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00:00When Andy's good, like with the video and everything.
00:21Hey, what's up everybody? This is in-game live game day here on Sports Grid with Brady Cannon and Adam Kaufman.
00:26We've got you for the next couple of hours, continuing our tour of the AFC East.
00:31Of course, yesterday it was all about the Bills, the Patriots.
00:35No question, those are the perceived top two teams in the division.
00:38Really, it's Buffalo and everybody else, but the Patriots, there's a lot of smoke.
00:42There's a lot of excitement around the Pats, justifiably or not.
00:46I mean, depends who you talk to, I guess, going into this new season.
00:50The Dolphins, a team that a lot of people fear are heading in the wrong direction.
00:54Then, of course, there is the Jets, which are they to be taken seriously or are they fighting for the number one overall pick in the draft come April?
01:02We are going to explore right out of the chute here with the Jets for the next little bit.
01:08And before we bring in our guests, let's tell you just some of what you need to know as far as the odds go on New York right now.
01:14Over-under of just five and a half wins entering the new season.
01:19Minus 135 to the over, plus money to the under, plus 115 over on FanDuel.
01:2419-1 to win the division.
01:27120-1 to win the conference.
01:29240-1 to win the Super Bowl.
01:31If you really want to be bold, you've got a bonus bet you want to burn, right?
01:35Plus 520 to make the playoffs.
01:37Minus 800 to miss.
01:39Tells you everything you need to know about what Vegas thinks of the Jets this upcoming season.
01:45Let's get into it.
01:46Andy Vasquez joins us, covers the Jets for NJ Advanced Media, is on Twitter at Andy underscore Vasquez.
01:53Andy and Brady, for that matter, welcome to the program.
01:55How are you?
01:57Doing well.
01:58Thank you for having me.
02:00Absolutely.
02:01Great to have you here with us.
02:02Now, look, training camp is a little underway, but we're not at the preseason games yet.
02:07And so a lot can happen, obviously, between now and early September when the season gets going.
02:13But there was a lot of doom and gloom right out of the chute because you had Justin Fields go down with the one at the time.
02:20We didn't know.
02:21It turned out to be a dislocated toe.
02:23And he's right back at practice the next day.
02:25But he's carted off the field.
02:26And it's, oh, my God, is this, you know, now going to be Teron Taylor's team?
02:32And what's this going to look like?
02:33And how bad it's going to be, Jets fans believing they're cursed after what happened with Aaron Rodgers and so many quarterbacks even before then.
02:40But Fields is back, looks great, getting rave reviews in camp.
02:44What are the expectations specifically around the quarterback and as it ties into the new head coach, Aaron Glenn?
02:49Yeah, I think it's a weird spot the Jets are in because they are definitely less talented than last year.
02:57I mean, there's no doubt about that.
02:59They lost, obviously, a quarterback.
03:02You're going from a guy who couldn't win the job over Russell Wilson, who has not been very good, and was 4-2 and they still gave the job to Russell Wilson.
03:11You're going with, at wide receiver, losing Devontae Adams.
03:15In the secondary, losing DJ Reed and replacing him with Brandon Stevens, a guy who struggled last year in Baltimore.
03:20So, like, at key positions, they've lost a lot of talent.
03:24But on defense, they've still got an all-pro at all three levels in Quinton Williams, Quincy Williams, and Sauce Gardner.
03:30I think the defense is probably going to be pretty good and keep them competitive.
03:34And I just think they're going to be better disciplined.
03:37They're going to have, you know, more common, be pulling more commonly in the right direction.
03:42I think there was a lot of confusion about what the expectations were last year and how they were being held accountable.
03:50And I think, you know, everything that was going on with Rodgers and his influence, that was, you know, massive.
03:57But also, he was trying to downplay it and the coach was trying to make it look like it wasn't as big as it was.
04:02It was just a weird situation.
04:03So, Aaron Glenn is firmly in control.
04:06Even it's pretty clear that Darren Mugey, the new GM, is kind of following his marching orders.
04:13And I think that's a good thing for the Jets.
04:15I mean, but they are the Jets.
04:18And they've looked pretty good these first, you know, eight days of camp.
04:21And then they come out yesterday and they had 12 penalties and team drills.
