For the most part, early predictions for the Jets have them either winning the division or being in the mix and getting at least a wild card. Expectations are high and many are buying in. But for one writer at ESPN, the pressure may end up being too much for Gang Green.
ESPN NFL writer Bill Barnwell isn’t quite as high of a believer in the Jets of yet. He recently appeared on ESPN’s Get Up and shared his early guess at how the AFC East standings will shake out. Jets fans, shield your eyes. Barnwell currently has New York in last place in the division. Yes, even behind Mac Jones and the New England Patriots.
.@billbarnwell predicted a LAST PLACE FINISH for the #Jets in the AFC East in 2023, ‘I don’t see why this is a crazy opinion, they were in last place last year’ 😳 even more stunning? #Patriots legend @TedyBruschi rushed to the defense of NYJ, ‘they’ll be in 2nd or 1st’ 👀 ‘I… pic.twitter.com/PyqRLtESxb
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) June 8, 2023
Barnwell mentioned how the Jets were 2-8 against an opposing team’s starting quarterback and 5-2 when facing a backup quarterback (Mitchell Trubisky, Jacoby Brissett, etc.).
Tedy Bruschi, of all people, came to the defense of the Jets in this argument, saying “they’ll be in second or first” and that “the Jets will be very good this year.”
There’s no doubt the AFC East will be super competitive. The current odds at DraftKings have the Bills at +120, the Jets +270, the Dolphins +300 and the Patriots +800. It’s up in the air. But it still feels a little wild to have the Jets, with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback, in the basement of the division. If that happens, something likely will have gone horribly wrong this season, which would also mean the Jets hand over a higher pick in next year’s draft to the Packers.
Yes, the Jets were a last-place team in 2022. That doesn’t automatically mean they will be a last-place team in 2023. But as Kevin Garnett famously said, anything’s possible.