The Jets’ schedule isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, New York owns the second-hardest strength of schedule in the NFL, right behind the Patriots.
On top of their six division games, the Jets will see the AFC and NFC West, as well as playing two potential playoff teams in the Colts and Browns. After stumbling to a 7-9 finish last season, it’s a possibility that the Jets could be a better team in 2020 and still finish with a worse record due to their schedule.
Any slate that involves playing Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, on their home turf is a tough one. With that said, the Jets’ schedule tends to ease up before its second and final primetime matchup of the season. Unfortunately, that also includes a two-week road trip to play both the Seahawks and Rams on their home turfs — the Jets’ only back-to-back road games in 2020.
Instead of focusing on the difficult, though, let’s take a look at the four easiest games on the Jets’ 2020 schedule.
Week 9: New England Patriots (Monday Night Football)
It’s hard to label the Patriots as an easy opponent, but the Jets’ first eight games are against prominent teams that haven’t undergone the same remodeling that New England has this offseason.
The last time the Jets played the Patriots on Monday Night Football at MetLife Stadium, Sam Darnold “saw ghosts” in a 33-0 loss. Betting against Bill Belichick never seems to work in the Jets’ favor, but Gang Green will see a Patriots team without Tom Brady under center for the first time since 2008.
With the AFC East wide open and an opportunity for Adam Gase and the Jets to make a statement, this is Gang Green’s best chance of knocking off its arch-rivals.
Week 12: Miami Dolphins
Due to a unique wrinkle in the schedule, the Jets and Dolphins will play each other in consecutive games with a bye in between. It will be the first time that two teams play consecutive games against each other since 1991, according to NFL Research.
The Jets will play in Miami in Week 10 and both teams will have their bye in Week 11. Both teams will get the same two weeks to prepare for one another once again, but the Jets own the advantage of having the second matchup at home.
New York knocked off Miami on a last-second field goal to split the home and away series last season. This time around, this Jets team should have no problem handling Miami at home.
Week 13: Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders haven’t beaten the Jets in New York in 24 years. It’s been so long that current Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich was under center for the Jets that day.
Putting the 1996 season aside, the Jets dismantled the Raiders when they hosted them at MetLife Stadium last November. Sam Darnold led the Jets to a 34-3 route while completing 20-29 passes for 315 yards and three total touchdowns.
With Las Vegas playing two consecutive games on the East Coast, it could mean more of the same for Jon Gruden’s club in this early December game.
Week 16: Cleveland Browns
At this point in the season, these two teams could be fighting for the seventh and final spot in the AFC Playoff seeding. On paper, the Browns have the better roster, but their offense under Baker Mayfield appears to be a ticking time bomb if things don’t go right quickly in 2020.
For two consecutive seasons, the Browns have gotten the last laugh at the expense of the Jets. In last season’s 23-3 primetime loss, the Jets were forced to play Luke Falk after Trevor Siemian’s leg snapped in half. New York lost handily, but Gregg Williams had Baker Mayfield confused the entire game. In 2018, Mayfield made his NFL debut by leading the Browns to their first win in nearly two years, a 21-17 come-from-behind victory.
The Jets have a bitter taste left in their mouth and don’t want to lose their third game in a row to Cleveland. On the surface, this game bodes similarly to Week 16 of the 2019 season, when the Jets spoiled the Pittsburgh Steelers’ playoff hopes.
