Projections (9/02/03)

Passing Stats

Rush Stats

Receiving Stats

Fantasy

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Quarterbacks
Starter - Chad Pennington
Backups - Vinny Testaverde, Brooks Bollinger

Starting Quarterback: A year ago there was talk that Chad Pennington wasn't ready to step onto an NFL football field. However when he replaced Vinny Testaverde for good in week four, he was simply terrific for the rest of the season. His 69% completion rate was incredible from a young, inexperienced quarterback and his touchdown to interception ratio (22:6) was amazing. The Jets didn't throw a ton of passes every game but he made the most of the completions and had a very successful season. He even led the Jets to a playoff victory against the Colts before bowing out against the Raiders. Footballguys.com believe his completion percentage will fall several points this season but he still is on the cusp of being a solid fantasy starter for the upcoming season. He is best suited being a tremendous # 2 quarterback on fantasy rosters this season.

Backup Quarterback(s): Vinny Testaverde offers great veteran experience from the backup position and that is where he will remain barring an injury. His days as an NFL starter are likely finished and at 39 years of age, he is best served helping Pennington grow from the sideline. The Jets have been very happy with rookie Brooks Bollinger so far in the early camps and he'll be somebody to watch in upcoming seasons.

Update - 8/27: Obviously, the loss of Pennington to injury for 12 weeks is huge news here. Testaverde moves back into the starting role (which he held this time last season as well). Expect the veteran Testaverde to do an adequate job of keeping the seat warm until Pennington returns. The team has signed Jamie Martin and Todd Husak for depth.

Running Backs
Starter - Curtis Martin
Backups - LaMont Jordan, Little John Flowers
Fullbacks - Jerald Sowell, B.J. Askew, Sean Bennett

Starting Running Back: Curtis Martin finally felt the bite of Father Time last season, and really struggled to overcome a matched set of high ankle sprains. He finished the year with a disappointing 1094 yards on 261 carries, both career lows, and only managed to pop into the endzone 7 times. He added 49 receptions for 362 yards - but notched zero scores receiving. He didn't get over 100 yards in combined offense or score a touchdown in a game until week 5 - a really pathetic start that put some of his 2002 owners in a hole in their fantasy leagues. Reportedly, he has finally rehabbed the ankles and is supposedly looking ready for 2003 - but one has to wonder how much gas is left in Martin's tank after 8 NFL seasons and 2604 carries. Waiting in the wings is youngster LaMont Jordan, who boasts a strong 4.9 yards per carry average on 123 carries during his 2 year career - he's definitely a threat should Martin falter again in 2003. We see Martin as the 18th best fantasy back as of 6/29/03, and project him to carry the ball 290 times for 1189 yards with 8 scores, while adding 45 receptions for 333 yards and 1 receiving TD. He should be a middling #2 or a strong #3 RB for fantasy owners this year.

Backup Running Back(s): LaMont Jordan didn't grab the top job in New York last year even when Martin was struggling - because he struggled just as much in the early going when nothing was going right for the Jets' offense. He finished the season with 84 rushes for 316 yards and 3 scores (a 3.8 yards per carry average), and added 17 receptions for 160 yards in limited duty. In 2001, however, Jordan averaged 7.5 yards per carry on 39 attempts, and looked really strong in general. If Martin falters in 2003, it would not be a shock to see the Jets give Jordan a shot. The rest of the backups are an unproven lot headed by Little John Flowers at #3.

Fullback(s): Jerald Sowell heads the list at FB, followed by B.J. Askew and Sean Bennett. Sowell has scored 1 td in six years as a Jet, and touched the ball 10 times last season. Look elsewhere for fantasy potential.

Update - 8/27: The situation in the Jets' backfield remains essentially unchanged now that training camp is over. However, with Pennington out for a few months, expect the team to rely heavily on Martin and the running game. Also, Sean Bennett was waived by the team.

Wide Receivers
Starters - Curtis Conway, Wayne Chrebet
Backups: Santana Moss, Kevin Swayne, Jonathan Carter, Tory Woodbury

Starting Receiver(s): The Jets added veteran WR Curtis Conway after last year's #1 WR, Laveranues Coles, was signed away from them by the Redskins. Conway still has the speed to get deep, but is not quite the burner he was earlier in his career. However, he still runs great patterns, is sure-handed, and is a dangerous runner after the catch. Overall, he is one of the more complete receivers in the league, and was a top five fantasy WR last year before injuring his shoulder in week 11. He has struggled with injuries throughout his career. Opposite Conway, Wayne Chrebet is currently listed as the starter at flanker, although he could end up spending more time in the slot if Santana Moss moves into the flanker position. Chrebet lacks deep speed, but is a reliable pass-catcher in clutch situations who became QB Pennington's favorite target in the red zone last year.

Backup Receiver(s): Santana Moss, a first-round draft pick two years ago, may end up with a bigger role in the offense than current starter Wayne Chrebet. Moss is a smurf receiver at 5-10, 185, but has exceptional speed and quickness, and is deceptively strong for his size. After Conway, Chrebet, and Moss, the Jets are pretty thin at WR. Kevin Swayne heads up the rest of the crew as the #4 WR, but will not see the field much unless somebody ahead of him is injured.

Update - 8/27: Curtis Conway had established a nice rapport with QB Chad Pennington, but now that Pennington is expected to miss the first 12 weeks of the season, he will have to get used to catching Testaverde's passes. Testaverde and Chrebet are already well acquainted, so Chrebet could act as the passer's security blanket early in the season. Moss is the fastest and most explosive receiver on the roster, and the Jets plan to get him the ball on slant patterns where he can use his ability to run after the catch.

Tight Ends
Starter - Anthony Becht
Backup(s) - Chris Baker
Anthony Becht has become a serviceable backup fantasy tight end and can be counted on to duplicate similar numbers this season to keep that status. His upside is minimal, as we've seen what Becht brings to the table. He didn't top 3 catches or 25 yards in any games during the second half of 2002. Also, the Jets are hoping to implement more two tight ends sets, which can't help Becht's numbers. Backup tight end Chris Baker will see more of the field, but won't be worth of a fantasy roster spot.

Place Kicker
Doug Brien, Danny Kight, Clay Rush: Brien will most likely win the job for the Jets, but it isn't completely settled. Expect the Jets to go deep into their preseason schedule before they commit to a kicker. The Jets offense lost some firepower in the offseason and Curtis Martin is getting up in years. This means Brien can be had very late in your drafts or possibly available early in the season as a free agent if he is off to a good start.

Update - 8/27: Doug Brien has retained his job and will handle all the place kicking duties this season.

Offensive Line
C-Kevin Mawae; G-Dave Szott; G-Tom Nutten; T-Jason Fabini; T-Kareem McKenzie
The Jets lost Randy Thomas but managed to sign Nutten who is a fine pass blocker. Szott was injured last year and needs to come back strong. Fabini is a solid left tackle and center is in good shape with veteran Mawae snapping the ball. At the other tackle spot, McKenzie is solid but will need to continue improving on a weekly basis. Overall this is a decent offensive line.