Will The New York Jets Being Featured On ‘Hard Knocks’ Hurt Their Season?
If you’re a New York Jets fan, you might feel like you have a little extra hope in the upcoming season. They’ve acquired veteran NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers who’s spent 15 years with The Green Bay Packers and will most likely wind up in the Hall of Fame. He’s a force to be reckoned with and can really help out this struggling team.
The annoying piece of news the Jets were just given is frustrating – they are the featured team on this season of the HBO series Hard Knocks. So, while Jets fans get to see their team up close and personal and behind the scenes, it’s also frustrating for the players to have cameras and producers all up in their business.
It’s annoying anytime or any season, but for the Jets, as Aaron gets to learn this offense and his teammates it really shines a spotlight on everything they are trying to get done.
Unfortunately, league rules state that you can’t opt out if you’re chosen for the show, based on the last time you’ve appeared. The Jets were last featured in 2010.
Aaron Rodgers had this to say about it: “I understand the appeal with us. There’s a lot of eyes on me, a lot of eyes on our team. A lot of expectations for our squad. They forced it down our throat and we have to deal with it.”
That’s putting it lightly. On this truly important season for New York, I would not want cameras in our locker room every day or following us at training camp as we prepare for what could potentially be a very big season.
Then again, there’s a reason I don’t play football. Well, several reasons. I guess if I did, I’d probably be mentally tough enough to have this series film around me and not let it affect my playing or mental outlook at all.
The last time the Jets were on Hard Knocks? We got this iconic Rex Ryan speech. 😂#HardKnocks Training Camp with the @nyjets premieres August 8th on @StreamOnMax. pic.twitter.com/mfQarnrbLc
— NFL (@NFL) July 17, 2023
Ranking the NFL Offenses
32. Arizona Cardinals
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This is an offense that really needs Kyler Murray’s play-making ability. Unfortunately he won’t be on the field for the start of the season while he still rehabs his torn ACL from last season. Once #1 gets back on the field in the desert the Cards will look much better on offense. But until then expect some low team totals for the Cardinals.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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There are some talented pieces on the outside in Tampa with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. But outside of that, there is a lot to be desired when the Bucs have the ball. Baker has said that his time in Los Angeles last year reset his mentality on playing quarterback. Tampa will need the best version of Baker the NFL has seen if they want to make a push for a middle of the road offense in the league.
30. Washington Commanders
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This is all on Sam Howell and how he deals with being the starter for an entire training camp and the start of the season. I wish they had more weapons for a young quarterback. Terry McLaurin has been really good. He was 10th in the league in receiving last year. Jahan Dotson is going into his second season and the team will be looking for him to take the next step in his career.
29. Indianapolis Colts
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The Colts will have their fifth different starting quarterback in five years to start on opening day. This offense does have a really good running attack with one of the best running backs in the league and a solid offensive line. I just don’t see a lot in the passing game. Anthony Richardson or Gardner Minshew will be under center to start 2023. Outside Michael Pittman is still the #1, and he really needs to step his game up if this offense is going to take the next level.
28. Houston Texans
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C.J. Stroud is reportedly already won the locker room and coaching staff over. They’ve got a nice offensive line if second-round pick Juice Scruggs hits to go along with Laremy Tunsil, Shaq Mason, and second year Guard Kenyon Green. Their receiving corps is nice with Nico Collins, John Metchie III, and Robert Woods.
27. Tennessee Titans
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There just isn’t a lot in Tennessee outside of Derrick Henry. The receiving corps is Traylon Burks, Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, and Kyle Philips. Ryan Tannehill or Will Levis? I don’t think it really matters. Put the rookie in and see what you’ve got.
26. Las Vegas Raiders
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I think the skill positions in Vegas are solid at worst. Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers, and Hunter Renfrow is a good receiver corps. Hopefully Josh Jacobs plays this year because there is not a lot behind him on the depth chart. Jimmy G and the offensive line need to be improved upon if the Raiders want to take the next step.
25. New Orleans Saints
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I think the Saints are one of the more difficult teams to forecast this year. If Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas regain their pre-pandemic form, the Saints should run away with the division. I can’t buy into that thought process though. I really like Chris Olave on the outside, but I don’t see much else that can be counted on for consistent performances.
24. Green Bay Packers
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Obviously, the Packers are going to take a step back offensively without #12 under center. But there is a lot of young and unproven talent on the offensive side of the ball. Currently the top-6 receivers on the depth chart are all either rookies or entering their second year. I think the running game is good with Jones and Dillon running behind a good offensive line. But this year comes down to how good Jordan Love is.
