The New York Jets today announced their inaugural International Fan of the Year: United Kingdom-based Frazer Campbell.

Frazer, who lives on the Isle of Man, will represent the Jets at the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, where the overall winner of the International Fan of the Year competition will be announced.

He was given the news on a surprise zoom call with Jets star tight end Tyler Conklin, and couldn’t disguise his delight:

“I’m totally shocked right now, I don’t even know what to say!”

“It does mean a lot for you to actually come on and speak to me – it means more than you could imagine.”

This year marked the first year that the Fan of the Year contest was extended to international waters, with the NFL set to announce the full list of 32 club nominees on March 1st.

The representatives will all travel to Detroit on 25 April, when the 2024 NFL Draft will take place, with a special programme of events and activities scheduled.

A number of Jets fans from around the world sent off applications in a highly competitive process that was launched back in September last year.

Frazer has helped to set up and run the Jets fan group ‘Gang Green UK’ along with fellow British fans, bringing together die hard followers from across the country both on digital platforms and at a number of in-person events.

“We started the group… trying to find a few fans as we didn’t think there were many in the United Kingdom, and at first there weren’t.”

“But that group has basically turned into a family. I could never imagine not watching football and not supporting the Jets for that reason. It becomes bigger than football.”

Why the Jets?

“I wanted somewhere that I could go quite easily… and I’d always wanted to go to New York. My soccer team – Celtic – play in green and white… it became an easy choice from that moment to be honest!”

“I go to bed at night thinking about the NFL, I wake up and the first thing I do is go straight on Twitter to see if there’s any news.”

Congratulations to Frazer on becoming the International Fan of the Year, and thanks to every fan who submitted an application!

The stars don’t always align when it comes to football and the New York Jets, but after a frustrating season there may be some light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s no secret that the Jets will be looking for offensive help this offseason. When you finish in the bottom third of nearly every statistical category, your route to improvement is pretty clear.

In my last article, we looked at free agency and some positions where the Jets will look to improve; this week we turn our attention to the NFL Draft.

Fortunately for the Jets, the stars are aligning when it comes to areas of need and strengths of the upcoming Draft.

The 2024 class not only has elite top-level talent in round one, but it has plenty of strength in depth throughout, especially when it comes to two positions the Jets will almost certainly be looking to strengthen…

Offensive Tackle

This is arguably one of the best offensive tackle classes in recent memory. Three names are starting to dominate when it comes to the top of class with Notre Dame’s fine technician Joe Alt leading the way. Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga and high-upside Penn State standout Olumuyiwa Fashanu are also generating top-10 buzz.

But the talent at the position doesn’t stop there.

Alabama’s mammoth tackle JC Latham is slated to go in the first-round, although he may be restricted to playing on the right side. Washington State’s Troy Fautanu is picking up steam with his plus movement skills, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton will continue to move up draft boards after some strong reviews at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and Amarius Mims will be a first round option as long as teams are happy with his medical report.

Those are just the tackles being spoken about with the first 32 picks. If you continue down the board, you’ll see a number of other talented tackles who could slip into the later rounds.

One under-the-radar name to watch is Kiran Amegadjie from Yale, a player who improved every single year and who will start generating buzz during the pre-draft process.

Needless to say, if you need a starting offensive tackle or two, the 2024 NFL Draft is for you.

Wide Receiver

For as good as the offensive tackle position is, there are plenty of wide receivers to get excited about too, with star receivers at the top of the Draft and plenty of strength in depth.

The class is headlined by Marvin Harrison Jr, a player many have at the top of their Draft boards. Not only does he have the obvious pedigree (his father Marvin Harrison Sr. played for the Indianapolis Colts for 13 years), but he has that ideal speed/size combination with the explosiveness to punish teams consistently. Don’t get excited though Jets fans, this man won’t escape the top five… in fact I’d be surprised if he dropped below the top three picks.

Behind Marvin there are a host of players worthy of a first-round selection, and the idea of adding one of these guys to an Aaron Rodgers-led offence alongside Garrett Wilson is certainly an exciting prospect.

Leading that chasing pack is Washington’s Rome Odunze, who may be my favourite prospect in this entire draft. As refined a route-runner as you’ll find in college football, Odunze plays inside and out and has excellent hands, athleticism and size. In any other year, he’d be the clear #1 receiver, and there may even be teams who have him above Marvin Harrison Jr. I’d be shocked if he made it to the Jets at #10.

