With another year comes another season of the NFL. Here is Elite Sports NY’s official 2016 New York Jets Preview & Predictions.

Counting all 56 seasons of existence, the New York Jets have captured only one championship. We all know when it happened (1968-69), who led the way (Joe Namath), and how great an impact it truly made relating to modern era of the National Football League.

Impact or not, a single championship is a lonely number. Forget lonely, it’s flat-out depressing at times.

The depressing feeling that comes via thinking Gang Green history disappears when realizing a fresh season is on the horizon. As quickly as you can say the name “Wayne Chrebet,” is as quickly as the National Football League gears up for another hard-hitting high-flying campaign.

RELATED: Elite Sports NY’s 2016 NFL Preview & Predictions

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This is why Jets fans wake up in the morning. This is why optimism always reigns supreme over our illogical regular pessimism.

When the Jets do make it back to the Super Bowl and capitalize triumphantly, it will be the sweetest thing you’ll ever lay eyes on.

Last year we predicted the Jets would go 9-7 and sneak into the AFC tournament with a wild card berth. We weren’t too far off.

Here’s Elite Sports NY’s official New York Jets Preview & Predictions for the brand-spanking new 2016 campaign:

 Begin Slideshow 

William Hauser, USATSI

Player Movement

Key Additions:

Key Losses:

Kevin Jairaj, USATSI

Damon Harrison, lost in free agency to the New York Giants, is by far the top player on either of these lists. He’s a bonafide stud on the interior of the defensive line who the Jets will fail to replace.

While Harrison is the best player involved, the overall talent of the roster greatly improved this offseason. Mike Maccagnan did another fantastic job in building tremendous depth throughout the entire personnel grouping.

Jalin Marshall and Robby Anderson have already proved they’ll add onto a talented and deep wide reiving grouping. Matt Forte will blend perfectly with Bilal Powell to create the most identical and slippery one-two punch at running back in the league.

 NEXT: The Depth Chart 

Brad Mills, USATSI

Depth Chart

Offense:

Defense:

Special Teams:

RELATED: Could Fitz Be Pro Bowl Bound In 2016?

This could be the most talented depth chart in football. This is not an overstatement.

The issue comes when realizing just how quarterback-centric the league is. A superstar QB can lift an average roster and make it great. Poor QB play can take the greatest depth chart and turn it average.

While there are some issues at outside linebacker and tight end, 2016 will fall in the hands of 33-year-old journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick.

 NEXT: Be On The Lookout 

Vincent Carchietta, USATSI

Players To Watch

Ryan Fitzpatrick:

It’s blatantly obvious: Ryan Fitzpatrick is, by far, the most important member of the New York Jets. His surprising 2015 season featuring 3,905 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions will now be severely tested right of the gate as the Jets face a murderous first six games.

He received his $12 million. Maccagnan and Bowles received their veteran to hold the bag for 2016. It’s simply a waiting game to see how it all plays out.

Calvin Pryor:

When safety Calvin Pryor missed time due to injury a year ago, the New York Jets defense struggled mightily.

The three games Pryor missed, the Jets went 1-2 with losses to the Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills, and a narrow win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The defense surrendered 451 yards in Oakland, 436 yards against the Jags, and 280 yards while facing a Rex Ryan offense that never wants to score points.

Pryor needs to stay healthy for this defense to want to get where it’s going: No. 1 in the NFL.

RELATED: Fitz & Jets Will Throw, Throw And Throw Some More In 2016

William Hauser, USATSI

Nick Mangold:

If Pryor is the defense’s most important player, then Nick Mangold is the offense’s version of the same thing (other than the Fitzpatrick/QB angle).

Like Pryor, Mangold missed time in 2015. Also like Pryor, the unit he plays on completely forgot how to play when he was on the sideline (offense).

For a team that ran well all season long, the two games Mangold missed (Oakland he started but came out quickly), the Jets failed miserably on the ground. Chris Ivory rushed 15 times for 17 yards against Oakland and then backed it up going for 26 yards on 23 carries against Jacksonville.

When Mangold returned a week later against Buffalo, Ivory busted out for 99 yards.

Now 32 years of age with a weak right side of the line next to him, Nick Mangold cannot lose a step or miss any time.

 NEXT: Busting Out 

Ed Mulholland, USATSI

Breakout Players

Quincy Enunwa:

In 2015, the debut season for Chan Gailey in Florham Park, New Jersey, the tight end position was a laughingstock. Jace Amaro was injured in August and Kellen Davis simply blocked his way to the starting lineup.

Quincy Enunwa was the Jets de facto Y.

In 2016, it’ll stay the same with Gailey and Fitzpatrick leaning on three and four wideout formations. It’s simply not just a matter of opportunity, either. This kid, who’s big enough to be a tight-end and fast enough play out wide is a matchup nightmare for defensive coordinators. Even better is the fact he’s a fantastic run blocker, especially in the open field.

His measly 22 receptions for 315 yards a season ago will be shattered in 2016. Enunwa will even provide Eric Decker a run for his money as Fitz’s second favorite option.

RELATED: Employing Geno Is Proper Football Move

Kevin Jairaj, USATSI

Leonard Williams:

The Big Cat, as his friends like to call him, will dominate in 2016. The reason Leonard Williams will dominate is because Todd Bowles will start using more four-man fronts to allow his Big Cat to play with Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson all at the same time.

There’s no other way around it. When Mike Maccagnan ditched pathetic Jets draft day history by accepting the gracious gift that was Williams with the No. 6 overall pick in 2015, he forced Bowles’s hand to play more of a 4-3 once Big Mo was signed long term.

Additionally, with neither Lorenzo Mauldin nor Jordan Jenkins lighting the world on fire along the edge, it makes complete sense.