04:25And everything they've been working on in training camp, you know, didn't look very good in the scrimmage practice that all the fans were looking forward to.
04:32So, you know, you never know.
04:34But I think with the expectations so low, it's like the Jets are going to be better than people think.
04:39That's just what I think.
04:40It's this is how they always do it.
04:42And I think they've got the talent to be pretty good.
04:44But there are question marks.
04:47Andy, I want to ask you about the coaching dynamic.
04:50Obviously, Aaron Glenn comes in, a former defensive coordinator, former defensive player for the Jets.
04:55And you pair him with a new defensive coordinator in Steve Wilkes, the much-traveled Steve Wilkes from Carolina to San Francisco.
05:02So, how's the chemistry between those two guys been?
05:06And, you know, it seems like the focal point for the Jets for a few years now has been the defense.
05:10Does this look like a good fit for you?
05:13Yeah.
05:13Yeah, I think it's interesting.
05:15And I think it's going to be helpful to them for, you know, especially early in the season.
05:20Teams aren't going to know what to expect on offense because which scheme are they going to use more?
05:26I think there's going to be a lot of Glenn in there.
05:28There's going to be a lot of Wilkes.
05:29The one big difference that we've seen over recent years is that they're going to blitz.
05:34I mean, they never blitz, basically.
05:36It was maybe once or twice a game under Robert Sala and Jeff Ulbrich.
05:41You know, they prided themselves on getting pushed with the front four and then playing, you know, a pretty standard coverage and doing it well.
05:47And it worked really well in terms of limiting yards.
05:50And they were top five in yards the last three years.
05:53But especially this last year, they weren't a top five defense when it mattered.
05:57They were terrible.
05:58They gave up big plays.
05:59They had, you know, really poorly timed penalties, discipline issues, and making the kind of mistakes you just can't make when it was on the line.
06:07And that's how you get to where they were last year, where they were way more talented than, you know, having five wins.
06:14So I think that's going to be interesting.
06:16And, you know, the players have raved about it.
06:18I think they've, I don't think they're meaning to throw the previous staff under the bus.
06:23But like Sauce Gardner said, like, I know this coach is going to put me in a position to succeed.
06:28Michael Carter talked about how they've been cross-training all the secondary players.
06:32Michael Carter at the slot corner, he's been talking about how all the secondary players have cross-trained at every position and how that helps, you know, in terms of when there's an injury and just knowing the defense better.
06:42And then Jamie and Sherwood, I think, is kind of going to be the key to this defense.
06:46C.J. Mosley retires.
06:49Sherwood was kind of, you know, brought along by him.
06:52He started in the league as a safety, tore his Achilles his first year, transitioned to linebacker, and stepped in last year and played at a really high level, got a new contract.
07:02He's really good in coverage.
07:03There was a play in practice the other day where Garrett Wilson was coming through the middle at top speed.
07:08Sherwood recognized it, backpedaled, and ran stride for stride with him and forced an overthrow from field.
07:15So I think they're going to be pretty solid, yeah.
07:19Yeah, I think a lot of, honestly, just if we're looking at this from a Vegas perspective versus what you're talking about, it's a lot that honestly just, it doesn't mesh, right?
07:28It doesn't mix well because, on the one hand, like, I agree with you.
07:33I think the Jets, I don't think they're going to be a good team, but I think they should be better than where the market is on them at five and a half wins.
07:39Like, six wins, seven wins is still not a particularly good season, but it's considerably better than just, oh, we're sleeping on this team.
07:48Like, let's not forget.
07:49And I don't believe this was solely Aaron Rodgers as much as the hype and pedigree and everything when he was coming in there before the injury, of course.
07:57I mean, this was, he signs on, and it's, we've got all this talent on defense.
08:01We've got all this talent on the offensive line.
08:03We've got all this talent in between Brees Hall and Garrett Wilson and so on, Super Bowl contenders.
08:08And people are betting left and right on this team to win a championship.
08:11And then, you know, even last year, him coming off the injury, it was still a lot of, well, Rodgers, he'll be fine.
08:19He'll get a bit.
08:19Look at all the talent.
08:20Well, the talent's still there, except now it's Fields.
08:24So the question really is, is it that big a drop-off between Aaron Rodgers to Justin Fields at, you know, again, Rodgers at this stage of his career,
08:33or are there just a ton of unknowns with the first-year coaching staff?
