Week 1 of the NFL season is almost upon us. There are numerous great games to kick off the NFL season such as Ravens vs Chiefs, Packers vs Eagles, and Rams vs Lions. However, one game is flying under the radar. On Monday Night Football, the New York Jets square off with the San Francisco 49ers. This is bound to be a great game as both of these teams are expected to be elite offensively and defensively. Let’s take a deeper dive into this matchup, and some keys to the game.
Jets vs Niners Week 1 Breakdown
Aaron Rodgers
Last year, Aaron Rodgers was entering his first year with the New York Jets. There was a ton of hype around the franchise until Rodgers tore his achilles in the first quarter of their first game. Now, Rodgers is healed and back for New York. When healthy, Aaron Rodgers is a top five quarterback in the league. Just a few years ago, Rodgers was playing the best football of his career. In 2o2o, Rodgers had one of the best seasons of all time. He threw for a whopping 48 touchdowns with just 5 interceptions along with 4,299 passing yards. His completion percentage was a blistering 70.7%, and his QBR was 121.5. Those are some of the best single season statistics a quarterback has ever put up. Rodgers followed up his 2020 campaign with a stellar 2021. He threw for 37 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions. He finished the season with a QBR of 111.9. All this to say, a healthy Aaron Rodgers is still absolutely an elite player in this league. He’s got great talent around him as well, including young stars Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson. If things click off the bat for this offense, the 49ers defense will have a very stiff challenge ahead of them to start the season.
New York’s Defense
The Jets defense last year was one of the best units in football. Led by Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, and D.J. Reed, the Jets posted elite defensive numbers last season. New York allowed the 3rd least yards per game, 10th in points allowed per game, 1st in opponent passing yards per game, and 2nd in opponent first downs per game. This is an elite unit. They were the statistically the best passing defense in the league last season. Stopping the run was more of a struggle. They ranked 25th in opponent rushing yards per game. This will be one of the keys to the game as the 49ers have an elite offensive line as well as superstar running back Christian McCaffrey. San Francisco ranked 4th in rushing yards per game last year. New York’s ability to stop or at least slow down the 49ers rushing attack will be one of the keys to winning this game.
San Francisco Playmakers
The 49ers are the favorite to win the NFC once again. One of the main reason is their playmakers on offense. This includes Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle. Quarterback Brock Purdy is the catalyst of the offense, leading this attack that averaged the most yards per game last season. Samuel is a threat mainly as a receiver, but he is utilized as a running back sometimes as well. How the Jets deal with Samuel’s skillset will be a big factor in deciding the outcome of this game. Aiyuk is the Niners deep threat, and he led the league with 17.8 yards per catch last year. Kittle is a 4x All-Pro, and a 5 time Pro Bowler at tight end. He has recorded at least 60 receptions in 5 of the last 6 seasons, and does a lot of dirty work for this Niners team as well. Last but not least, superstar running back Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey is the definition of a dual threat back. Last season, he rushed for 1,459 yards while adding a whopping 564 yards receiving, which was the 2nd most receiving yards among running backs last season behind only Breece Hall. McCaffrey accounted for over 2,000 yards last season, and proved once again that he is almost always the best player on the field. He has been a massive X factor for San Francisco’s offense ever since they traded for him in 2022.
Niners Defensive Line
San Francisco had a very up and down defensive line last season, and the stats show it. They ranked 5th in opponent rushing yards per game, but 21st in opponent yards per rushing attempt. Pass rush wise, they ranked 14th in sacks per game and 14th in opponent passing yards per game. Last year was a bit of a down year for this defensive line unit, and how this group plays will be a major key in who comes out on top. If Nick Bosa can establish his presence as a pass rusher, and if the interior line limits the running game and Breece Hall, it will be extremely difficult for New York to overcome.
Prediction
This will be a tightly contested game. San Francisco is currently favored by 5 points, showing this is projected to be a close one. The main X factors in this game will be New York’s defensive line vs Christian McCaffrey, how the Jets handle Deebo Samuel’s skillset, and San Francisco’s defensive line’s ability to pressure Aaron Rodgers and limit Breece Hall.
Predicted Score:
49ers-27
Jets-24
Main Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