23. Carolina Panthers
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I try not to buy into rookie hype too much, but I have not seen anything remotely close to negative said about Bryce Young. He seems to be the real deal. And with veterans surrounding him on offense like Adam Thielen and Miles Sanders, he should have some safe options to rely on.
22. Los Angeles Rams
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Maybe I’m giving too much respect to McVay, Cooper Kupp, and Matthew Stafford, but I have to imagine 2023 will be better than 2022. The offensive line- which was not great at the start of 2022- was hammered by injures. I hope Stafford gets that neck fully healed and we can see if he can find his 2021 form that led the Rams to a Super Bowl.
21. New England Patriots
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We will find out just how much of the blame for the Patriots’ 2022 offense was on Matt Patricia and how much was on Mac Jones. The weapons are serviceable with Devonte Parker, Juju Smith-Schuster, and Kendrick Bourne. They replaced Jonnu Smith with Mike Gesicki. And Rhamondre Stevenson could be a top-5 runningback at the end of the season. They did make some changes up front. The offensive line has not been the same since legendary coach Donte Scarnecchia retired.
20. Chicago Bears
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The Bears were very smart with how they handled the #1 overall pick. Not only did they get a ton of picks in future drafts, but getting a guy like DJ Moore will do wonders for Justin Fields. Moore moves Chase Claypool down to the #2 and Darnell Mooney to the #3. I think this offense takes a huge leap forward this season and becomes a more consistent unit. But they’ll have to prove it if they want to move up.
19. New York Giants
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I like the way this offense is being constructed outside of the quarterback. The offensive line has two young anchors at Tackle with Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal. They brought in Darren Waller to bring an explosive element to the offense. And the receiving corps needs a top-end talent, but they are solid with Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, Wan’Dale Robinson, and rookie Jalin Hyatt. If Danny Dimes can take the next step, the Giants will challenge the Cowboys for second best in the division and a for sure Wild Card team.
18. Atlanta Falcons
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The skill positions could be really good in Atlanta. 1st round picks Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Bijan Robinson have WR, TE, and RB covered. They have depth at running back with Tyler Allgeier and Cordarrelle Patterson. They could probably use another quality wide receiver. The offensive line is good. So what can hold them back? Desmond Ridder. That’s what will determine the Falcons offense in 2023.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Steelers have really good skill position players on offense. The receiver room has good young talent with Dionte Johnson and George Pickens, plus a vet in Allen Robinson. Najee Harris is just waiting for a line to be assembled in front of him, and he will break out. I still have questions about Kenny Pickett. Steelers Nation is sold, but the numbers from last year left a lot to be desired. That said, the offensive line was just bad last year. They added Broderick Jones in the draft and signed Isaac Seumalo to sure up the left side of the line.
16. Denver Broncos
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This was the most disappointing offense in 2022. If you want a silver lining, once Nathaniel Hackett was fired, the Broncos’ offense put up 24 and 31 in their last two games. They were two of the three instances where the Broncos scored 24 or more points in a game. There is talent there with Russ, Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, and Javonte Williams. The offensive line needs to give Russ more time to hit the targets outside. I think Sean Payton brings Denver up from the bottom of the league to middle-tier.
15. Cleveland Browns
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The offense never got going in 2022 with Deshaun Watson under center. They only eclipsed 21 points twice in six games with Watson. There is more talent than that though. The offensive line is more than serviceable, Amari Cooper is a legit #1 option in the league, and Nick Chubb is one of the best backs in the game. They have the talent to take their offense to the next level.
14. Minnesota Vikings
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Justin Jefferson is on the shortlist of best players in the league. Although I would have gone elsewhere, drafting Jordan Addison will be a great compliment for Jefferson. Dalvin Cook is gone, but Alexander Mattison is a really good backup and I’m excited to see him in a premier roll. The line is solid, and as long as Kirk Cousins is not playing on Monday night, he’ll be beyond serviceable.
13. Seattle Seahawks
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If rookie receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba hits Seattle might have the best top three receivers in the league with DK Matcalf and Tyler Lockett. Kenneth Walker was very good in his rookie campaign. And Geno Smith has shown he is a serviceable quarterback.
12. New York Jets
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It’s tough to imagine an offense that finished 29th in scoring knocking on the door of being a top-10 offense. In addition to Rodgers coming to down, the Jets have added Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman. They have a nice 1-2 punch with running backs Breece Hall and Michael Carter- hopefully, Hall will be ready to go for the start of the season. I think the line is good enough to give Rodgers time to find some really good weapons outside.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars
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This offense has the talent at the skill positions to be in the top-5 by the middle of the season. Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones, Christian Kirk, Even Engram, and Travis Etienne Jr. make up one of the most dynamic pass-catching groups in the league. Trevor Lawrence is on his way to becoming a top-5 quarterback in the league. I think the only question is, does that jump happen this year or next?
