Pregame Primer: Rodgers in the building for Jets vs Chiefs
Everything you need to know ahead of tonight's game between the Jets and Chiefs.
What’s Up with the Jets? 🛩️
The Jets face-off against the Chiefs today in New Jersey at 8:20 PM
New York signed QB Trevor Siemian to their practice squad earlier in the week
The club also signed ‘Hard Knocks’ standout DL Tanzel Smart to their practice squad
QB Aaron Rodgers was in the Jets facility over the weekend to speak to the team and will be in attendance for tonight’s game vs Kansas City for the first time since his injury (Schultz)
Rodgers reportedly told the team to “stop pointing fingers” in his address (The Athletic)
The Jets will wear their white throwback uniforms for the second time this season
Injury Report 🏥
❌ OUT
S Tony Adams (hamstring)
OL Wes Schweitzer (concussion)
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Jets (1-2) vs. Chiefs (2-1)
Where: MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ
When: 8:20 PM EDT
Where to Watch: NBC
The Odds 🎲
ESPN Analytics: Jets 25.6% chance to win
Line: Jets +8.5
Over/Under: 41.5 points
Postseason Odds: +650
⬇️ from +400 last week
Super Bowl Odds: +13000
⬇️ from +7000 last week
Our Prediction 🔮
Tonight, the Jets play their first Sunday Night Football game in 11 years. And yes, you read that right.
It’s hard to believe this team hasn’t had a single Sunday night time slot in all the years since then – not even a flex late in the 2015 season when they nearly made the playoffs – and now their once much anticipated return has turned into a game many are dreading.
Originally expected to be the first ever showdown between Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes has transformed into what everyone expects to be a one-sided smackdown in front of a national audience (and – sigh – yes, also Taylor Swift). There was a point where Jets fans were champing at the bit to get that kind of spotlight once again but now, the consensus seems to be “can we just not get embarrassed on national television?”
Unfortunately, it’s hard to envision another outcome right now. Despite the signing of Trevor Siemian earlier in the week, Zach Wilson is once again set to be the starting quarterback which makes it hard to have any confidence in winning vs most opponents right now, let alone Mahomes and the Chiefs who are coming off of a 41-10 beatdown of the Chicago Bears last week.
While I do appreciate that Rodgers is back in the facility to talk to the guys and act as a mentor toward Wilson, his spirit alone cannot be counted on to turn Wilson from one of the worst first round quarterbacks we’ve ever seen into a competent quarterback in this league. Team’s are stacking the box because they know that Wilson either can’t beat them or is too afraid to even try. When asked about what he sees in the Jets offense ahead of this week, Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay went as far to say “…a team that wants to run the ball” in what was viewed to be a pretty clear shot at their lack of a passing attack.
Ultimately you’d have to expect that the Chiefs will take the same approach that the Cowboys and Patriots did against the Jets – stack the box to stop Breece Hall and force Zach Wilson to throw the ball. That didn’t go all too well for the Jets in each of the last two weeks, and I have a hard time expecting that to change this week. In what could wind up being Wilson’s final start with the organization, all I’m hoping for is that they don’t get completely run out of their own building.
Chiefs 31, Jets 10.