bellpats-2.jpg
USA Today

The Jets were the embodiment of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde team in 2019. After a 1-7 start, New York rallied to win six of its final eight games to finish with a 7-9 record during Adam Gase's first season as coach. Two big reasons for the Jets' second-half turnaround were quarterback Sam Darnold and the inspired play of Gregg Williams' defense. 

Which team will we see in 2020? While the defense took a hit by losing All-Pro Jamal Adams, the Jets did enough good things right this offseason to make me believe that we'll see more Jekyll and less Hyde this fall.

In the draft, the Jets added several players who they hope can make an immediate impact in 2020. Among those players are offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, receiver Denzel Mims, safety Ashtyn Davis, pass rusher Jabari Zuniga, running back La'Mical Perine, offensive lineman Cameron Clark and cornerback Bryce Hall. The Jets also added some new veterans into the mix, signing receiver Breshad Perriman, running back Frank Gore, offensive lineman Greg Van Roten and linebacker Patrick Onwuasor. The Jets also acquired free safety Bradley McDougald in the trade that sent former All-Pro safety Jamal Adams to the Seahawks.

With training camp underway, we decided to make three bold predictions for the Jets' 2020 season.

1. Sam Darnold, Le'Veon Bell earn Pro Bowl honors

Bell recently admitted that he was not physically up to snuff last season after sitting out the entire '18 campaign. That is certainly not the case now, as the two-time All-Pro has reportedly shed a dozen pounds off of his 6-foot-1 frame after undergoing a grueling offseason training regiment. Bell, after rushing a career-low 789 yards last year, is hungry to reclaim his place as one of the league's best backs.

"I had the itch to get back to playing football last year, (but) I didn't have my body ready how I needed to have my body ready to be special," said Bell, who added that his weight, speed and strength is where it is supposed to be. "This is going to be the first opportunity (with the Jets) where I get show that I can be special."

While Bell has put himself in position to have success, so too have the Jets, who brought in future Hall of Famer Frank Gore to help take some of the burden off of him. While the arrival of Gore may limit Bell's touches, it should lead to a fresher, healthier Bell, who hasn't played all 16 games in a season since his second season.

When evaluating his quarterback's training camp thus far, Gase has used one word to describe what he's seen most from Darnold, the third overall pick in the 2018 draft.

"I think everything is faster," Gase said, via the team's website. "To me, the thing that has been noticeable is the way he drops, how fast he gets back, how he steps up, how he's sliding in the pocket. Last year at this time, if we put the film on back-to-back, it would look completely different.

"That's the tough part about when you're a quarterback and last year was your third system in three years — that can slow you down. And the fact that this is his second year in the same system, I know he's got new guys but he's not thinking as much, it's more of reaction for him and then he's able to focus on the things he needs to focus on: 'Hey, my footwork, using this cadence, seeing the defense, knowing where to go the ball.' Just everything's happening faster for him and you can just tell how much more comfortable he is playing quarterback right now."

Another encouraging sign for the Jets is the quick rapport that's developed between Darnold and Perriman, who set career highs in receptions (36), yards (645) and touchdowns (six) last season with the Buccaneers.

"I feel like Sam is great," Perriman said of Darnold, via the New York Post. "His throwing ability is crazy. I love the way he throws the ball. The touch he has on the ball is unreal, like so receiver friendly. Just his personality and the way he's able to take control of the room and the offense and the team, it's crazy. Him being so reserved and to still have that authority when it's time to go out there and let the bullets fly.

"Him as a quarterback, man, it's a receiver's dream."

Bell and Darnold will also benefit from the work New York put into revamping its offensive line this offseason. Van Roten, Becton (who has turned heads during camp), Clark tackle George Fant and center Connor McGovern will look to improve a Jets' offense that should be significantly better than the one that took the field in 2019.

