Top 6 reasons Jets will not succeed in 2016

Nov 22, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles prior to a game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports

Things won’t be easy for the New York Jets heading into the upcoming regular season. They’ll unfortunately have the odds against them to replicate what they accomplished in 2015.

There is a sense of urgency among fans of the New York Jets when it comes to the 2016 season. Maybe it has something to do with how close we were to a playoff birth last season or maybe it has something to do with the talent coming back.

There is a high probability that 2016 will not be a promising year for the Jets. The way the offseason has been going with all this Ryan Fitzpatrick drama is not a good indicator for a good season ahead.

Without further ado, here are the top six reasons as to why the Jets will not be successful in 2016.

Next: 6. Strength of schedule

Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) throws a pass during the third quarter against the Carolina Panthers in the NFC Championship football game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

6. Strength of schedule

One big reason for the lack of success is the schedule that the Jets have to face this upcoming season. Away games at Pittsburgh, Arizona, Kansas City, and San Francisco does not weigh favorably for Gang Green.

Home games against Seattle, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis are no slouch either. Lets not forget that the Jets have to play New England twice and the Buffalo Bills twice as well. No easy games this year for Gang Green. This can easily be a 6-10 year.

Next: 5. Uncertainty at quarterback

5. Uncertainty at quarterback

The returning roster for 2016 seems pretty good on paper. The Jets have lost some pieces in the offseason but have filled those holes nicely with veteran acquisitions.

The main roster spot that must be taken care of is at the quarterback position. If the Jets don’t get a deal done with Fitzpatrick then they can most likely be looking at a worse record than the 6-10 season mentioned before.

The mere thought of having quarterback Geno Smith play for an entire year makes the stomach turn of many. Rookie quarterback Christian Hackenberg will not be ready in time and who knows what is going on with Bryce Petty. The Jets don’t have a choice here as if they want the best chance to win, then they must come to terms to bring back Fitzpatrick.

Next: 4. Major questions marks on their offensive line

Nov 22, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) gets a quarterback sack on a play during the third quarter as New York Jets tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson (60) defends the rush at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

4. Major questions marks on their offensive line

This is a critical factor in the potential success for the Jets this season. With D’Brickashaw Ferguson now retired and veteran Ryan Clady in his spot at left tackle, many question marks surround whether or not he can remain healthy.

Clady, once an all pro player, has been hampered by injuries in recent seasons and has not been able to return to his former self. The only constant on the line has been center Nick Mangold. This is a player that will see his name up in the Jets’ Ring of Honor when he hangs it up.

Durability and consistency are words that describe Mangold as a player. The rest of the offensive line fills out with James Carpenter, Brian Winters and Breno Giacomini. Health will remain an issue as any injuries or games missed by the starting unit will cause major problems offensively.

Next: 3. Inconsistent defense

Dec 13, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets corner back Darrelle Revis (24) and safety Calvin Pryor (25) huddle up during introductions before the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

3. Inconsistent defense

This upcoming season, the Jets should be able to get after the opposing quarterback because they will be going up against some great wide receivers and tight ends in 2016. From A.J. Green in Week 1 to Rob Gronkowski and company to Antonio Brown and the high powered Pittsburgh offense, this Jets’ secondary will be in for a shell shock.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis is not getting any younger and last season showed some glimpses that he is no longer the best corner in the league (Just ask DeAndre Hopkins.) The loss of Antonio Cromartie may be a big one or it may not matter but that means that Buster Skrine will have to play out of his comfort zone and play the outside.

Marcus Williams and rookie Justin Burris will also have to step up this season for this defense to be successful. If they can’t hold the fort down, the Jets’ defense might be all hype heading into 2016 and when reality hits, will be inconsistent against the pass.

Next: 2. Todd Bowles heading into sophomore year

Dec 6, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles during the first half against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

2. Todd Bowles heading into sophomore year

Head coach Todd Bowles has a lot to live up to this season following a successful year (in some people’s eyes) last season. Missing the playoffs by a game and getting the kind of production that he did was impressive but with the schedule laid out the way it is it will be a steep hill to climb.

Bowles is known to be a defensive first kind of coach and has all the tools here to be successful but the question is if they are the right tools. This is not to say that Bowles is on the hot seat but if it gets really bad this year we all know how the New York media responds to these sort of situations.

Next: 1. Tom Brady and the rest of AFC

Jan 16, 2016; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) looks to pass the ball against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half in the AFC Divisional round playoff game at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

1. Tom Brady and the rest of AFC

The last factor that you have to take into consideration is probably the biggest obstacle for the Jets the past 15 years, quarterback Tom Brady. Regardless of whether he gets suspended or not the Patriots will always win the AFC East.

That is something that fans of the Jets have come to live with. This means that the only realistic way of getting in the playoffs is as a wild card team. Looking at all other teams in the AFC, can you really say that the Jets are better than some?

The playoffs will most likely look like the following at the end of the year and the Jets will not make it for another consecutive season. New England will win the AFC East for the one millionth time, Pittsburgh in the North, Indianapolis in the South and Kansas City in the West. Now this leaves Denver, Cincinnati, Houston, San Diego and even the up and coming Jaguars fighting for a Wild Card berth. This does not look promising for the Jets in 2016.

In closing, the factors listed here are realistically problematic for the Jets this upcoming year. You cannot change the schedule so they have to play the hand they were dealt. Keeping this team healthy is a huge factor as well but that goes for everyone else in the league too. The age on some of these key veterans is scary but this is what the Jets got.

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The NFL is a league that brings surprises every season and the Jets could be one of those this year by maybe going 10-6 but in the realistic world that we live in, we could most likely be looking at a 6-10 or worse season for Gang Green this year.