NEW YORK — The Jets finally ended their dreadful losing streak against AFC East opponents last Sunday.
Now Gang Green will try and put that behind them and navigate a challenging stretch of games.
First on the docket is a visit to Lambeau Field to play the Green Bay Packers. Last Sunday in London, the Packers lost to the Giants, 27-22, which snapped their three-game winning streak.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is still playing well as he has thrown for 1,157 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions, but not at the MVP level fans are accustomed to seeing. Green Bay’s offense ranks ninth in the league (362.2). However, their receivers have struggled after Davante Adams departed for the Raiders during the offseason.
Defensively, the Packers’ rushing defense has not been great as they are allowed 126.4 yards per game, good for 21st in the NFL. With the way the Jets ran the ball with Breece Hall and Michael Carter during the 40-17 victory over the Dolphins, they certainly could have the same game plan against the Packers.
“We know we are going to have our hands full,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said during his press conference on Monday. “The Jets are a team that I know pretty well and just to see how much they are improved — they have a lot of young talent on that football team.
“I think they are doing a really good job with those guys. We know it is going to be a physical game. This is a team that has handled adversity very well just in terms of their ability to grind out some tough wins. I think it was evident in that Cleveland game, as it was a great display of resilience.
“We are going to have our hands full as our guys not only have to get our bodies back to play but our minds right.”
Sunday will begin a pivotal stretch of games for the Jets. After visiting Green Bay, they will visit the Broncos before coming back home to play the Patriots on Oct. 30. Then Gang Green will host the Bills on Nov. 6 before its bye week.
If the playoffs started today, the Jets would be the No. 5 seed and that would mean a rematch against the Baltimore Ravens, who defeated them 24-9 in Week 1.
Obviously, there are 13 more weeks in the season and the Jets have 12 more games to prove they belong in the playoff discussion. After some pundits believed the Jets could begin the year 0-5, they sit at 3-2 and in second place in the AFC East.
Outside of the Bills and the Chiefs, the AFC appears to be up for grabs. The Titans, who would be the No. 3 seed in the AFC, have the exact same record as the Ravens, Jets, Dolphins and Chargers.
As for the Jets, the most challenging part of their schedule will be over after the game against the Packers. After their bye week, the Green and White will only play three teams (Vikings, Bills and Dolphins) that currently have a record above .500.
Last month, Jets coach Robert Saleh spoke about taking receipts on people who mock or don’t believe in his team. If this is a different Jets football team from the last 12 seasons, they must take advantage of a lighter schedule.
If the Jets can handle business, then they might find themselves in the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
“What we’ve accomplished is winning three games out of 17,” Saleh said. “We’ve got a long way to go to establish ourselves as a team.
“If you want to be a team that’s great, then winning is, you put it in the back shelf and you just keep on moving. We’ve got a big one with Green Bay and we’re going to have a big one the next week and a big one after that.
“The ability to compartmentalize or to push, enjoy the win until noon today and then move on right to Green Bay in terms of taking care of your body and preparing yourself the way you need to. That’s what championship teams do.
“We’ve got a long way to go before we can ever prove that, and to do that, you’ve got to create consistency. It’s awesome that we’ve been able to get off to the start we have, but at the same time, it doesn’t mean anything because it all starts over every week.”
