As fans of a team, you generally look at your favorite squad through rose-colored glasses.
It is especially true for Jets fans right now as the stench of the former head coach is being removed and new life is being infused by first-time head coach Robert Saleh.
“All Gas No Brake” is the mantra for the 2021 New York Jets and a new “we expect to compete for championships” mindset is being instilled.
The Jets had, on paper, an excellent off-season.
General manager Joe Douglas upgraded the talent level of this team all over the roster.
While questions remain and this team is far from a finished product, what can be expected of Gang Green in 2021?
Let’s take a look around the league to see how NFL analysts see the Jets finishing this season.
Ryan Fowler, The Draft Network, Record Prediction 3-14
Ryan Fowler over at the Draft Network does not see the Jets improving very much from a 2-14, 2021.
Fowler does not think the Jets will get their first win until week eight against the Bengals.
He does think the Jets will be more competitive on a week-to-week basis but that competitiveness will not translate to wins just yet.
It’s an exciting time to be a Jets fan, as Zach Wilson will fill highlight reels for years to come, but the overall rebuild is still in its root stages—don’t expect anything more than a handful of wins this fall. I’m all for surprises though, and if anyone were to prove me wrong, it would be Robert Saleh.
Ryan Fowler
Nate Burleson, NFL Network, Record Prediction 10 wins
NFL Network analyst Nate Burleson is bullish on what Douglas was able to accomplish this off-season.
He thinks while the team is young, coach Saleh raises expectation levels.
The former NFL wide receiver sees parallels to the Miami Dolphins of a year ago.
Double digit wins for the Jets in 2021?@nateburleson calls his shot 👀 pic.twitter.com/itMbB72ljb
— GMFB (@gmfb) July 20, 2021
Jordan Dajani, CBS Sports, Record Prediction, 5-12
Jordan Dajani is excited about the direction the Jets are heading but thinks they are still a bit short on talent.
He predicts their first win to come in week three in Denver.
There’s reason to be excited for the New York Jets in 2021 with new head coach Robert Saleh and No. 2 overall pick quarterback Zach Wilson. New York also put together what appears to be one of the best draft classes in the NFL, and also added some intriguing names via free agency like Carl Lawson and Corey Davis. The Jets likely won’t be winning the Super Bowl this season, but it does appear they are on the right track in this rebuild.
Jordan Dajani
Andy Vasquez, NFL Writer Northjersey.com, Record 7-10
Andy Vasquez has the Jets victorious in seven games in 2021 including a week one victory over former Gang Green signal-caller Sam Darnold.
He has New York at 2-3 heading into their week six bye.
The Jets have a new coach in Robert Saleh, a new quarterback in Zach Wilson, and added several other key pieces on both sides of the ball. They should be better in 2021.
Andy Vasquez
Adam Rank, NFL.com, Record Prediction, 5-6 wins
Adam Rank is bullish on the hiring of coach Saleh and believes the Jets finally have the right man in place to turn the franchise around.
Rank believes the Jets’ defense will be pretty good despite questions in the secondary.
I know that you’re going to end up lamenting the Trevor Lawrence thing for quite some time. But why not celebrate the one who didn’t get away? You got the coach you desperately needed. And if Wilson ends up being as good as the Jets’ front office expects him to be, you could be on the cusp of something special.
Adam Rank
Luke Grant, playlikeajet.com, Record Prediction 8 wins
Play Like a Jets’ own Luke Grant sees the Jets as an eight-win team.
Grant has been excited about the off-season work of Douglas.
Grant has provided many of the reasons for his excitement over on the PLAJ YouTube channel.
To me, the #Jets are an 8 win team in 2021.
— Luke Grant (@LukeGrant7) July 21, 2021
That’s my expectations for Saleh, Douglas and this organization.
You may have lower or higher goals for the season, but that’s where I’m at.
Can’t wait for the season 💚
Analysts are all over the map when predicting how the Jets will fair in 2021.
Las Vegas has their over-under win total set at 6.5.
Pro Football Focus has run a season simulator, using an Elo rating system, PFF grades, and available data to simulate the season over 10,000 times.
These simulations have landed the Jets with a win total of 8.1.
While no one is predicting a Super Bowl run for New York in 2021, all seem to agree that the Jets are on the right path and are just a year or two from being a legit championship contender.