2. Jets jump Patriots in the AFC East standings

Only once during the Bill Belichick era have the Jets managed to finish above New England in the AFC East standings. That was in 2002, when Chad Pennington, Curtis Martin, Laveranues Coles and John Abraham led the Jets to their most recent division title. And while the Jets were able to get the better of the Patriots in the 2020 playoffs, New England has mostly had its way with its longtime divisional foe during Belichick's time in Foxborough.

While the Patriots still have Belichick, they don't have many of the players who contributed to the team's most recent run of Super Bowl wins. In free agency, the Patriots lost future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, the main cog in the Patriots' two-decade long dominance. They also lost linebackers Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins and Elandon Roberts, as well as defensive tackle Danny Shelton and safety Nate Ebner. The Patriots then saw running back Brandon Bolden, fullback Danny Vitale, wide receiver Marqise Lee, tight end Matt LaCosse, offensive linemen Marcus Cannon and Najee Toran, linebacker Dont'a Hightower and safety Patrick Chung opt out of the season due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

New England addressed those losses by signing former Buccaneers defensive tackle Beau Allen, former Jets linebacker Brandon Copeland, former Chargers safety Adrian Phillips and former Jaguars safety Cody Davis. They were also able to re-sign safety Devin McCourty and linebacker Shilique Calhoun. The Patriots further addressed their defense during the draft, selecting safety Kyle Dugger with the 37th overall pick. They spent their next two picks on EDGE rushers, selecting Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings with the 60th and 87th picks, respectively.

The Patriots also pulled off the offseason's biggest free agent signing when they inked former league MVP Cam Newton to one-year deal. And while Newton's resume speaks for itself, his health remains a major question mark heading into this season, which is why Belichick hasn't ruled out the possibility of platooning Newton and Jarrett Stidham, a second-year quarterback with four regular season passes under his belt.

As previously alluded to, the Patriots still have Belichick. But as things currently stand, the Patriots have more question marks than the Jets entering the 2020 season. New York, led by its quarterback, is also not making the mistake of looking past the six-time champs.

"[Brady's] one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player of all-time," Darnold said on 'The Michael Kay Show' during the offseason. "Obviously, and we know this, we understand that every game is a challenge in itself. But I think Bill and those guys in New England are going to be ready to go, no matter what. Obviously, it's a big change, it made some headlines, but we're definitely not going to take them any more lightly than we did before. We know whenever we play those guys, we got our hands full, no matter what." 

3. Jets post first winning record since 2015

After a 5-5 start, the 2015 Jets won five straight games to put themselves in position to clinch a playoff berth if they could defeat the Bills in Buffalo in Week 17. Despite a gamely effort, the Jets lost to the Bills, thus giving up the AFC's final wild card spot. The Jets haven't come close to making the playoffs since.

Given last year's strong finish, along with the moves they have made on both sides of the ball this offseason, the Jets should be in position to post a winning record in 2020. The Jets' brutal schedule (they have the second-hardest schedule in the NFL) is one of the biggest obstacles standing in their way. Another hurdle will be overcoming the loss of Adams, one of the top defensive backs in the NFL.

The Jets drafted Ashtyn Davis with the idea that he could be part of a three-headed monster with fellow safeties Adams and Marcus Maye. But with Adams now in Seattle, the acquisition of Davis is more of a necessity than a luxury.

Davis, however, won't be thrust into the starting lineup if he's not ready. Bradley McDougald, an eight-year veteran who came over to the New York in the Adams trade, has 75 career starts under his belt. During his last two seasons with the Seahawks, McDougald recorded five interceptions, 15 passes defensed and four forced fumbles while serving as Seattle's starting strong safety. Fans should expect Williams to create several schemes that will allow Davis, McDougald and Maye to be on the field together at the same time.

While their roster is better than it was a year ago, the Jets still have some holes, specifically at edge rusher and linebacker. They will also have to navigate through a schedule that includes four games against New England and Buffalo as well as games against both of last year's Super Bowl participants. That being said, the Jets' roster is filled with hungry players who are, simply put, tired of being on the short end of the score. They want to start winning games, and they believe the time to start winning is now.