Not Just Yet Jet Fans

Here it is, my first NFL article in a while. With training camps heating up and no golf or tennis majors taking place I figured it was time to break my rule of no football talk in July. But, today I don't bring excitement, in fact in this article I'm looking to quell excitement, the excitement of those who have created too lofty of expectations for the Jets.

Now, hold on a second, I know as a Jets fan, that lofty expectations should be exactly what I want for my team, considering the fact that under Rex Ryan, the Jets have thrived on publicity. But I just have a tough time believing that the Jets are the best team in the NFL, as Don Banks of SI.com said by ranking them first in his pre-season rankings. I hate to be the party pooper, especially when I'd love a Jets Super Bowl victory more than almost anyone, but I just don't see it. I mean, people know that these are the Jets we're talking about here, right?

People tell me that this is the Jets' year. They say things like, "just look at what they did last year. They made the AFC Championship Game and only got better this offseason." But people forget that the Jets came into the playoffs as a wildcard team and with a 9-7 record. The only reason they really made it so far in the playoffs was because their offense stepped up. And that's where we come to our big question for the Jets: can the offense do as well all year this season as they did last postseason.

Think about it, the Jets offense really isn't dazzling. Although Mark Sanchez seems like a top quarterback because all of the publicity he receives, and all of the potential that he has, he still needs some time to develop. His 12 touchdowns and 20 interceptions certainly weren't impressive by any means. Also, with Sanchez coming off a pretty major knee surgery, it's tough seeing him as even one of the top 15 quarterbacks in the league, especially when the Jets run the ball so much. And that's when we come to the running game.

The Jets running game isn't much better than their passing. Since when did people start to think that Shonn Greene was one of the premier running backs in this league? Like Sanchez, Greene is also only going into his second year in the pros, and although the potential is there for him to be one helluva bruising back, there's still at least another year until he finally starts to tap into that potential. Although Greene averaged five yards per carry last season backing up Thomas Jones, he's moving from being the third best running back on the team to the top dog, which is a lot to ask for of a guy that still has a lot to learn. Then there's LT. People know that LT isn't the player that he used to be, but it still seems as if he's overrated. LT will be great as a mentor and teacher for Greene this year, and I'm sure will even be able to make a big impact, either as a threat to catch passes out of the backfield, or to giving Greene breaks during the game, but his performance certainly isn't that of a top running back. At 31, LT has become average, and although he's on a mission to prove the doubters wrong, it's important to remember that his yards per carry has gone down an average of .7 yards every year since 2007, a lot considering the fact that in 2007 he averaged 4.7 YPC.

Then there are the wide receivers, the top two being Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes, both of whom are backed up by Jericho Cotchery. The three make a solid receiving corps, but that's only if they stay out of trouble, both on and off the field. Edwards participated in a fight outside a Cleveland bar last October, and was charged with misdemeanor assault, which he pleaded no contest to. Holmes is much worse than Edwards however when it comes to getting into trouble. First there's the fact that Holmes will have to sit out the first four games of the season after violating the league's substance abuse policy. Then, on top of that there's the arrests for disorderly conduct, domestic violence and assault back in 2006, the arrest for marijuana possession in 2008, an incident at a nightclub this past March where he was accused of throwing a glass at a woman's face, and finally an incident on a plane where he refused to turn his iPod off when asked by the flight attendant. Quite the model citizen. Then there's how they play on the field. The best way to describe Edwards' game is to google his name. Behind Braylon Edwards, the second most popular suggested search is "Braylon Edwards drops." Edwards has the potential to be a great wide receiver, but he needs to start catching the ball first. Holmes, like Edwards, is mostly a deep threat, which can either be a great asset for the Jets or end up working out horribly. There's a high risk, high reward when both of your top two receivers like to go deep. It opens up the short passing game for tight ends, and guys like Jericho Cotchery, but it also doesn't guarantee that you'll get top production from the guys you actually want to catch it. Deep-threat guys tend to either have great years or awful years, and hopefully for the Jets, Edwards and Holmes, this year will be a great one.

Of course there's the defense, the best in the league. With the majority of the number one defense returning this year - Kerry Rhodes is now an Arizona Cardinal - and additions like Jason Taylor, Antonio Cromartie and first round draft pick Kyle Wilson, it'll be a miracle if anyone scores on them. Under Rex Ryan's leadership, this could become one of the more formidable defenses of the decade.

But, as I implied earlier, in order to win you have to score points somehow, and it's tough to tell if this offense really has what it takes to bring home a Super Bowl, as much as I'd like to say they do. There's no premier offensive player on the team. No Brees, no Peyton, no Brady. Then again the Steelers won twice without a star offensive player. Although Roethlisberger is a very clutch quarterback and one of the main stars in the league, stat-wise, he's basically just a little bit above average.

So please fans get excited, but whatever you do, don't set your aspirations too high for the Jets. Am I saying that they don't have a chance to win, let alone make the Super Bowl? No, but they certainly shouldn't be the favorites to do so. This is a team that went 9-7 last year, and although they grew up a lot, and made some key additions, they still shouldn't be favored over teams like the Colts, the Saints or even the Vikings. I'm happy to say that I believe that this team has the potential to go all the way this year, but I think it will actually be a few more years until they're on top of the world. Remember, this is the Jets we're talking about here, the team that hasn't won a Super Bowl in over 40 years and has managed to break hearts year in and year out. For the past few years they've been nothing but mediocre, and now all of a sudden they're supposed to be the best team in the league? It just doesn't add up.

The one move that really showed a lot of promise in my eyes however, was the selection of Kyle Wilson. Instead of taking a DE or and OLB, two positions they needed help with, they drafted a CB. Even though they already had the best defensive player in the league in Darrelle Revis and another solid player in Antonio Cromartie at the position, they drafted Kyle Wilson in a move mostly prompted by the loss in the AFC Championship Game to the Colts. After Peyton Manning and his receivers lit up their secondary, the Jets drafted like an elite team and got a player that would help them beat elite receiver-filled teams like the Colts and Patriots, both of whom could stand in the way of a Jets Super Bowl run. When a team starts drafting and signing players mostly to prepare for teams that they will meet in the playoffs, you know that that team is becoming an elite squad.

So Jets fans, I know it's exciting to finally have a contender for a team, but just remember to temper your excitement, and approach the season with caution. This team can win the Super Bowl, but I don't know if this year is the one. Who knows? Maybe they could have a magical run and win it all, but after watching that AFC Championship Game last year, it was obvious that the Jets aren't part of the elite just yet. We've already waited 42 years for this moment to come again, what's a few more?