Could a trip to Jacksonville be what the Jets need to get back on track?
After getting embarrassed by the Patriots on Monday night, New York has a chance to back bounce against the Jaguars on Sunday. Jacksonville got back in the win column with a victory against the Bengals last week and sit at 3-4 on the season, but provide the Jets with a relatively even matchup given their methodical offense.
It’s not going to come easy, but New York has a legitimate chance to notch its second win of the season in Week 8. Before that can happen, let’s take a look at some storylines to keep an eye on before kickoff.
Can Sam Darnold bounce back?
It’s not going to be easy for Sam Darnold to turn things around on Sunday.
After turning in what was likely the worst performance of his life against the Patriots, Darnold is tasked with going up against a Jaguars defense that has been proven to be solid so far this season. Jacksonville no longer has Jalen Ramsey locking down a whole side of the field at cornerback, but its defense has come together to become one of the toughest in the league to score on recently, allowing only 15 points per game in its past two games.
If Darnold is seeing ghosts again in Week 8, the Jets are going to be in major trouble. It’s imperative New York’s second-year signal caller bounces back and reverts back to his AFC Offensive Player of the Week form.
Missing Mosley…again
After getting C.J. Mosley back last week, the Jets are going to have to once again get used to life without their star inside linebacker.
Mosley will not play against the Jaguars as his groin continues to bother him. With the veteran sidelined, New York will turn back to Blake Cashman and Neville Hewitt, who missed last week’s game with an injury of his own, as its inside linebacker duo.
Hewitt has been nothing but solid this season and Cashman has come into his own as a rookie thanks to a chance at increased playing time. Regardless, it hurts not to have a player of Mosley’s caliber on the field — especially while going up against a bruising running back like Leonard Fournette.
The status of the offensive line
The Jets aren’t going to have any chance at beating the Jaguars if their offensive line doesn’t come to play.
The way the unit performed against the Patriots in Week 7 was simply unacceptable. Jacksonville boasts a front seven featuring Yannick Ngokue, Calais Campbell, Myles Jack and rookie Josh Allen — all of whom are capable of dominating on any given Sunday.
If Sam Darnold spends most of the day on his back and Le’Veon Bell doesn’t have any holes to run through, it’s going to be a long game for Gang Green.
Righting last season’s wrongs
Don’t think the Jets haven’t forgotten what happened last time they took a trip to Jacksonville.
After previously dominating the series between the two teams, New York got picked apart in a 31-12 defeat to the Jaguars last season. The Jets never really had a chance in that one, as Jacksonville came out of the gates strong on defense and eventually started moving the ball down the field consistently in the second half.
No player wants to lose to an out of division opponent in consecutive seasons. With that in mind, it’s hard to see a scenario where the Jets don’t begin the game eager to make a statement.