If he doesn’t, you start looking at the next tier and that’s dominated by the boys from Louisiana: Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. I’m a big fan of Thomas Jr and his explosiveness; he’s also coming off a season where he torched college defences for 17 touchdowns. For me, those two guys are in a tier of their own.

Then you start looking a little further down at receivers who could be available at the end of the first round and the top of the second. You find guys like Devontez Walker from North Carolina, Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy from Texas, Keon Coleman from Florida State, Troy Franklin from Oregon and Ladd McConkey from Georgia; a player who’s already won the title for my favourite name in the draft.

If you keep going you’ll come across plenty of talent through the middle rounds and word out of the Senior Bowl is that Michigan man Roman Wilson impressed anyone and everyone in attendance.

The draft process is just getting started; there is plenty of evaluation left. But if you want to find offensive tackles and wide receivers – and the Jets likely want to find offensive tackles and wide receivers – the 2024 NFL Draft looks as though it may be very fruitful.

In our last offseason piece we focused our attention on some of the key decisions the Jets will need to make when it comes to their own free agents. With so many about to test the open market, it’s safe to say that Joe Douglas will be on the hunt for a number of replacements.

While some positions on the team will likely be filled internally, the Jets General Manager will have his work cut out with one of the offseason’s most important tasks: spotting and attracting the right talent at the right price.

Hundreds of NFL players are set to hit free agency and with the Jets currently slated to have minimal cap space before cuts and restructures, Douglas won’t be going on a 5th Avenue-type spree. There are, however, a number of players who could be of interest and once the new league year ticks over, a few names who will be at the top of the shortlist.

The Jets won’t be able to ignore the defensive side of the ball this offseason. Key decisions need to be made at both safety and interior defensive line, as the team has a number of players hitting free agency in those positions.

That being said, we’re going to focus this week on the offence, which is where the bulk of the offseason attention is likely to be turned. I’ve outlined four positions that the Jets may look to target in the hope some new reinforcements can jumpstart their engine heading into 2024.

Offensive Tackle

The Jets have struggled with consistency on the offensive line, and will go into the 2024 offseason with uncertainty at both tackle positions. The team doesn’t have to look far to find evidence of the importance of o-line consistency. During their 2009 run to the AFC Championship game the Jets got all but 14 snaps from their starting five offensive linemen.

This year the Jets used 14 different linemen and 13 different offensive line combinations. Priority number one for Douglas will revolve around finding reliable offensive tackles to bring stability in front of Aaron Rodgers. Fortunately for the Jets, there are a number of options in free agency who tick all the boxes and the 2024 draft is considered particularly strong at the tackle position. I’d expect a heavy dose of resources to be spent on offensive line reinforcement.

Wide Receiver

One of the main objectives for the Jets next season will revolve around Allen Lazard and getting the former Packer back to his best after an underwhelming first season in green and white by his standards.

To take some pressure off Lazard, the Jets will likely turn to the free agent market to secure a running mate for star receiver Garrett Wilson. Just like the offensive tackle position, the wide receiver position is deep in talent when it comes to free agency and the draft. Explosive playmakers are the name of the game and giving Aaron Rodgers more weaponry is never a bad idea.

Quarterback

Both Robert Saleh and Joe Douglas hinted towards the end of the season that with hindsight they may have approached things differently in 2023. You can’t help but think that was in direct relation to not signing a proven veteran quarterback to backup Rodgers in the off-season.

The hope at 1JD is that Rodgers remains healthy for the entire 2024 season, but the Jets have to be prepared for the worst case scenario. This year, we saw a number of backups step into the limelight following an injury to the starter and continue to produce. There are a number of options on the market this offseason, as the trend tends to be that veteran QBs sign rolling one-year deals.

Running Back

Breece Hall showed that he’s the man in New York going forward, and as the season wore on, Hall seemed to get stronger, an amazing feat considering his ACL injury in 2022. The Dalvin Cook signing didn’t work out, but I do feel that the Jets will be in the market for a veteran running back to pair with 2nd year man Israel Abanikanda.

As always, there are a lot of good running backs set to hit the market and over the last few seasons years we have seen how much value you can get from a veteran RB addition, much as Houston did this year with their acquisition of Devin Singletary.

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.