Jets would hold the 6th overall selection in the NFL Draft, and what they do with that pick, wherever it ends up, is going to be an interesting conversation over the coming months.

Do they draft a quarterback to sit behind Aaron Rodgers? It’s likely that both top QB prospects, Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, will be long gone, but players like Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels, and Michael Penix Jr should be available and in consideration.

Maybe they opt for another offensive weapon to pair with Garrett Wilson? Marvin Harrison Jr, a fellow Ohio State University star, has the talent and the pedigree and is guaranteed to be a top-5 selection, whilst TE Brock Bowers could have a Travis Kelce like impact in the right system. But don’t sleep on wide receivers Malik Nabers from LSU and Rome Odunze from Washington; both have gamebreaking talent.

My preferred option is to look at the offensive line. Robert Saleh highlighted the battle up front after yesterday’s game, and there are two elite tackle prospects who will be top-10 candidates this year. Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu and Notre Dame’s Joe Alt. I’m a fan of Alt as the ultimate technician at left tackle but both are outstanding prospects who could solidify the line.

The Jets also have some key decisions to make on pending free agents.

Mekhi Becton is set to hit free agency, and he’ll be joined by a number of other players. The list includes Duane Brown, Carl Lawson, Jordan Whitehead, Chuck Clark, Dalvin Cook, Bryce Huff, Quinton Jefferson, Randall Cobb, Greg Zuerlein, Solomon Thomas, Al Woods, Justin Hardee, Connor McGovern, Ashtyn Davis and Thomas Morstead. There are more, but that gives an indication of the work that Joe Douglas has to do heading into the 2024 season.

There will obviously be some roster turnover. Not only is it inevitable with the way the NFL works and the size of the rosters, but it’s also a healthy part of roster management. New players bring new energy, new experience, new voices. The juggling act of managing an NFL roster isn’t easy and I don’t envy Joe Douglas or the countless hours he’ll be putting in over the coming months.

Deciding who to let go and who to keep and target in free agency will largely determine how the following season goes. Ensuring you have that top-end talent as well as valuable depth is a balancing act that’s hard to achieve under the salary cap restrictions.

To ensure you have that depth, emphasis is placed on the lower rounds of the draft. Players picked in the 3rd round or later have a significantly lower salary. Think of players like Bryce Huff who went undrafted, Xavier Gipson too. Finding those hidden gems is where you can truly earn your dinner, and where teams can truly flourish in terms of their depth.

2023 has been a difficult season, and it’s disappointing that with three games to go we’re already looking at the 2024 season. Every team goes through a cycle, but we’ve been doing this for too long.

The Jets will now head into another offseason where tough decisions have to be made, but as fans we live in perpetual hope that next year may be the one.

The Jets defence was elite and QB Zach Wilson led a trio of second-half touchdown drives as the Green & White drilled the Houston Texans, 30-6, Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. The Jets (5-8) snapped a five-game losing streak in the driving rain and the Texans dropped to 7-6.

Wilson, who served as the team’s emergency No. 3 QB the past two games, was triumphant in his return to the lineup and got the Jets offence rolling in the third quarter. Leading 75- and 69-yard scoring drives, the Jets opened up their largest lead of the season at 14-0 on Wilson’s 15-yard TD to Randall Cobb and Xavier Gipson’s 9-yard scamper on an end around.

Wilson (27-36, 301 yards, 2TD) became the first Jets passer in 16 games to reach 300 yards. It was his third career game when he eclipsed 300 passing yards and the first that came in a win.

“I thought Zach probably played the best game of his career,” HC Robert Saleh said. “Just the off-schedule stuff, the timing and rhythm and getting the ball to where it needed to get to, being aggressive but smart at the same time. I know he had the [fumble], but the aggressiveness to scramble, he was out there having a good time. He made a lot of things happen that weren’t there, so hats off to him. I thought he was outstanding today.”

C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall selection in last April’s NFL Draft, and the Texans were bottled up all afternoon. The Jets held the Texans to 135 yards of total offence and limited them to 1-for-12 on third down. Stroud (10-23-91) left in the fourth quarter and entered concussion protocol. Corners D.J. Reed (3 PD) and Sauce Gardner (2 PD) led a frisky unit that finished with 10 PD.

“If our offense is up, or if it’s a close game, the other team has to throw the ball,” Gardner said of the production. “We don’t have that many picks in the secondary, especially me and D.J., but when we’re winning, the other team has to pass the ball. That allows us to have more opportunities to make plays on the ball.”

Scoreless entering the third quarter, Wilson got 25 yards on a conversion to Garrett Wilson that came on a third-and-12 play from the Houston 40. Then he hit Cobb over the middle for a score and the Jets were off and running. That set the tone for a sizzling start to the second half that saw Wilson complete his first 16-of-17 passes for 200 yards. After losing a fumble on a scramble that set up Texans RB Devin Singeltary’s TD, Wilson quickly led the Jets back down the field and answered with a 3-yard score to Breece Hall.

