Finding hope in the green areas of New York has been a challenge in recent years.
The Jets endured his miserable decade, recording only one win in his season since 2010, and he bottomed out at 2-14 in 2020.
But whisper quietly. Optimism going into the 2022 season. The main reason for that is Zach Wilson's young and exciting offense bolstered with even more talent going into its second season.
At the helm is Mike LaFleur, a young attack coordinator brought in by Robert Salah. Lafleur is Kyle He Shanahan and Mike He has worked closely with McDaniel and his younger brother Matt Lafleur is the head of his coach for the Green Bay Packers.
But now, given a "clean slate" with the Jets in rebuilding mode, he had a chance to carve out an identity as the offensive mastermind.
"As you said, it's a blank slate, so that's cool," he told British media by phone before the start of the Jets' training camp. "It's unlike any building I've ever been involved with.
"We went to Cleveland in 2014 and it was an established veteran group. 2015, Matt Went to Atlanta with Ryan and Julio [Jones] 2017 brought Hoyer and just more offensive veterans with Pierre Garçon, but it was more of a rebuilding type deal
"But when I got here, I was younger than I'd ever been. And, as you said, I think you're right.
``That's the beauty of this sport. working together as coaches and players to make this our attack and identity, it's been a lot of fun and it's been fun to watch them grow through training camps heading into their second year.
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Rich Schultz/Getty Images)It is the nature of the NFL that one player wins the game alone. can't, but the quarterback position is still important.
Central to LaFleur's vision is second-year starter Zach Wilson.
Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 Draft, quickly established himself as the Jets' top choice. He missed a stint due to injury last season, but is back to put together a strong run and look forward to his sophomore season with high hopes.
LaFleur explains: important).
"Hey rookies, after playing college football last season, go straight to training, get the combine, get the pro day, get all the visits, and then boom, it's At the rookie mini-camp, there's not as much time in the summer as everyone else.
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Rich Schultz/Getty Images)" There's a lot to be a rookie but by the way you are you the starting quarterback you're one of the 32 guys in this league obviously there's a lot on his plate
"I sat down in the last hour of the four weeks in the middle of the season and saw some veterans doing something and like I said, take a deep breath.
"I think he's calmed down and come back as a more responsible quarterback. And you can see he's had some better games than others, but those
"What's really great about training camp, now in his second year, is that it's not his first training camp. he knows the speed in this league he knows what the defense is doing it's basically and diagrammatically what he needs to do in this offense ``We are excited.
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Andy Lyons/Getty Images)Image:
David Becker/Getty Images)It's not just Wilson who's excited, it's the people around him. Rookie wide receiver Elijah Moore shined last season and is now joined by Garrett Wilson. Garrett Wilson is an outstanding Ohio State player who was the 10th overall pick in the latest draft.
Running his back Michael Carter, a fourth-round draft pick out of North Carolina, was impressive last year as a rookie.
"I couldn't believe he was sitting there in the fourth round," he admits LaFleur. This time lightning struck him twice, robbing Iowa State's Brees his hole in the second round and running him into a 1-for-2 punch in the game.
"Especially in the days and weeks before the draft started, I had no idea Brees was there," Ruffler said. “That we could get those guys when we did.
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Rich Schultz/Getty Images)"Two exceptional football players who not only performed at a high level in college, but were also very good human beings. People who come to work every day.
"For their age. , I was very impressed with their understanding of what they bring in day to day and what needs to be accomplished in terms of professional level work.
It will be fun to use," he added.
Despite the focus on young talent, LaFleur recognizes the need for experience. That's why they spent so much money on Corey Davis as a free agent last offseason, this time adding Laken Tomlinson and CJ Uzoma.
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Rich Schultz/Getty Images)"In my opinion, experience beats anything, not just in the NFL, but in any profession. No,” says LaFleur. "You see, when I was coaching in college in 2013, I thought he was a pretty good coach, but when I got to the league I realized I really didn't know anything.
{176"The college game is very different from the NFL game. So, Whether it's practice or Sunday, the more you play, the more important it is to rack up those games in the year.
"Cory was in the big game in Tennessee. Obviously, CJ just went to the Super Bowl.Laken Tomlinson went to the Super Bowl and the NFC Championship last year.
"So it's about being able to stand in the moment and provide leadership and composure. These Rely on the veterans of the United States to lead us, those people, we're going to rely on them, and we're going to press them every day to provide that leadership."
The optimism and excitement surrounding the Jets will be kept secret as all fans are all too familiar with the disappointments of recent years. For LaFleur and his players, a focus on training his camp in the coming weeks will prove vital to their success.
"Let's say you look at the end of the year in February and you start to see cut-ups. Yeah, we spend a lot of time figuring out game plans and things, even in leagues and college football.
"But it's time to get away from you. The next thing is trying to figure out what players believe is best for success on Sunday."
“But when you look at the big picture in February, it goes back to the basics of the first eight days of training camp. It's something I'm used to so much that when I get into the season, I can go back to the training camp experience.”
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