08:36I mean, I think there is a drop-off that's bigger than people want to realize.
08:42I mean, when you look at what Fields has done, and he hasn't been able to put it together in his first four years, five years of his career,
08:49and Rodgers, I know he was not what you expected last year, but it was still one of the best seasons in Jets quarterback history.
08:56It's going to be tough for them to get that level of play.
08:59It's unpredictable.
09:00If they can figure out how to mesh, you know, the legs with his arm, I think they'll be okay, but that's a big question mark.
09:07We'll get into it much more with Andy Vasquez, NJ Advanced Media, when we return here in-game live game day on Sports Grid.
09:14We are previewing the New York Jets 2025 season here with Andy Vasquez, NJ Advanced Media.
09:19Again, get him on Twitter at Andy underscore Vasquez.
09:22Andy, let's bring it back to the quarterback somewhat here, Justin Fields, where, you know, we don't know.
09:27Again, you talked about it.
09:28He performed very well before his benching in Pittsburgh because ultimately Mike Tomlin wanted to go with Russell Wilson.
09:35I didn't like it.
09:36I spoke out against it at the time for, you know, all that my opinion matters, but I guess to Wilson's credit, the team did win some games after.
09:42Fields, I thought, played well, and I think it's interesting to see him, you know, out of the, you know, out of the gate, get another starting opportunity.
09:51He doesn't have a guy breathing down his neck.
09:53He knows the job is his, unlike last year.
09:55So there's a mental relief there, but for some of the guys around him and stylistically and what this offense looks like, like Garrett Wilson is coming off of three straight thousand plus yard receiving seasons.
10:07Fields is not exactly known for his arm.
10:09He's known for his mobility.
10:10So just, again, strategically, how does this team play, do you think?
10:14It's been interesting to watch because Fields has this arm that is incredible.
10:21I mean, this guy can make every throw and sometimes he does, but also he misses a lot of easy throws and he struggles sometimes with the decision making, like, because he knows he can make these throws, but sometimes he shouldn't try them and he does.
10:36And that's kind of been an issue in camp.
10:38There's been a lot of inconsistency.
10:39I do think they're in a much better spot with Tanner Engstrand as the offensive coordinator that you can tell they're going to be more creative.
10:46They have a plan where they're trying to get the ball in guys' hands in places where they're at their best, especially with Brees Hall.
10:54Aaron Glenn has talked openly about it.
10:56They're going to line him up out wide at wide receiver.
10:58He might be their second best receiver.
11:00And, you know, two years ago, Nathaniel Hackett was like at week 10.
11:03He's like, I didn't realize Brees Hall was such a good receiver.
11:05So, I mean, you're going to be light years ahead of where they were in that regard.
11:11And I think that is going to make a difference.
11:13But I do think it's a tough fit because he's not a pure passer.
11:19He's going to struggle with some of this stuff.
11:21He's been slow to kind of get rid of the ball.
11:24And it was more than, like, from watching him in games, what I thought.
11:27And maybe that's just, like, part of the training camp and what they're asking him to do and his process.
11:32And it'll look different on game day when he has that option to bolt out of there with his feet.
11:37And I think that's going to be the key is, like, when does he use that?
11:39Because that, I mean, he's the best, one of the best in history at escaping the pocket, using his feet, and making huge plays.
11:46And he did it in the scrimmage on Saturday.
11:48A 25-yard touchdown where he was so alone by the time he got to the end zone.
11:53Like, you were like, did he go out of bounds or did he score?
11:55Like, no, he scored that easily.
11:57I mean, the guy is ridiculous.
11:58So, it's going to be how they use that balance.
12:02I think, like, they want him to be more of a run threat than he was last year in Pittsburgh.
12:08But I think they also want him to kind of throw the ball down the field because they, I think they had a really tight leash on, you know, how he was operating in that offense last year in Pittsburgh.
12:16So, it's going to be interesting to see if they can walk that tightrope and have a functional offense.
12:21I think the key, though, is that they are going to run the ball a lot with Brees Hall, with Braylon Allen, and Isaiah Davis, who has looked really good in camp, another second-year pro.
12:31Him and Davis, Davis and Allen have looked really good.