G.Wilson (9-108) and Hall (8-86-1TD) combined for 17 receptions, 194 yards and 1 TD on 23 targets. The Jets more than doubled their season scoring average and handed DeMeco Ryans’ club its biggest margin of defeat in the process.

Already without electrifying rookie WR Tank Dell and TE Dalton Shultz, Stroud lost wideout Nico Collins in the first half to a calf injury. Stroud, who was averaging a league-high 295 pass yards per game, couldn’t get anything going in the rain against an elite pass defense.

The Jets totaled 3 sacks and Bryce Huff moved back into the team lead with 7 QB takedowns. Past the midway point of the fourth quarter, Stroud exited following a 6-yard completion to John Metchie.

The teams played to a scoreless first half as they combined for 11 punts in the first two quarters. Both clubs converted 1 of 7 on third down before intermission as Thomas Morstead helped the Jets win the field position game with three punts downed inside the 20. But the Jets exploded in the second half for their most dominant win of 2023.

Jetcetera

The Jets started a ninth different offensive line combination in as many games as Jake Hanson got the call at RG and Max Mitchell returned to RT. While Hanson became the 13th different starter on the line, it was the Jets’ 10th different line combo in 13 games.

… The 0-0 score at halftime was the NFL’s first scoreless opening half since a Washington-San Francisco Week 7 game in 2019.

… After a three-game homestand, the Jets will return to division play next week in South Florida against the AFCE-leading Dolphins.

… Greg Zuerlein continued his terrific season with makes from 51, 55 and 44 yards.

As the New York Jets look to break a five-game losing streak, they are turning back to quarterback Zach Wilson for Sunday’s home contest against the dangerous, playoff-chasing Houston Texans at MetLife Stadium.

Wilson was sidelined for the last two games as Tim Boyle took the snaps against the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons. The first-rounder will now look to provide a strong finish to what has been a challenging season.

As he prepares to provide a morale-boosting run, Wilson said: “Everybody knows I care about this team. Everyone knows I’m gonna do everything I can for the guys in this locker room, no matter the situation.”

Wilson and his Jets teammates should prepare themselves for drama on Sunday when the Texans roll into New York. Houston’s last eight games have all been decided by one score and have gone right down to the wire before being decided in dramatic fashion.

This game will be a battle of young quarterbacks taken second overall in the NFL Draft. Wilson was chosen by the Jets in 2021 and C.J. Stroud became a Houston Texan in 2023. And the latter is on pace for a season for the ages. Stroud could break through 5,000 passing yards this year and he is very likely to become the most prolific rookie passer in NFL history.

Stroud will be without key wide receiver Tank Dell, who broke his leg last week. But he and his remaining receiving corps will seriously test an always-tough New York defense. In their Week 13 win over the Denver Broncos, Nico Collins led the Texans with nine catches for 191 yards and a touchdown.

The Texans won’t be the first team that has been slowed by the Jets’ defense this season. But the presence of Stroud makes it likely they are going to get their share of points. And that means New York must step up on the offensive side of the ball where they have not reached 20 points in a game since October 15.

New York Jets Player to Watch

Xavier Gipson – Wide Receiver

The rookie who won New York’s opening night contest against the Buffalo Bills on an overtime punt return back in September has the skills to provide the spark the Jets are looking for. Gipson is an explosive weapon who could provide the chunk plays to kick-start New York’s offense. He caught five passes for 77 yards in last week’s loss to Atlanta with a long of 36. Getting him involved against a ball-hawking Houston secondary will be key.

Atlanta Falcons Player to Watch

C.J. Stroud – Quarterback

Houston’s rookie has become the talk of the NFL town and he leads the league with 3,540 passing yards. If he ends this season as the league’s number one in that department, he will be the first rookie to achieve that feat since Davey O’Brien, of the Philadelphia Eagles, in 1939! But it’s not just the numbers that have headlines being written about Stroud – he comes alive in big moments and has served up some game-winning drives for the cardiac Texans.

Stat Attack!

The Jets defense continues to be one of the best in the NFL, ranking in the top 10 in yards allowed per game (312.7) and takeaways (19).

Keys to the game

As is the case in every NFL game, taking care of the football will be paramount. Zach Wilson must be prepared to take his shots because those chunk plays are needed to spark the Jets. But he must also proceed with caution because the Texans are coming off a victory powered by three interceptions of Denver’s Russell Wilson. Derek Stingley Jr. is particularly dangerous as he has four picks in his last three games.

In defending the Texans, the Jets need to make a Houston team that has struggled to run the football consistently in 2023 a one-dimensional attack. That will allow New York to do what they have done for much of this challenging season – they can get after an excellent quarterback on the other side and make life difficult for Stroud, as they did for the likes of Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert earlier this season.