New York Jets: Bye Week Games Jets Fans Should Watch

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As you know by now, the Jets are on their bye week and for a lot of Jets fans, that means there’s not a lot invested in Week 7′s NFL games.

However, if you play fantasy football, there’s no such thing as a boring week, although those of us who own many Jets, Colts and Texans players are no doubt frustrated by the frantic lineup changes you’ve got to make. I personally had five players on a bye in one league. But of course, rule number one of fantasy football…nobody cares about your fantasy team.

On that note, those of you who do not care about fantasy football and just want to watch quality games are in luck. There are a lot of entertaining matchups this week, and there’s a couple to keep an eye on if you’re a Jets fan.

Sunday, 1pm, Steelers at Dolphins

The Dolphins were prematurely left for dead by some football experts after losing back-to-back home games against their division rivals, the Jets and Patriots. They’ve since come off their bye week and beat a pretty good Green Bay team at Lambeau Field last week. The Fins have impressively won on the road against Minnesota and Green Bay and sit at 3-2 overall.

The Steelers got Ben Roethlisberger back from his four-game suspension last week, and he looked as good as ever, throwing three touchdown passes against the Browns. Pittsburgh boasts an impressive 4-1 record, so Jets fans have two ways at looking at this game. If the Steelers win, it will widen the gap between the Jets and Dolphins in the AFC East race, but if the Dolphins win, the Jets will have a little bit more breathing room in the race for the AFC’s best record.

Sunday, 4pm, Patriots at Chargers

It’s like a dagger to the heart when I see Patriots running back Danny Woodhead knifing through opposing defenses week in and week out. Woodhead, of course, was one of the stars of Hard Knocks, as Rex Ryan and the coaching staff loved what he brought to the table. Woodhead initially made the team as a fifth running back/special teamer, but the Jets waived him after Week 1 to make room on the roster for David Clowney, who himself was waived a few weeks later to make room for Santonio Holmes.

It’s not that the Jets didn’t think Woodhead was talented; actually, it was quite the opposite. The Jets made no secret of how fond they were of the former undrafted free agent out of Division II Chadron State. But with a 53-man roster as deep as any roster in the NFL, there simply was no room for him when it was all said and done. That said, the Jets' worst nightmare was realized when the Patriots snapped him up, and he’s become a big factor in their offense after the injury to Kevin Faulk.

The Patriots take their 4-1 record on the road to face the disappointing 2-4 Chargers, and needless to say, I don’t think there’s a Jet fan on the planet who isn’t rooting for Philip Rivers and company to knock the Patriots down a peg. Norv Turner’s job is on the line and he may not make it to the end of the season if they don’t pick it up soon. So, come on San Diego, do us a solid and give them your A game on Sunday.

Sunday, 8:30 pm, Vikings at Packers

Yes, Brett Favre will never leave our consciousness, and despite a huge win last week against Dallas, they’re still 2-3 and need to get their season back on track if they expect to make the playoffs in a wide open NFC.

It’s about that time again. The Vikings head to Lambeau Field in Favre’s second start ever as a visiting player, and this time it’s Aaron Rodgers and the Packers who want revenge. The Packers were embarrassed by the Vikings last year and this game is as big as it gets when it comes to their pride. And oh yeah, playing a division rival at home is a pretty big deal as well.

So why am I going to be watching this game? Well, the Jets will come off the bye next week to host the Packers on Halloween, so consider this a good opportunity to scout the opposition a week in advance. Yeah, maybe I’m a die-hard, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s going to be doing the same thing. It should be a pretty good game, too.

It’s ok, Jets fans. I will not be going through withdrawals this week. That’s the beauty of the NFL. There’s always a few games worth watching.