From the moment the schedule came out in May, people were asking what the Jets’ record would be and whether they would make the playoffs.
I always tell them it’s too early. I like to watch the team for a little bit and see who the opposing team is going to play quarterback and other little things.
Well, it’s not too early now.
Nothing was better than old footage of Mike and Chris from “Mike and the Mad Dog” making their predictions for each game.
“Desemba, it’ll get cold outside, let them defeat you.”
Based on what we learned about the Jets and their opponents during training camp, we’ll do our best to take a game-by-game look at what might happen this season.
Week 1: 49ers
One of the biggest storylines of camp was the contract drama between the 49ers and wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk. There was a lot of talk of a trade, but nothing happened. My guess is that the 49ers will re-sign Aiyuk and he will be on the field for the game against the Jets on Monday night in Week 1.
The bigger question for me is whether All-World left tackle Trent Williams will be there. His hold has gone largely unnoticed, but he could have a big impact on the 49ers.
I think San Francisco is good enough to overcome all this drama. If Christian McCaffrey doesn’t come back from his calf injury, we can talk. Right now, I think the 49ers will win by a narrow margin against a Jets team that is dealing with a lot of new players.
Give them a defeat… Record: 0-1
Week 2: At the Titans
Tennessee will look different with new head coach Brian Callahan and no longer having Derrick Henry. The Jets should be in a different class than the Titans, who will be managed by second-year quarterback Will Levis, and this should be a good bounce-back game. I expect former Jets safety Jamal Adams to give up a touchdown in this game.
Give them a win… Record: 1-1
Week 3: vs. Patriots
Well, it’s going to take some getting used to. The Patriots are now the doormats of the division. The Jets haven’t faced a Patriots team coached by anyone else since Bill Belichick was DC in NYJ in 1999. The Patriots are clearly in the early stages of a rebuild and won’t be a tough opponent for the Jets.
Give them the win… Record: 2-1
Week 4: vs. Broncos
This game would be interesting if Zach Wilson was Denver’s quarterback, but that seems highly unlikely. Bo Nix seems like the favorite to be the Broncos’ starter, and Wilson may not end up as the No. 2 guy. The Jets still remember Sean Payton’s comments about the organization and Nathaniel Hackett last year. Yes, they already beat the Broncos last year, but they’ll want to insult Payton after Aaron Rodgers’ comments about his bestie Hackett. This is another rebuilding team, probably with a rookie quarterback, and the Jets should dominate.
Give them the win… Record: 3-1
Week 5: vs. Vikings (London)
There’s no way the Jets are going to play a former first-round pick in Week 4, but if Sam Darnold starts for the Vikings, it’s a good bet. I’m going to beat the Vikings. There’s no reason other than I don’t think they’ll win four in a row. The Jets are going to be in good form and probably a little overconfident. Darnold and Justin Jefferson will bring them back to reality.
Give them a defeat… Record: 3-2
Week 6: vs. Bills
The biggest question in the AFC East is whether the Bills are ready to bounce back after winning four straight division titles. The Bills look a lot different on defense and no longer have Stefon Diggs on offense. But they still have Josh Allen, and I think Allen and head coach Sean McDermott will still give them an edge in the division.
Give them a loss… Record: 3-3
Week 7: Steelers
There will be complaints coming into this game in Pittsburgh after the Jets lost two in a row. There will be complaints about Robert Saleh and questions about Rodgers. Those complaints will only get louder after the Jets lost narrowly in Pittsburgh. I don’t know if Russell Wilson or Justin Fields will take over at quarterback, but I think Mike Tomlin will find a way to get the most out of his team and beat the Jets.
Give them a defeat… Record: 3-4
Week 8: Patriots
The “must win” chatter will be loud heading into this game in Foxborough. The good news is that a terrible Patriots team arrives on the schedule at the perfect time for the Jets. The Pats used the Jets as a “proper” opponent, and now the Jets can return the favor. The Jets win this game.
Give them a win… Record: 4-4
Week 9: vs. Texas
This Thursday night’s game will be a fun one, with an old guard named Rodgers facing a new guard named CJ Stroud. The Jets beat the Texans last year with Wilson at quarterback. They won again with Rodgers throwing for 300 yards and the defense shutting down Stroud.
Give them the win… Record: 5-4
Week 10: At the Cardinals
I think the Cardinals could be better than people think. Rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. could have a monster season with Kyler Murray. Still, I think the Jets are the better team and will continue their winning streak in the desert.
Give them a win… Record: 6-4
Week 11: vs. Colts
If all goes as planned, Anthony Richardson will be the fourth quarterback the Jets have faced, and he will be either a first- or second-year player. The Jets defense should invite these guys to the party. I said earlier that a four-game winning streak is hard. Well, I think the Jets will come together here and crush the Colts.
Give them the win… Record: 7-4
Week 13: vs. Seahawks
The Jets face the ghosts of their past quarterbacks as Geno Smith returns to MetLife Stadium. Smith sees ghosts and the Jets intercept Smith three times, including a pick-six. The Jets are on a five-game winning streak, their first since 2015.
Give them a win… Record: 8-4
Week 14: At the Dolphins
The winning streak ends in South Florida. The Jets haven’t won in Miami since Rex Ryan’s last game as head coach in 2014. This game will be crucial for a playoff push, but the Jets struggled and lost to Tua and company in a not-so-close game.
Give them a loss… Record: 8-5
Week 15: Jaguars
The Jets play a back-to-back in Florida, but it doesn’t go well. Trevor Lawrence returns and harasses the Jets, scoring three touchdowns to hand the Jets their second straight loss and jeopardizing their playoff hopes.
Give them a loss… Record: 8-6
Week 16: vs. Rams
The Jets are back on track against the Rams and former Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur at MetLife Stadium. The defense is back on track after Matthew Stafford and Rodgers torched the Rams defense without Aaron Donald. This smile revives the Jets’ playoff hopes.
Give them the win… Record: 9-6
Week 17: At Bills
The Jets’ hopes of winning the AFC East for the first time since 2002 ended with this loss in freezing Buffalo. The Bills won on defense as Allen ran for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Jets now need a win to clinch an AFC wild card spot as they enter the final week of the season.
Give them a loss… Record: 9-7
Week 18: vs. Dolphins
This will be the biggest Jets game in MetLife Stadium history. If they win, they advance, and they… win. The Jets beat the Dolphins, clinched a playoff spot, and knocked Miami out of the playoffs. It’s the party in East Rutherford that Jets fans have been waiting for for years.
Give them victory…
Record: 10-7
Statistics say so
Expectations are high for Rodgers this season with the Jets. Can he have his best game ever this year?
This seems like a good time to take a look at the passing yards list.
False start?
The Harrison Reddick situation looks set to reach a critical point next week.
The Jets wrap up training camp this week and transition into regular season mode next week, which could be a time of urgency for both sides.
Redick missed all of training camp, but he still has two weeks to prepare for Week 1. The Jets will transition from evaluating the roster to preparing for the 49ers, and it’s clear they could use Redick and his pass-rushing ability.
If his resistance lasts beyond next week, and perhaps into the season, then the leverage will depend on how the Jets play. If San Francisco’s defense falls apart, Redick suddenly has a lot of leverage.
