It's a bold prediction to say the least.
The New York Jets head towards the 2024 season as a postseason contender, but even without future Hall-of-Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers at the controls?
Sports Illustrated senior writer Conor Orr predicted six new playoff teams for the upcoming season, teams who didn't make it last year but will qualify in 2024. He notes that, on average, the NFL's 14-participant playoff field features six new teams each year.
The Jets headline Orr's list as the team that will take the playoff spot that went to the Miami Dolphins in 2023. The writer even suggests that Gang Green can achieve the feat with decorated backup Tyrod Taylor taking the snaps. It would be the organization's first postseason appearance since 2010 when Rex Ryan was at the helm.
In addition to New York, the projections tab the Los Angeles Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints as 2023 non-qualifiers who will earn postseason berths this year.
A lot of the Green & White optimism stems from the Jets' proven defensive prowess. New York has ranked as a Top 4 NFL unit each of the last two years and they feature All-Pro talent at all three levels of the defense. The linebackers and defensive line recently topped position group rankings from a prominent analytics website.
From Predicting Six New NFL Playoff Teams for 2024:
"This Jets defense is incredibly deep. And you can say it doesn’t matter because it didn’t seem to last year when Rodgers was hurt and the defense was responsible for controlling games. However, there’s some selective memory at play. The Jets stuck it to Kansas City last year and beat a humming Philadelphia Eagles team before Philly’s own collapse. If Rodgers gets injured again, there would be far more optimism internally that a quarterback such as Tyrod Taylor can win some tight games and, in the process, understand what it takes to lift the franchise emotionally. ... I think even if Taylor was the Jets’ projected starter, I would like the team’s depth and makeup slightly better than that of the Dolphins going into 2024. ... ."
Obviously, the Jets are heavily invested in the 40-year-old Rodgers remaining healthy to engineer the offense. The four-time MVP's presence is expected to boost what has been an underperforming unit in recent seasons.
With that said, New York is better prepared to "break glass in case of emergency" this year after adding Taylor, who has a career .500 win percentage as a starter.
"He's been fantastic, elite human, elite leader. The speed at which he's grasping the offense has been pretty cool, he's calling two-minute already," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh at the start of mandatory June minicamp. "He's going to get another opportunity today and tomorrow to do the same thing, really appreciate the dialogue that we've all been able to have with him."
Taylor was QB1 for two days in Florham Park as Rodgers was away from the facility and reportedly traveling internationally.
Set to turn 35 years old on August 3, Taylor owns a 65:29 lifetime touchdown pass to interception ratio and has 19 rushing TDs to his credit. He was the starting quarterback when the Buffalo Bills ended their 17-year postseason drought in 2017.
