he NFL schedule makers did the Jets no favors this season. Thursday's home opener against the New England Patriots will mark the Green & White's third game in 11 days after beginning the season with consecutive road trips.
New York, however, following a 24-17 victory in Tennessee on Sunday, has put itself in position to emerge, with a win against its AFC East rival from this difficult stretch above .500. With more than a week off before facing visiting Denver on Sept. 29, with a win the Jets could build momentum in pursuit of their first playoff berth since 2010.
"The coaching staff is exhausted, the players are exhausted, but at the same time, it's the same message," HC Robert Saleh said. "Nobody cares how you get to gameday. Nobody cares about contact. They don't care if your dog died. They don't care. The expectation is that you perform and that's the expectation in this building."
Aaron Rodgers Supplying the 'Poise'
Aaron Rodgers, a 20-year NFL veteran, is no stranger to a short week. Against the Titans, he earned his first "complete game" win as the Jets' starter, throwing for 176 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions. He was also a calming voice in the huddle, specifically on their final offensive series (excluding the kneel down) in which the Jets drove 74 yards in 7 plays for the go-ahead touchdown.
"Rodgers makes you feel like we can score every time you touch the ball," Saleh said. "We're working through things, obviously, but to have three scoring drives and also get a field goal out of it. His presence, his ability at the line of scrimmage, his confidence in the huddle, his confidence on the sideline. The guy's a first ballot Hall of Famer and he's had production in this league for a very, very long time. He's seen everything and to have a presence like that in the huddle for a lot of guys who haven't seen everything, it's pretty cool."
WR Mike Williams, who played a season-high 37 snaps and had a leaping 19-yard catch on the Jets game-winning drive, added: "He keeps everybody relaxed. He gets us to the line, and he is making the calls, and he always knows what the defense is doing and puts us in the right position to make the play. I trust him blindly sometimes. I just trust his instincts. I am excited to have that the rest of this year."
In addition to Rodgers' calming effects on offense, the Jets will the benefit against New England from a run game that found its stride in Tennessee. RB Breece Hall and rookie Braelon Allen combined for 95 rush yards (4.2 YPC) and a touchdown. Early this season, New England has allowed16.5 points per game, fifth fewest in the NFL, and 116 rushing yards, second fewest.
"We flashed Sunday, and I thought we played well but we were still just a little off," Hall said after the game. "We are getting close and that is most exciting thing. You got to grow from the losses and the wins. It was a good win today, but I still feel like I left a play or two out there and I know the O-line are the biggest critics of themselves. It will be cool to get in there and watch it again and learn from it and be ready for Thursday."
A New Era in New England
Thursday will be the first matchup between in a Jets-Patriots game since 1996 in which former Jets DC and Patriots HC Bill Belichick will not be on either sideline, as New England ushers in a new regime led by HC Jerod Mayo.
Through two games, Mayo's team has been playing a lot like Belichick's, first and foremost, by not beating themselves. In their Week 1 win against the Bengals and a Week 2 loss to Seattle, New England rushed for a combined 355 yards, 2 touchdowns and has yet to commit a turnover.
"They're very sound and very disciplined," Robert Saleh said. "On offense, they're doing a really nice job. They're running the heck out of the football, they're playing a physical brand of football. [QB Jacoby] Brissett is doing a great job getting rid of the ball and they're moving it. They're playing well."
Brissett (6-4, 235), who is in his ninth season and is 19-31 as a starter with 52 touchdowns passes and 23 interceptions, will get the start, while New England waits for their future signal caller Drake Maye – taken No. 3 overall in April's NFL Draft – to develop.
Brissett has played well against the Jets his last two times out. Last season, while a member of the Commanders, Brissett played in relief of Sam Howell and threw for 100 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter nearly leading a 27-7 comeback. In 2022, while with the Browns, he completed 22-of-27 passes for 229 yards a touchdown and an interception in a loss, 31-30.
On defense, Mayo, who played 8 seasons for the Patriots as a linebacker, has not strayed far from Belichick's philosophies. After trading Pro Bowl pass rusher Matthew Judon to Atlanta over the offseason, second-year defensive end Keion White has emerged as the star of the unit. He has 4 sacks, 3 tackles for loss and 5 QB hits.
"They are doing a lot of the same stuff they used to do, so in our mind, they're running a system that they're very familiar with," Saleh said. "They're very sound, very disciplined. They get after it from a defense perspective, so that part of the ball is very, very familiar with."
