After a nine-month wait, the Jets are less than 24 hours away from being back in action for real.
New York is set to do battle with the Bills in Week 1, as Buffalo comes to MetLife Stadium to take on Gang Green in an early-season AFC East clash. The Jets endured an injury-riddled preseason and action-packed offseason featuring a changing of the guard in the front office and numerous free agent acquisitions. Now, it’s time to strap up and go to work when it matters the most.
With that being said, here are some storylines to keep an eye on before the Jets kick off against Buffalo.
Star free agent signings debut
The Jets spent a combined $166 million on Le’Veon Bell, C.J. Mosley and Jamison Crowder this offseason. On Sunday, all three will make their regular season debuts with the team.
Week 1 will be Bell’s overall debut with the Jets, as he sat out the entire preseason. Mosley and Crowder played sparingly in the preseason, making New York’s season opener against the Bills their first extended action of the year.
Considering Bell has not suited up for a game since 2017, it’ll be interesting to see how heavily the Jets lean on him on offense. The 27-year-old spent the summer working his way back into game action, but playing four quarters in the heat is a different story. Either way, New York’s season opener marks the beginning of a new era at One Jets Drive with three big-time free agent signings donning the Green and White for the first time.
Trumaine Johnson’s return
The Jets get an integral piece of their defense back against the Bills, as Trumaine Johnson returns to the field after spending a month on the mend with a hamstring injury.
Prior to his hamstring acting up, Johnson was having a standout training camp and was seemingly back to his old ways after a down 2018 season. The hope is that he can return to his early preseason form and anchor New York’s cornerback position beginning in Week 1.
Without Johnson, the Jets were in bad shape at cornerback. It might take a week or two for him to get back to full strength, but New York will certainly benefit from having him back in the mix.
Special teams success?
Le’Veon Bell, C.J. Mosley and Jamison Crowder aren’t New York’s only key contributors making their team debuts on Sunday.
Punt returner Braxton Berrios and kicker Kaare Vedvik will play their first game for Gang Green — or anyone for that matter — against the Bills. Both have big shoes to fill, as they are replacing two key players in their respective roles in Andre Roberts and Jason Myers.
Week 1 will be the first opportunity for Berrios and Vedvik to prove they can get the job done for the Jets. If not, general manager Joe Douglas will have to begin looking elsewhere for players who can.
Key divisional duel
With the Bills coming to town, New York’s season opener has a bit of added significance.
Playing a division rival this early in the season presents the Jets with the opportunity to take a big leap forward both in the standings and momentum wise. It also has the chance to put New York in an early divisional record hole, which would leave an extremely sour taste in the team’s mouth heading into Week 2.
Adam Gase’s first regular season game as Jets head coach is a big one. If all goes well, New York could be on its way to success in division play and some much-needed early momentum.
