FanHouse NFL Season Preview: New York Jets - B-B-B-Bretty and the Jets

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is a month off, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: Chad Pennington enters 2008 trying to prove yet again that he -- wait, what? Who? Really? Didn't he retire? Oh. I see. It doesn't seem like Brett Favre wants to play in New York this year, he's basically said so much in the most diplomatic way possible, which means this is the year where Favre stops having fun. This is the year he stops looking like a kid again, to support the cliche. And it can be argued that that magic has perpetuated itself, and has been the reason Favre is still considered -- rightfully or not -- one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Without it, I can imagine 2008 being a disaster for Favre -- bad play and missed games. And then the New York media jumps in and the misery just compounds. That's how I see 2008 rolling. Oh, plus, they don't have a decent backup quarterback. Heat Index: 6

Running back: There has been some concern that Thomas Jones, who has 12 carries for 29 yards this preseason, has lost a step. Just for comparison's sake, Jared Lorenzen has six carries for 39 yards. Jones did just hit the milestone where backs usually begin to fall apart, and his style of running is more prone to quicker breakdown, so it's likely that Jones has lost a step this year (or even that the trend began last year, when he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry and scored one touchdown. Leon Washington has big-play ability, and he's going to get to show it off more often now in the pass game with Favre. Still, even with the upgrade at offensive line, the Jets are going to struggle to pound the ball, and that's going to be costly. Heat Index: 6

Receivers: If Laveranues Coles is timid about playing with Favre, Jerricho Cotchery has no such qualms, and he's adding onto the hype of a breakout season by having a pretty damn good preseason. Coles will fall in line and play to his typical standards, meaning with Cotchery's progression the Jets have two quality receivers that fit the mold of what Favre likes -- small, speedy guys who can produce yards after the catch. Brad Smith is a hybrid player who makes plays wherever the Jets need him, adding some creativity. The group would be much better if David Clowney, the best player on the team this offseason until a shoulder injury sidelined him, were healthy, but he expects to miss a large part of 2008, though first-round tight end Dustin Keller looks poised to have a good year. Heat Index: 8

Offensive line: The Jets spent large money on two new additions to the unit, Alan Faneca and Damien Woody, but the biggest impact on the line will be made by two returning players, D'Brickashaw Ferguson and Nick Mangold. People forget due to their struggles last year that both 2006 first-rounders excelled as rookies. They're both incredibly talented, and should play closer to their 2006 form. As for the additions, Faneca is playing on what will likely be his last contract, but he's still got the talent and leadership experience to make everyone else on the line better. Woody's a different story. He moved to right tackle, where he'll play with the Jets, late last year. And Woody has been a constant underachiever with the Lions; he reeks of a player stepping it up for the big contract. Now that he's got one, what will happen? Heat Index: 7

Defensive line: The success of the line, and any 3-4 defense really, hinges on the nose tackle. The Jets traded for Carolina's Kris Jenkins to fill the void left by Dewayne Robertson, who is now in Denver. The odd thing is that they traded Robertson because he's a traditional 4-3 tackle with a history of knee problems. So they acquired Jenkins, who's a traditional 4-3 tackle with a history of knee problems. Jenkins only played five games in 2004 and 2005 combined, and though he's been healthy the last two years, do you want to take the risk of asking a guy with that past to hold the weight required of a 3-4 nose tackle and change defensive schemes seven years into his career? Heat Index: 6

Linebackers: By trading Jonathan Vilma, the team may have adjusted more to the 3-4 scheme but they lost a great deal of talent at linebacker. Yes, David Harris showed as a rookie last season that he was capable of being the inside linebacker the Jets need, but surely the "Mangenius" could have found a way to have Harris and Vilma on the field at the same time. After all, that's what football's about -- getting the best 11 players on the field at a time. Calvin Pace was one of the team's biggest signings, and lured away from signing with Miami, because of his ability to get to the passer. He's had a great preseason, but his -- and the defense's -- ability to do his job will be influenced heavily by Jenkins' ability to do his, so I don't see Pace having the free space to rush the passer as well as he can. Meanwhile, Vernon Gholston looks like a lost cause and will probably be a work-in-progress all season. Heat Index: 7

Secondary: This unit is full of playmakers. Justin Miller might miss the opener because of an injury, but when he returns he'll pair with second-year guy Darrelle Revis to form a very talented young duo. But the leader in the back four is Kerry Rhodes, one of the best safeties in the league already. If Pace can provide adequate pressure, the Jets' pass defense should be one of the league's best. Heat Index: 8

Special teams: Mike Nugent isn't quite automatic, but the Jets have a good return game between Smith and Washington, either of whom could take one to the house on any given kick. In the end, the unit should come out on top, with the positive influence of Smith and Washington making up for any points Nugent might leave on the field. Heat Index: 8

Coaching: It's funny how, in this market, you can go from being a genius and having cameo roles in The Sopranos to being a pariah. Eric Mangini and Mike Tenenbaum had to feel desperate this offseason, throwing out a ton money on talent with the presumed fear of losing their jobs if this season doesn't go well. Will that desperation alter the decisions he makes on the field this year? If so, it'll be for the worse, playing it safe instead of playing to win. Heat Index: 7

Intangibles: The intangibles will be set during the season's first couple of games. The Jets are an odd mix of veterans and youth, longtime Jets and newcomers, and the tone will come early. If the Jets struggle out of the gate, and the media begins to get on them, it can snowball. If they stay at .500 or better through the first month or so, the good vibes might perpetuate as they did in 2006, when the Jets made an improbable playoff run. Heat Index: 5

Total Heat Index: 68

This season depends on two guys -- Favre and Jenkins. If both of those acquisitions backfire on the Jets, the season will spiral out of control quickly. Unfortunately, I think they both will. Even if one of them backfires, the Jets will be hard-pressed to compete in a competitive division let alone a competitive conference.

This is a team that seems capable of surprising everybody and playing over their heads for a season, but it all seems like too many moves -- and in some cases the wrong ones -- for the team to get itself together so quickly. Teams spend the offseason and training camp building an identity, and the Jets are still working on that. With the Patriots being the Patriots and the Bills improving, the Jets might have an identity soon after 2008 is over -- coachless.