10. Dallas Cowboys
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I think the Cowboys made one of the bigger moves this offseason, and it has gotten very little attention. Bringing in Brandin Cooks from the Texans will unlock their passing attack with CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup. Tony Pollard has said he will be ready for the start of camp, and that line is still one of the better ones in the NFL. Dak has got to cut down on the mistakes, but in theory, the more experience he gets, the fewer mistakes he will make.
9. Detroit Lions
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The offensive line is really good in Detroit. They might be the best in the league entering the season. I thought it was weird letting Jamaal Williams walk and paying David Montgomery $2 million more per season than Williams signed with New Orleans for. Jared Goff was really good in 2022, but can he keep that level of play up? And will there be another pass-catcher outside of Amon-Ra St. Brown who can be a clear cut #2 option in the passing game? Those questions are a lot easier to answer when you’ve got the line they have in Detroit.
8. Baltimore Ravens
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What an offseason for Lamar Jackson, huh? He got paid, the team brought in Odell Beckham Jr. and drafted Zay Flowers out of BC in the first round, and they brought in Todd Monken from UGA to be the offensive coordinator. Mark Andrews is still one of the best tight ends in the league. Oh, and I don’t want to forget Rashod Bateman and a healthy J.K. Dobbins. Lamar is poised for another MVP caliber season if he can stay healthy for the season.
7. Los Angeles Chargers
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The Chargers had one of the best 1-2 punches at wide receiver in 2022 with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen. They drafted Quentin Johnston in the first round to add to their receiver room. The offensive line was hurt last year with Rashawn Slater going down after just two games. They managed to smooth things over with Austin Eckeler. Justin Herbert has all the talent in the world and Chargers fans should expect an elite offense this season.
6. Buffalo Bills
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I’ve been saying for two years now; as long as Josh Allen is healthy, the Bills can win any game they are in. The passing attack headlined by Allen to Diggs is one of the best in the sport right now. I’d like Gabe Davis or Trent Sherfield to step up this season and become the true #2 in that offense. Buffalo also needs to have a ground attack that is more consistent and not reliant on Josh making plays with his legs.
5. San Francisco 49ers
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The 49ers were the most difficult team in the top 10 to place. The offensive line is awesome, McCaffery and Debo are elite, Brandon Aiyuk could be a #1 option is half of the offenses in the league, and Kyle Shanahan is pulling all the strings. But who is the quarterback?! If Brock is healthy he will be the guy. But is he really that good? Maybe it’s not fair to still have questions after his play last year, but I still have them. I actually think Sam Darnold could be the starter come the end of the season if he gets a chance.
4. Miami Dolphins
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The Dolphins’ offensive attack starts with the best 1-2 receiver combo in the league in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The running game got going later in the season when Tua was healthy- which changed how the offense looked. Armstead, Williams, and Hunt are pillars on a line that needs to improve. Miami brought in Isaiah Winn to compete with Austin Jackson at Right Tackle, which is Tua’s blind side. As long as Tua stays healthy this offense can hang in any game with any team.
3. Cincinnati Bengals
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Burrow to Chase is the second-best combo in the game. And they pair that with Tee Higgins (a #1 in most offensees) and Tyler Boyd who can hold his own. The line is really good and the rushing attack is good enough to compliment the elite passing attack. Maybe that because they don’t need a great run game. Like I tell Bills fans- as long as Burrow is healthy you can win any game.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
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The skill position players are fantastic in Philly. And they deserve a ton of credit for their success. But the Eagles have the best offensive line in football and they use it to their advantage. If you could draw up the perfect leadership abilities in a lab, you might end up with Jalen Hurts. I absolutely love the mentality he brings to the team and I’m really happy he got paid this offseason. AJ Brown and Devonte Smith are a great receiver duo. They boast a 3-headed rushing attack of D’Andre Swift, Genneth Gainwell and Rashaad Penny to compliment what Hurts already brings to the rushing attack. They can beat you so many ways.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
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The best quarterback in the world paired up with the best play caller in the world and the best QB pass-catching duo on the planet in Mahomes to Travis Kelce. They solidified their offensive line with Donovan Smith and Jawaan Taylor. Isiah Pacheco took the job from CEH last season and was a huge piece of their offense in the playoffs. The receivers may not have the top-line talent that the other teams in the top-5 have, but with 15 throwing them the ball, they are for sure good enough.
