The New York Jets' offense has been the subject of much abuse this preseason. Some coming from us, plenty from those who cover the game league-wide.
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Mark Sanchez and friends have a chance to wipe the slate clean when the Buffalo Bills come to town on Sept. 9, but if problems persist, coach Rex Ryan's defense is going to be asked to pick up the slack.
Linebacker Bart Scott believes that won't be an issue.
"Our fans should be excited," Scott told allhiphop.com, via the New York Post. "We've put some pretty interesting defenses on the field. But we have the most potential this year. If we do our jobs and communicate more, we could be the best Jets defense in franchise history. Which is scary because my first year here we were No. 1, by 30 yards, in almost every statistical category that was meaningful. ... They should be very excited by their team."
Scott actually was part of the problem for a Jets defense that struggled with speed last season. The 10-year veteran increasingly was pulled on passing downs but says the defense overall is "going through a transformational period."
"We're younger, more athletic," Scott said. "Our veterans our more mature. Our defense has come together."
We're not excited with general manager Mike Tannenbaum's handiwork on offense, but Ryan's ability to build a defense ranks with any coach in the conference. It's not so much Scott, but Muhammad Wilkerson, Quinton Coples and Kenrick Ellis who make up the core of the new-look Jets.
There are a lot of new, moving parts in Florham Park. We should find out right away if Scott's words are true.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.