Pressure On Eric Decker In New Role

Pressure On Eric Decker In Role

By Michelle Millen

There are definitely some new faces on the New York Jets entering the 2014 season, but perhaps the guy most people are looking forward to in fantasy football is Eric Decker. He is largely an unknown outside of a very efficient system in Denver. It is going to be a bit of a different situation for him trying to be the go to wide receiver for the New York Jets.

Last season, Decker was able to take off in fantasy football thanks in large part to Peyton Manning being on his side. He is a very talented wide receiver who put up some monster numbers, but it helps when the Hall of Famer is throwing the ball to you. In New York, he is going to be dealing with either Geno Smith or Michael Vick throwing him the football. Considering the seasons they had a year ago, it might not be as easy to get open.

Another reason why people are cautiously optimistic about Decker is the fact that he is not going to have the same amount of talent surrounding him. He is going from maybe the 3rd or 4th best option on the Denver Broncos to the top option for the New York Jets. It is good news for people in fantasy football, because he is probably going to get more targets. However, defenses will be able to focus on him and tried to shut him down so that they can limit the passing game.

No one is ever going to fault a player for taking a huge payday to play the game of football. There are a lot of people who think that he will have success in fantasy football, but others are not so sure. It might not be the best fit for him with the New York Jets, but it gives him a chance to be a leader on a franchise that needs one. The passing game might be a little bit better for the New York Jets, and that could help them turn things around in a hurry.

2013 NY Jets Season Preview

To say things did not go well for the New York Jets in 2012 would be an understatement. They suffered through a ton of injuries, quite a few underachieving players and a bit of a media circus with Tim Tebow on the roster. Although many of the same faces are still in New York, 2013 is looking slightly more promising as long as they stay relatively healthy. Here’s a look at how the team stacks up with the NFL, and specifically their division, in 2013.

For the Jets to have any type of success, they are going to need more production from the quarterback position. Mark Sanchez is coming off the worst season of his career, but right now he still appears to be the starter. Rookie quarterback Geno Smith is saying all the right things at the moment, but some feel as though he is not quite ready to handle the NFL load.

Part of Sanchez’s problems last year did have to do with all the injuries, as many fantasy football players found out to their cost. There were times when he was forced to play with very few 1st or even 2nd string receivers to throw the ball to. The hope is that the Jets are healthier this year, but Santonio Holmes in particular is still a ways away from being able to contribute.

Losing Darrelle Revis hurts the defense, but they played all but two games last year without him anyway. There is some young talent on the roster who could step up and make stops, but they do not have the type of defense that can win a ton of games without a steady offense putting points on the board.

Overall, Rex Ryan has a tough task ahead of him. After appearing to be one of the rising teams in the NFL just a couple of seasons ago, they are now stuck near the end of the standings. Their schedule in 2013 is very tough to start out, but it gets lighter towards the end. That should work in the favor of younger players looking at 2013 as a building season. Somewhere between 5-7 wins overall in 2013 seems realistic for the Jets.

Ready For Geno!

The Geno Era

2013 Draft Coverage

Take A Hike Revis

Revis Gone!