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This off-season, the New York Jets have been one of the most improved teams and could make some noise in 2022. This past year, the Cincinnati Bengals made a giant leap from worst to first in the AFC North. In 2020, they finished the season 4-11-1 while being last in the AFC North. A season later, they finished at the top of the division with a 10-7 record, just edging out the Steelers for first place.
This season, there are a few teams that can make that leap. Color commentator Cris Collinsworth predicted on his podcast that the New York Jets would make the jump.
Collinsworth said:
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"I just feel like if there's a team out there that can make a jump this year and surprise everybody... the Jets, maybe they're that team this year."
The Jets finished last season 4-13, which was rock-bottom in the AFC East. Zach Wilson had a slow start to his rookie season but played well down the stretch.
Two other rookies that shone on offense were running back Michael Carter, who rushed for 639 yards and four touchdowns while grabbing 36 receptions for 325 yards, and wide receiver Elijah Moore, New York's leading receiver with 43 receptions, 538 yards, and five touchdowns.
In the off-season, the Jets added safety Jordan Whitehead, offensive tackle Laken Tomlinson, cornerback DJ Reed, tight end CJ Uzomah, defensive lineman Solomon Thomas, and kicker Greg Zuerlein.
In the draft, they added three first-rounders in cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and defensive end Jermaine Johnson.
The New York Jets could still miss the playoffs despite making a giant leap this season
The Jets can still make a giant leap without making the playoffs. While Cincinnati quickly went from one of the worst teams in the league to one of the best teams rapidly while making the Super Bowl, the outcome won't be the same for the Jets.
For starters, they play in a very tough division in the AFC East. All three teams except for New York had winning records. Last season, the AFC East had two playoff teams come out of the division: the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills.
New York also have a demanding schedule early on. Through the first four weeks, they play the entire AFC North, one of the most challenging and most competitive divisions in the NFL.
Then, for the next five games, they'll face the Denver Broncos, the Buffalo Bills, the New England Patriots, and the Green Bay Packers. That's five playoff teams to start the first nine games.
While they may not make the playoffs, they could wind up winning around 8-10 games this season, which would double their total from last season.