Williams will be an absolute terror for offensive lines all season long.

 NEXT: 16-Game Slate 

Bill Streicher, USATSI

Regular Season

Schedule:

  • Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, Sun., 1:00 – Win
  • Week 2: @ Buffalo Bills, Thurs., 8:25 – Loss
  • Week 3: @ Kansas City Chiefs, Sun., 4:25 – Loss
  • Week 4: vs. Seattle Seahawks, Sun., 1:00 – Win
  • Week 5: @ Pittsburgh Steelers, Sun., 1:00 – Loss
  • Week 6: @ Arizona Cardinals, Mon., 8:30 – Win
  • Week 7: vs. Baltimore Ravens, Sun., 1:00 – Loss
  • Week 8: @ Cleveland Browns, Sun., 1:00 – Win
  • Week 9: @ Miami Dolphins, Sun., 1:00 – Win
  • Week 10: vs. Los Angeles Rams, Sun., 1:00 – Loss
  • Week 11: BYE
  • Week 12: vs. New England Patriots, Sun., 8:30 – Win
  • Week 13: vs. Indianapolis Colts, Mon., 8:30 – Win
  • Week 14: @ San Francisco 49ers, Sun., 4:05 – Win
  • Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sat., 8:25 – Win
  • Week 16: @ New England Patriots, Sat., 1:00 – Loss
  • Week 17: vs. Buffalo Bills, Sun., 1:00 – Win

Just look at this schedule. The first six (and possibly seven) weeks are an absolute joke. It’s almost as if the football gods are playing a horrific joke on the New York Jets. The first nine games feature six on the road.

Furthermore, those first six games very easily make or break the entire season. Should the Jets go 3-3 within their first six, it’ll be smooth sailing the rest of the way.

RELATED: The First Six Games Can Make Or Break Jets

We have New York losing a mind-boggling heartbreaker to Jeff Fisher‘s mediocre Los Angeles Rams at home that’ll turn their schedule an even 5-5. However, winning five of their last six will have them as the hottest team entering the NFL tournament.

The NFL is unlike other sports that feature 162 or 82 regular season games. A rough schedule, can, in fact, wipe an entire season out before it even gets going. This is even true for talented teams who just ran into some rough luck.

Noah K. Murray, USATSI

AFC East:

  1. New England Patriots – 11-5, 4-2
  2. New York Jets – 10-6, 4-2
  3. Miami Dolphins – 7-9, 2-4
  4. Buffalo Bills – 5-11, 2-4

You cannot become the champ until you first dethrone the champ, and in the AFC East, the order of business always defaults to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Bill Belichick’s squad has won seven straight AFC East crowns and 13 of the last 15. No logical mind can bet against them until it’s actually witnessed first. The perfect opportunity lies ahead of the Jets with Brady sitting out the first four games. It’s right there in front of them to take.

Unfortunately, for New York, it’ll have to play its way into the tournament yet again as a road wild card. We’ll have to see the Pats be dethroned first to put into writing.

Make no mistake about it, though: this 10-6 finish is an incredible achievement when compared to the 10-6 finish from a year ago (in facing that cupcake schedule).

 NEXT: The Tournament 

Jim O’Connor, USATSI

Playoffs

Wild Card Round:

  • #3 New England Patriots over #6 Denver Broncos
  • #5 New York Jets over #4 Indianapolis Colts

Divisional Round:

  • #5 New York Jets over #1 Pittsburgh Steelers
  • #2 Kansas City Chiefs over #3 New England Patriots

AFC Championship Game:

  • #2 Kansas City Chiefs over #5 New York Jets
    Denny Medley, USATSI

It’ll much of the same for this franchise as it usually is in January. They’ll fight their way in as a road underdog and scratch and claw to the bitter end.

Both the Wild Card and Divisional Round will feature familiar postseason foes in Indianapolis and Pittsburgh. We have the Jets failing in Kansas City in the AFC Championship Game.

All things considered, 2016 will turn out to be a nice showcase for the organization. It’ll tell a story of an extremely talented roster led by an ultra-talented regime (Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles).

The offseason in 2017 will be the clear and key turning point in addressing the quarterback position. Only then will the New York Jets be able to take that last championship step.

 NEXT: Awards & Key Stats 

William Hauser, USATSI

Awards

RELATED: Jets 2016 Player Stat Projections

Key Player Stats

Key Team Stats:

William Hauser, USATSI
  • Total Offense: 373 YPG (8th in NFL)
  • Total Rushing: 93 YPG (23rd in NFL)
  • Total Passing: 280 YPG (4th in NFL)
  • Total Defense: 320 YPG (5th in NFL)
  • Total Rushing Defense: 91 YPG (9th in NFL)
  • Total Passing Defense: 229 YPG (7th in NFL)
  • Giveaways: 27 (17th in NFL)
  • Takeaways: 35 (2nd in NFL)

The New York Jets greatly improved their takeaway numbers in year one under Todd Bowles. Their number of 30 in 2015 paled in comparison to Rex Ryan’s often low numbers. Expect an increase in Ryan Fitzpatrick interceptions, but expect the takeaways to increase as well.

Speaking of FitzMagic, he’ll incredibly finish in the top three in pass attempts per game. We say “per game” because we also expect him to miss two games due to his reckless attitude when scrambling. His numbers of 4,514 YDS, 35 TD and 22 INT will not only come in just 14 games but will provide Fitz the first Pro Bowl nod of his career.

As per usual, Muhammad Wilkerson will be the Jets overall MVP with his studly play. Darrelle Revis will finish with a similar stat line and feel he experienced a season ago. Look for Calvin Pryor and Leonard Williams to take another leap forward.

NEXT: New York Jets 2016-17 Game-By-Game Predictions