12:34And I think, you know, they're going to carry the ball a lot.
12:37And Brees is going to be more of a passing weapon than you might expect.
12:40Andy, you know, if you look at a few of these players on this team, you have some extreme talent.
12:47Brees Hall, Garrett Wilson, Sauce Gardner.
12:50But, you know, if we're going to play devil's advocate a little bit here, we're talking about, you know, gosh, they ought to win more than five and a half games.
12:56You know, the over looks like a good bet.
12:58What if we go the other way?
12:59They have lost a lot of players.
13:01You talked about Mosley retiring.
13:03The offensive line is totally new, basically.
13:06I want to say they lost three players, you know, off of the offensive line.
13:10Devontae Adams, Aaron Rodgers.
13:11You know, they still have some talent, yes.
13:14But, you know, you said it right from the get-go.
13:16I don't know if they have as much talent as they've had the last couple of years.
13:19So are they really – is there a good chance that they could lose or win less than five and a half games?
13:27I mean, we're talking about the Jets.
13:29So, yes, there's always a chance.
13:31And, like, you don't know what weird thing could happen, and, like, you can't rule that out.
13:38I mean, I think they do have more stability on the offensive line than in years past.
13:42It feels like every year they're losing three players, but this year I think it was only one starter.
13:48And there's some shuffling, but their offensive line is actually a good place for the first time.
13:54Wide receiver number two is an issue, and it's been disappointing in camp because, you know, nobody stood out.
14:00But it's really – you know, Garrett Wilson had more catches and yards last year than everybody else combined on the roster.
14:06And it's Josh Reynolds is the number two receiver.
14:09And it's because nobody else – none of the younger guys on the roster, like Malachi Corley, who was the number one pick of the third round last year.
14:17I mean, he might not make the team.
14:18Alan Lazard is Alan Lazard.
14:21You're going to get where you're going to get at this point if Aaron Rodgers isn't the quarterback.
14:24I mean, I think there is a chance that they can be made very one-dimensional on offense, and it's a problem for them.
14:29I think there's a chance that, you know, they have some new guys in the secondary, Andre Sisco, Brandon Stevens, that can get exploited.
14:38And if they can't get pressure on the quarterback when they're blitzing because Quinn and Williams, a defensive tackle,
14:43they lost a lot of depth, and defenses are going to single out Quinn and Williams.
14:48And you've got Jermaine Johnson coming back from a torn Achilles.
14:51They're probably going to be on a pitch count for the first month or two of the season.
14:54Like, if they're not putting pressure on the quarterback because they're blocking Will McDonald and Quinn and quarterbacks can pick them apart
15:03and, you know, teams shut down Garrett, it could get ugly, and you don't know how a first-year coach is going to react to that.
15:11I think that they do have enough talent to figure it out.
15:14I think they'll get over that number.
15:15But, yeah, there is definitely a blueprint there for it getting ugly, and it could happen on both sides of the ball where there's big question marks.
15:25Last one for you, Andy.
15:27You know, Brees Hall, elite talent, obviously.
15:30I'm a fan.
15:30Love watching him.
15:31There's no question, though, he did take a step backward last year.
15:34You know, the total yards, rushing, receiving, receptions, touchdowns, it all took a step backward from the previous season.
15:41How much of that was maybe a sign of things to come versus just the presence of Braylon Allen and the team using both guys?
15:49I think we're underestimating how bad that coaching situation was, especially after Salah got fired and what was going on, you know, the change in play caller.
16:01I don't think they had a lot of direction.
16:03At one point last year, Brees was like, I'm antsy because I'm worried about my blitz pickups.
16:08He admitted that after a game and admitted to losing his confidence.
16:12I think it wasn't a physical thing.
16:14I think it was a mental thing, and if you look at how he did running through first contact, that's all mental, and he was awful at it last year, and he was much better at it the first two years.
16:24He's primed for a contract year.
16:27He's primed for a big year.
16:28I think he's going to bounce back in a huge way.
16:31Andy Vasquez, NJ, Advanced Media.
16:33Get him on Twitter, Andy underscore Vasquez.
16:35Great breakdown of the Jets, Andy.
16:37Thanks so much.
16:38Thanks for having me, guys.
16:39Appreciate it.
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