Everything seemed to be going according to plan. The Jets had brought in Brett Favre to lead a team coming off a 4-12 season to the playoffs, and after they beat the Patriots and Titans on the road in consecutive weeks to raise their record to 8-3, that plan was soon to be marked “mission accomplished.” People throughout the sports world were talking about the possibility of a Jets-Giants Super Bowl.

Then it all fell apart. The Jets missed the playoffs after going on a 1-4 slide against four teams that ended the season with losing records.

So what happened? Favre simply didn’t finish what he started. He ran out of steam, throwing just two touchdowns against nine interceptions in the last five games. Coach Eric Mangini was sent packing, and Favre, the unsuccessful hired gun, headed off into the sunset for another alleged retirement.

Enter new coach Rex Ryan, the man primarily responsible for the return of the Baltimore Ravens‘ defense to elite status. His style — he’s an aggressive, never-stop-blitzing attacker — is well-suited for the hustle and bustle of New York and lies in stark contrast to Mangini’s more laid-back approach to the game. But although the Jets ranked 29th in the league against the pass, as compared with the Ravens, who finished No. 2 in that category, they actually outsacked the Ravens 41 to 34 on the season. Imagine what they’ll be able to accomplish in Ryan’s 3-4 scheme, especially because the new head coach didn’t come to the Jets alone. He brought with him Bart Scott, Jim Leonhard and Marques Douglas — three players who already know what Ryan expects and who can help bring a positive attitude to the rest of the Jets’ defensive unit. This unit should be vastly improved from the get-go.

The offense, on the other hand, might not come together as quickly. Laveranues Coles is gone after signing a four-year deal with the Bengals, and the team doesn’t really have a true complement at wide receiver to go with Jerricho Cotchery. Even if it did, who will be the guy charged with throwing the ball downfield? The quarterback position is a huge question mark, and we might not have the answer until the coin gets tossed in Week 1.

Via ESPN, article written by A.J. Mass – http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football/ffl/story?page=nfldk2k9jetscamppreview

Is Mark Sanchez ready to start on opening day? That’s yet to be determined, however, there isn’t a better quarterback on the Jets roster right now and it would only make sense to go with Sanchez as he’ll probably give the team the best chance at winning. Sanchez’s group of receivers isn’t necessarily something you’d want to throw a rookie quarterback out on the field with. The loss of Coles during the off-season really set the Jets back in that area, although they do return leading receiver Jerricho Cotchery. Thomas Jones at the running back position (assuming he remains on the roster) will be an important part of the Jets having any kind of success this season.

Most rookie quarterbacks need a capable running back (or running backs) to rely upon in order for them to ease their way into the flow of the game. It happened with Matt Ryan with the Falcons a year ago, Joe Flacco with the Ravens a year ago, and Ben Rothelisberger with the Steelers back when he was just getting his feet wet. If the Jets are to experience any significant and consistent success this season, the Jets group of running backs are going to have to be able to keep the third-and-longs to a minimum and pick up quality yards on first and second down. It’ll take a lot of pressure off of Sanchez in the process.

Newsday has the complete story on the Jets plans to stay at Hofstra for one more year.

I’ve stumbled upon this, and I’m not sure what to make of it. It looks like someone has created a Jets blog, and anyone who registers with WordPress can contribute posts.

Anyway, I’m fascinated with the idea of blogging, but I don’t have much time to put in the effort. However, it would be great if more Jets fans got in on this deal. So, if you’re a Jets fan, feel free to register and chime in with your thoughts. The best Jets blog I’ve read and will continue to read everyday is Brian Bassett’s thejetsblog. Bassett’s blog has no rival, and I certainly do not want to try to even try to rival his work. But this might be fun if Jets fans are willing to contribute.

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!