The New York Jets will be visiting the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday. Both teams will enter the game with a record of (1-1) on the season so far. The Jets lost 23-22 against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week One and beat the Buffalo Bills 37-31 in Week Two. The Chiefs beat the San Diego Chargers 33-27 in a big comeback game in Week One and lost to the Houston Texans 19-12 in Week Two. Both teams have shown weaknesses and strengths between their first two games. The Chiefs however, come into the game as favorites by a line of -3 according to Bovada.
New York Jets Week Three Keys to Victory
The Jets Need to Get Off to an Early Lead
Home-field advantage means more in football compared to other sports. The level of importance however, differs from stadium to stadium as some teams don’t play too much better at home compared to on the road. The Chiefs however, are the type of team which thrives at home. The last time they lost a home game was Week Five of the 2015 season. That was October 11th, which was nearly a year ago. For the Jets to win this game it is important to get out to an early lead and pad it from there. A comeback against the Chiefs at home looks unlikely.
The Defensive Line Has to Put Pressure on Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a quarterback who has been susceptible to being sacked over the years. Among active quarterbacks he has been sacked at a rate of 8.23% of his career snaps. That is the third highest percentage among active quarterbacks.
This is a good matchup for the Jets as they have one of best defensive lines in the NFL. The Jets combined for seven sacks in Week One against Andy Dalton. Last week things were a lot different as they didn’t record one sack against Tyrod Taylor and EJ Manuel. Still, the front three of Leonard Williams, Steve McLendon, and Muhammad Wilkerson have combined for six of the team’s seven sacks making any 3-4 play volatile. Also 4-3 plays have the potential to be even more dangerous for opposing quarterbacks as they employ all three of those players as well as Pro Bowler Sheldon Richardson.
The Jets have a big opportunity to put pressure on Smith with their defensive line. Putting pressure and sacking Smith will be important for the Jets if they want to have a chance to win.
Darrelle Revis Must Return to Form
Darrelle Revis has been tested through the first two weeks of the season. A.J. Green caught nearly everything covered by Revis in Week One. Marquise Goodwin caught a 84-yard touchdown pass under coverage from Revis in Week Two. Of course Green is a top receiver and Goodwin is an Olympic athlete, but Revis still wouldn’t have had this much trouble in his prime.
This is the best chance for Revis to turn things around. Smith doesn’t throw downfield at the rate of most quarterbacks. However, even when throwing short passes, Smith is still a threat. If he were to complete a few more passes like he did in the Chiefs comeback win in Week One, the Jets would be put at a big disadvantage. For the Jets to win this game, Revis cannot give up big plays to Smith.
