»My ranking of the Jets’ most notable underachievers«
As the Jets pick up the pieces of yet another season without a postseason berth, they will attempt to determine what went wrong and what has to be corrected for next season.
There are numerous reasons why the Jets lost their final six games, and there is no shortage of blame. But if you want to determine why things did not go as planned, you must consider who underachieved this season.
I have developed a list of the five Jets players I believed would be more effective than they actually were. Unsurprisingly, they all play offense. All of the Jets’ primary defensive players performed as well as or better than expected.
So, here are my five biggest underachievers from 2022:
Zach Wilson, QB
Zach Wilson led the Jets to five victories at quarterback, although his effectiveness seemed to decline as the season continued.
It is difficult to begin someplace else. The 2021 No. 2 overall pick was anticipated to make a significant improvement in Year 2. He instead failed. Wilson had a knee injury in the first preseason game and missed precious training camp time as a result. In his first game after returning in Week 4, he had his biggest moment of the season, sparking a fourth-quarter comeback in Pittsburgh. But Wilson never appeared authoritative.
With Wilson as quarterback, the Jets won five games, but after the Steelers victory, it never felt like they were thriving because of Wilson, but rather around him. In two losses against the Patriots, he completely lost it and was benched. Wilson returned to start two more games, but he played poorly in his final start against Jacksonville and resembled a broken quarterback.
The 23-year-old completed 54.5 percent of his throws for 1,688 yards, six touchdowns, and seven interceptions by the end of the season. His quarterback rating of 72.8 was the lowest in all of football. Wilson’s failure to fulfill expectations is a gross understatement. Now his future is extremely uncertain, and the Jets must determine how Wilson fits into their plans.
Elijah Moore, WR
In his two seasons, Elijah Moore has developed stronger connection with the Jets’ backup quarterbacks than with Russell Wilson.
Moore’s rookie season, in which he caught five touchdown passes, inspired optimism that he will be an integral part of the Jets’ offense this season. Not at all.
Moore had 37 receptions for 446 yards, one score, and a request for a trade. It is difficult to comprehend how poorly Moore began the season. Moore’s performance improved once he returned from missing one game following his October trade request. Moore’s attitude improved once the Jets shifted him to a position in which he was more comfortable. Late in the season, he became open, but quarterbacks did not always find him.
Moore may gain the most from a QB switch in 2023. Clearly, he and Wilson do not get along. Moore has the same number of touchdown receptions from Wilson as he does from Josh Johnson (one). Two each from Joe Flacco and Mike White have been caught by him. Despite collecting 25 more passes from Wilson than from Flacco, he has only 18 more receiving yards from Wilson. Wilson has a 41.4 passer rating while targeting Moore.
The coaches of the Jets were encouraged by Moore’s performance at the close of the season. A change at quarterback could improve performance in the third year.
Michael Carter, RB
Michael Carter averaged only 25.1 rushing yards per game in 2022, compared to 45.6 yards per game as a rookie.
Carter is a member of the 2021 draft class who, like the first two players on this list, showed great promise as a rookie but struggled in his second year. Carter rushed 114 times for a team-high 402 yards and scored three touchdowns. Additionally, he grabbed 41 receptions for 278 yards.
Carter did not appear to possess the same explosiveness he had as a rookie when he played some exciting games. Robert Saleh, head coach of the New York Jets, alluded to issues that second-year players occasionally face, maybe in reference to Carter’s offseason. Saleh did state that he anticipated Carter to rebound in 2023, but the Jets had clearly lost faith in Carter. Upon Breece Hall’s injury, the team acquired James Robinson instead of giving the ball over to Carter. In the latter stages of the season, Zonovan Knight had a greater workload than Carter.
In their third seasons, three crucial rookies from the class of 2021 must rediscover their rhythm for the Jets.
George Fant, OT
George Fant suffered with injuries and position changes while appearing in only eight games due to his limited availability.
A year ago, Saleh stated that the Jets will maintain Fant at left tackle over Mekhi Becton, demonstrating their high regard for the veteran. There was even discussion of extending his contract. In contrast to the others on this list, Fant’s difficulties appeared to arise from a physical problem: a persistent knee injury. Fant had knee surgery throughout the winter and never appeared to regain his strength. The Jets then moved him from left tackle to right tackle after Becton’s injury, and then back to left tackle after Duane Brown was sidelined for four games. Fant was visibly irritated by the continuous back-and-forth motion. He ultimately appeared in only eight games, starting seven.
Fant is now a free agent, and it appears unlikely that he would return to the Jets.
When the Jets signed Uzomah to a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency, he was seen as a crucial offensive contributor. Throughout the majority of the season, Uzomah was a highly compensated blocker. He concluded the season with 21 receptions for 232 yards and two scores.
During training camp, it was evident that Tyler Conklin was the team’s top tight end, surpassing Uzomah. This became even more evident once the games began. In December, Uzomah scored both of his touchdowns against the Lions. Uzomah’s single-game record for receptions was three, which he accomplished twice. His season high in yards was 41 in that game against Detroit.
Joe Douglas did not anticipate this result when he signed Uzomah, whose contract has two years remaining.
Becton is in “fighting” form.
Monday’s media session, held on the day players were clearing out their lockers, left me most impressed with Becton’s appearance. Becton refused to disclose his weight loss, but he appeared to have lost 15 to 20 pounds since the summer. Becton’s health and effectiveness would be enormous for the Jets. Becton shown great promise as a rookie, but has missed all but one game over the past two seasons due to injury.
Mekhi Becton, who missed all but one game over the past two seasons, appeared to be in much better form this week than he was throughout training camp.
William Kostrou
I am uncertain of Douglas’ offseason opinion of Becton. It is unlikely that he will be a starting tackle. Becton appears willing to compete for his position, and it would be remarkable if he realizes the potential that got him picked in the first round.
Statistics is so
Garrett Wilson has just had a successful rookie campaign and is a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He set rookie records for receptions and yards for the New York Jets, and his season ranked among the best in franchise history for receivers. His 83 receptions are tied for sixth all-time for the Jets. Here are the 10 seasons with the most receptions in Jets history:
Brandon Marshall, 2015: 109 receptions, 1,502 yards, 14 touchdowns
Al Toon, 1988: 93 receptions, 1,067 yards, 5 touchdowns
3. Laveranues Coles, 2006: 91 rec., 1,098 yards, 6 TDs
T-4. Laveranues Coles, 2002: 89 rec., 1,264 yards, 5 TDs
Keyshawn Johnson, 1999: 89 receptions, 1,170 yards, 8 touchdowns.
Richie Anderson, 2000: 88 catches, 853 yards, and 2 touchdowns
Al Toon, 1986: 85 receptions, 1,176 yards, 8 touchdowns
Wayne Chrebet, 1996: 84 receptions, 909 yards, 3 touchdowns
Keyshawn Johnson, 1998: 83 receptions, 1,131 yards, 10 touchdowns.
T-9. Garrett Wilson, 2022: 83 rec., 1,103 yards, 4 TDs
Reference: Pro Football Encyclopedia
»My ranking of the Jets’ most notable underachievers«