The Jets don’t have a lot to brag about not too long ago, however they do play the Payments robust at residence.
The final three conferences between these outdated AFL rivals have been determined by a landing or much less, with the Jets profitable two of them.
Final season, Buffalo wanted a late fourth-quarter subject purpose to flee with a 23-20 win at MetLife Stadium to drop Gang Inexperienced right into a 2-4 gap per week after firing head coach Robert Saleh.
However Sunday afternoon’s assembly contains a new teaching workers, led by Aaron Glenn, attempting to provide the winners of 5 consecutive AFC East titles a battle.
“They racked up a ton of yards,” Payments coach Sean McDermott mentioned about Glenn’s Jets after their troublesome 34-32 loss to the Steelers. “They held the ball, they held the ball away from Aaron [Rodgers] there. This can be a good workforce.
“By all accounts, they should have won that game. You can tell they are trying to revamp things there. It reminds me of our early years here. Good coaches on both sides of the ball there and certainly a talented roster as well.”
If Glenn’s tenure with the Jets is something like McDermott’s with the Payments, Gang Inexperienced might be in nice form. Throughout his eight earlier seasons in Buffalo, McDermott has led the Payments to seven playoff appearances.
Glenn is hoping to show round a Jets group that hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2010, which is the longest postseason drought in North American sports activities. Within the meantime, Glenn hopes to get his first teaching victory in opposition to the Payments following the heartbreaking two-point loss to the Steelers final week.
The Jets (0-1) truly led by 9 factors getting into the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, the Steelers scored 17 factors within the last quarter-hour, together with Chris Boswell’s 60-yard subject purpose, to win the sport.
However the Jets offense performed properly sufficient to defeat the Steelers. Glenn said in coaching camp and the preseason that the Jets could be a run-heavy offense and that definitely was the case. They rushed for 182 yards, together with 107 from working again Breece Corridor.
Not solely was the speeding assault a catalyst for the Jets offense, however so was quarterback Justin Fields in his first begin for Gang Inexperienced. He was environment friendly getting the ball to his receivers after finishing 16-of-22 passes for 218 yards and a landing cross. Fields additionally used his legs to evade cross rushers, registering 48 yards and two scores on the bottom.
Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand has excessive expectations for the workforce’s offense. The workforce counts explosive performs as passes of 16 or extra yards and runs of 12 or extra yards. By these measures, the Jets offense carried out properly in opposition to the Steelers recording 11 explosive performs.
“I’ve really enjoyed learning and getting to be in this offense and learn from Tanner and kind of bounce ideas off of each other,” Fields mentioned. “I feel he’s an excellent OC I feel he has an excellent offensive thoughts, and he’s going to get our gamers the place they should be, the place it most closely fits them.
“I think there’s a difference between knowledge of the game and when you get in the game moments. He does a really good job of that, kind of listening to me in terms of what I like, what I don’t like, and stuff like that. I appreciate that coming from him. Like I’ve been saying since we got here, he’s a great offensive mind, he knows what he’s talking about. I knew he was glad to be out there Sunday calling plays again as an OC.”
As stunning because the Jets’ offense was within the opener, their protection was shockingly poor in opposition to Pittsburgh. They allowed 34 factors which they solely did twice final season.
Particularly, cornerback Brandon Stephens, whom the Jets signed to a three-year, $36 million contract in March, struggled due to protection points and “bad eyes,” in response to defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. He made pricey errors within the fourth quarter, which helped the Steelers safe the comeback win.
Stephens gave up 5 receptions for 60 yards on seven targets. Total, Rodgers threw for 4 landing passes in opposition to the Jets protection.
The duty doesn’t get any simpler because the Jets’ protection will face the reigning NFL MVP in Josh Allen, who led the Payments (1-0) to 3 scores in 4 minutes to narrowly defeat the Ravens, 41-40. Allen accomplished 33 of 46 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns. He additionally rushed for 30 yards and two TDs.
As unhealthy as their protection carried out in Week 1, Allen understands how robust the Jets could be.
In 13 profession video games in opposition to the Jets, Allen has thrown 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and has a passer ranking of 85.7.
“They have some absolute studs on this defense,” Allen mentioned in regards to the Jets. “Actually stable, they get after the quarterback rather well. They work collectively rather well and their back and front ends are working in unison proper now.
“We are going to have our hands full. We only have one game of tape, so we gotta trust our base rules and be prepared for whatever they can throw in front of us.”
Glenn additionally is aware of firsthand how harmful Allen could be. He confronted the Payments final 12 months when he was the Lions defensive coordinator of their 48-42 loss to Buffalo.
“Obviously he was the MVP, so there’s a number of things that he does well,” Glenn mentioned. “He’s large, he’s bodily. The one factor that basically stands out about him is he’s extremely, extremely aggressive, and he’s a kind of guys that may will his workforce to victory.
“So, that’s one thing that we have to do a really good job of, our will has to be stronger than his will, and that’s a challenge in itself because of who he is. So, this is going to be a game of who’s going to out-will each other. These games between these two teams have always been pretty tight for the most part. He brings a lot to the table.”
Because the 12-team playoff period started in 1990, solely 32 workforce (11.5%) made the postseason. Falling to 0-2 could be troublesome for the Jets, particularly contemplating their upcoming schedule.
After beginning the season with back-to-back residence video games, the Jets may have two consecutive video games in Florida. First, they face the Buccaneers earlier than having a divisional Monday night time recreation in opposition to the Dolphins at Exhausting Rock Stadium.
Then the Jets return residence in Week 5 to play the Cowboys earlier than enjoying the Broncos in London. That’s why Sunday’s recreation and avoiding a 0-2 begin are essential for the Jets.
“I take a look at every recreation in itself, and say, hear, ‘I come to win every game,’ Glenn mentioned. “It doesn’t matter, all of them imply the identical to me, to be sincere with you. However I get the mentality of that as a result of it’s, it’s the quickest technique to get to the playoffs, is you win your division.
“But man, I want to win every game, and it doesn’t matter who’s across there from me. It doesn’t matter at all. We want to go out there and we want to execute and we want to show our brand of football no matter who we play against.”
