Falcons 2017 schedule preview: Atlanta gets a shot at the Jets in Week 8

The game against the Patriots in Week 7 is likely to be difficult, emotionally draining, and bring back a lot of bad memories for everyone involved. When you’ve got a game like that on the docket, you sincerely hope that the 2017 season will allow you a reprieve the following week.

The Falcons got one! We call that reprieve “the Jets.”

The New York Jets of 2017 will be a joke, and possibly the worst team in the entire NFL. They have no obvious solution at quarterback, very few established options in the passing game, a line that’s either young and unproven or aging and washing up on the shores of time, and a good defense that’s short a few pieces. When you add that all together, it’s a squad the Falcons should handily thump, even if they’re on the road. I’m genuinely looking forward to this game.

Here’s a preview of this Jets team and the moves they made this offseason from our friends at Gang Green Nation.

New York Jets

Notable free agent additions: Josh McCown, Morris Claiborne, Kelvin Beachum, Chandler Cantanzaro

Notable free agent departures: Brandon Marshall (released), Darrelle Revis (released), Nick Mangold (released), David Harris (released), Eric Decker (released), Breno Giacomini (released), Ryan Fitzpatrick, Nick Folk

Trades: First round bust Calvin Pryor was traded to the Cleveland Browns to reacquire linebacker Demario Davis

Draft picks expected to contribute as rookies:

Jamal Adams: If you draft a player in the top ten, he is expected to contribute. Many felt the Jets got a steal with the LSU safety at 6. He is expected to take a leadership role on the defense from day one.

Marcus Maye: The Jets double dipped at safety. Todd Bowles likes versatility in his safeties, and both Adams and Maye can do a little bit of everything. The departures of Pryor and Gilchrist mean Maye will receive a baptism by fire.

Ardarius Stewart and Chad Hansen: The departures of Marshall and Decker have opened up playing time for the team’s third and fourth round Draft picks, although they will need to beat out other youngsters to get a shot.

Dylan Donahue: It’s a lot to ask a fifth round rookie to contribute much of anything, but the Jets do have a hole at outside linebacker. Donahue is a favorite of the team’s position coach and has been receiving first team reps in the offseason.

Biggest offseason addition:

Morris Claiborne has the highest upside of any veteran addition the Jets made. He was viewed as the NFL’s next great cornerback when he was drafted in 2012. After years of disappointment, he finally started looking the part last year with the Cowboys before getting injured. Can he build on that for the Jets? That is one of the questions of the season.

Biggest storyline heading into training camp:

It is always the quarterback position for the Jets. Christian Hackenberg earned a one year reprieve when the team didn’t draft a quarterback in 2017. He has to both beat out Josh McCown for the starting job and show he has what it takes to be a franchise quarterback to prevent the team taking one from what could be an excellent Draft class in 2018.

Under-the-radar storyline heading into training camp:

Will Sheldon Richardson be on the team once the season starts? The 2013 Defensive Rookie of the Year doesn’t seem to have a fit in the defense the way it is currently constructed. His production has dropped the last two years. Beyond that, he has managed to turn himself into a distraction in a negative way time after time from an arrest to being late for team meetings to public criticisms of teammates. On top of this, he is in the final year of his contract and has stated multiple times he is looking for a huge payday. There isn’t much logic behind the Jets giving it to him. A trade should probably be worked out, but the Jets will be looking at quarters and dimes on the dollar for a talented player due to the other issues.

Notable injuries heading into training camp:

Right guard Brian Winters is recovering from a shoulder injury that ended his 2016 season.