Week 7 pregame: It's time for the Jets to save their season
Everything you need to know ahead of tonight's game between the Jets and Steelers. Plus, weekly odds and game predictions!
What’s Up with the Jets? 🛩️
The Jets (2-4) will try to end their three-game losing streak as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2) tonight on Sunday Night Football
WR Davante Adams will make his Jets debut after being acquired by the team in a trade with the Raiders early last week
The Steelers are expected to start QB Russell Wilson for the first time this season with Justin Fields being available for a package of plays
DE Haason Reddick officially ended his holdout on Sunday morning, agreeing to an adjusted contract – he will report to the team for the first time on Monday (Schefter)
Reddick and the Jets will reportedly continue to work with each other on a potential long-term extension
Special Teams Coordinator Brant Boyer says the team has not lost confidence in struggling K Greg Zuerlein after working out other kickers earlier in the week (NY Jets)
Injury Report 🏥
❌ OUT
DB Michael Carter II (back)
❔ QUESTIONABLE
CB D.J. Reed (groin)
TE Tyler Conklin (hip)
LB Chazz Surratt (heel)
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Jets (2-4) at Steelers (4-2)
Where: Acrisure Stadium – Pittsburgh, PA
When: 8:20 PM EST
Where to Watch: NBC/Peacock
The Odds 🎲
ESPN Analytics: Jets 49.1% chance to win
Line: Jets -2.5
Over/Under: 39.5 points
Postseason Odds: +142
⬇️ from +110 last week
Super Bowl Odds: +3000
🔁 unchanged from last week
Our Predictions 🔮
Rich MacLeod
Yet again, the Jets are in a situation where they need a win to save their season. This time, though, this may really be it for them. Coming off of their miserable loss to the Bills last Monday night, and three straight one-score losses overall, I was about as dejected and emotionally detached as you could get from this team. But with the trade of Davante Adams finally coming through, I can’t help but admit that the Jets have one again made me a sucker.
Adams will be making his Jets debut tonight, and the vibes continue to be headed in the right direction with the news that Haason Reddick has finally put an end to the dumbest holdout in sports history (though he won’t play in a game until next week at the earliest). I expect the play calling on offense to continue to look better as Downing introduced a lot more motion last week, and with Adams now in the fold that gives Rodgers a massive weapon that he will be in full sync with from the get-go. The arrival of Adams also forces opposing defenses to focus their attention in new ways, and I’m excited to see how that could open up things for Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall, in addition to the other complimentary pass catchers on the team.
I also find the Steelers decision to bench Justin Fields for Russell Wilson to be confounding, and far be it from me to doubt Mike Tomlin but this move would seem to be in New York’s advantage.
The major key of this game will be if the Jets offensive line can keep Rodgers from getting killed by this really stout Steelers pass rush. If they can hold up, I feel like this is the time for the Jets to save this season… I hope…
Score: Jets 20, Steelers 10
Ryan Marcone
Both the Steelers and Jets are hoping to get their offenses going with pretty big additions/changes in Russell Wilson and Davante Adams. But ultimately this one will come down to where it always does for Pittsburgh… their defense.
Will the Jets be able to prevent T.J. Watt from wrecking this game, and in turn Aaron Rodgers? I’ve had a pretty good read on the team this year and I’m going to say no, and this is an ugly one. Watt gets a couple sacks and forces at least one turnover.
Score: Steelers 19, Jets 13
Ras Guevara
The Jets need to make a statement on Sunday night and inject much-needed hope and positivity back into the fanbase. The acquisition of Davante Adams gave us all a jolt this week, but that energy will go straight down the drain if we put up a stinker in Pittsburgh. On paper, we should handle a Steelers team that — despite their 4-2 record — felt compelled to make a quarterback change. Pittsburgh ranks 20th in the league in points per game and with a passing offense sitting 28th in yards per game, they’ll have a tough time breaking through the Jets' secondary.
Najee Harris and the Steelers’ run game had a strong showing last week against the Raiders and while the Jets have struggled against the run, a full week of preparation should allow Jeff Ulbrich to shore things up and give Pittsburgh fits. Containing Harris will be critical to forcing the Steelers into obvious passing situations—where the Jets' secondary can thrive.
This game ultimately revolves around Aaron Rodgers and the Jets' passing attack. Adams’ arrival has reignited the offense, and I expect Rodgers and his old running mate to rekindle some of their legendary chemistry. This will take pressure off Garrett Wilson, opening up more opportunities for him and the rest of the receiving corps. While the Rodgers-Adams connection will dominate headlines, Todd Downing’s play-calling is the engine behind the offense’s resurgence.
In Week 6, we saw the Jets incorporate more motion, shotgun, and pistol formations, along with an increased run rate in favorable situations. From Weeks 1-5, the Jets used motion on just 46.5% of their plays — the second-lowest rate in the NFL. If Downing continues leaning into creativity and situational awareness, this offense will be even harder to stop.
Score: Jets 24, Steelers 14
Mark Levine
The worst kept secret of Week 7 may just be the Jets lifeline in a must win matchup against the Steelers. Mike Tomlin’s decision to turn to Russell Wilson after Justin Fields led the team to a 4-2 record will help a team that struggles against mobile quarterbacks. Mr. Unlimited is far from the player who led the Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances. Wilson’s former head coach Nathaniel Hackett should also provide Jeff Ulbrich and the defensive coaches with good intel on his limitations and ways to attack him. The other area the Jets have struggled in is run defense. Najee Harris is averaging just under 63 yards per game so holding him in check should be a big focus. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Arthur Smith mix in a lot of the swiss army knife-like Cordarrelle Patterson to throw the defense off of its game.
On offense, I’m hoping to see a much more confident version of Aaron Rodgers, now that he has his favorite weapon Davante Adams in the fold. Adams should provide a huge security blanket for Rodgers when T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward bring the pressure. Pittsburgh is 31st in the league in Expected Points Added (EPA) when a quarterback gets the ball out in less than 2.5 seconds, and Rodgers has thrown 55.4% of his passes in under 2.5 seconds this season. Adams will know where to be on those quick-hitters, and should let Garrett Wilson cook more out of the slot. The Steelers defense is still a very good unit though, and I don’t see this being a particularly high scoring game.
Score: Jets 17, Steelers 10