How have the Jets changed since they last played the Atlanta Falcons?

On Friday, the Falcons will play the New York Jets in the first preseason game of 2018. The result of that game won’t matter, exactly, but it’d still be nice to see Atlanta’s reserve triumph over New York’s, given that the Jets are very much a work in progress.

The Jets may or may not be better than they were a year ago, but they have hope, something that seemed in short supply at times a year ago. They have a new franchise quarterback, first and foremost, and the makings of an exciting defense once more.

To run down some key additions, expectations for the year, and the most exciting rookie on the squad, we turned to our friends at Gang Green Nation

Gang Green Nation

Notable free agent additions: Trumaine Johnson, Teddy Bridgewater, Spencer Long, Avery Williamson, Isaiah Crowell

Over / under: 6 wins. I say over for the sake of this regime. After back to back 5-11 seasons and plenty of investments to improve the team, it would be difficult to justify bringing back the general manager and head coach if the record doesn’t get better.

Rookie I’m most excited about: Sam Darnold. It all starts at the quarterback position. The Jets have famously had a very difficult time finding a franchise quarterback. There are many reasons the team has missed the Playoffs for seven straight years, but the lack of quality at the quarterback spot is probably the biggest. The Jets made a bold trade up to the third overall pick before the NFL Draft not knowing what direction the Browns and Giants would go. The gamble seemed to pay off in a big way when blue chip prospect Darnold fell to them.

To learn more about the Jets, stay tuned for our questions with them, and be sure to visit Gang Green Nation.