The New York Jets are certainly eager to start the season, although their early schedule for 2023 is certainly unforgiving. With the various improvements to the team, the hope is that the Jets will be competitive this year.
They begin their season with the first Monday Night Football game of the year against AFC East rivals Buffalo Bills. Following that, they have games against the reigning Super Bowl champions and the reigning NFC champions before their bye week. New York must ensure they can win early to break their 12-year playoff-less streak.
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New York Jets Face Grueling Schedule to Start 2023
The Jets will play six games before taking their bye week from October 16th through the 28th. After facing Buffalo to open the season at home, they will head to the Dallas Cowboys to face Mike McCarthy’s side.
Afterwards, they return home for back-to-back home games against division rivals New England Patriots and the high-octane Kansas City Chiefs. They face the Denver Broncos in Week 5 before finishing up at home against the Philadelphia Eagles on October 15th.
This schedule is a difficult one that not only features the most recent Super Bowl contenders but also four talented defenses. Buffalo, Philadelphia, Denver, and New England all finished within the top ten for total yards allowed per game in 2022. This will be an arduous task for the offense to overcome as they develop their chemistry.
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How Jets Can Overcome Tough Schedule
The difficult schedule is not an envious position, but it could benefit the Jets. New York retained a majority of their top-five defense from last year, and Aaron Rodgers will provide stability for an offense that was in desperate of it at quarterback last year.
The duo of Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed in the secondary will thrive against interception-prone passers like Mac Jones and Dak Prescott. Winning the turnover battle against the Cowboys and Patriots will go a long way.
New York defeated Buffalo at home in 2022 with Zach Wilson starting. With Rodgers at the helm, the Jets should be able to perform even better than in 2022.
The Chiefs are intimidating, but Patrick Mahomes has yet to play against this rebuilt defense since 2020. Robert Saleh’s tricky defense can make life difficult for him.
The Eagles present the most difficult matchup of the six teams. Their top-tier defense and offense led by MVP candidate Jalen Hurts will pose a dynamic matchup.
Best Case Scenario
This daunting schedule will be a litmus test for the season. Facing these top-tier teams will allow Joe Douglas to see what holes need fixing before the trade deadline.
With four playoff teams within the first six weeks, a record close to .500 would be great. It is not out of this world for New York to wind up 3-3 or 4-2 before the bye week. If Aaron Rodgers can ensure an efficient offense, the Jets should succeed early to open the season.
Aaron Rodgers has thrown 7,660 passes in the NFL and only 105 interceptions…
WILD. #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/wbfn7puWy7
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) August 31, 2023
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