Jets vs. Packers: What Are Experts Saying About New York?

After earning a sloppy win over the offensively inept Oakland Raiders in Week 1, the New York Jets invade Lambeau Field for a showdown with the Green Bay Packers.

The Jets remain banged up in the secondary, although Seth Walder of New York Daily News (h/t Twitter) has reported that Dee Milliner participated in positional drills at practice on Thursday. Milliner's status for Sunday's game remains in question after suffering a high-ankle sprain in training camp on August 10, according to Darryl Slater of The Star-Ledger.

The Jets will need as much help as possible against the Packers' potent air attack. According to Dom Cosentino of The Star-Ledger, Packers running back Eddie Lacy did not practice on Wednesday, which means the Jets should see a poisonous dose of Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson in the receiving game.

Gang Green's makeshift cornerback tandem of converted safety Antonio Allen and Darrin Walls was good enough to help propel the Jets to a win against a rookie quarterback in Week 1, but a similar collective performance won't be sufficient against the Packers.

Allen and Walls combined to allow Raiders receivers Rod Streater and James Jones to catch eight pass attempts for 80 yards and two touchdowns on 10 targets. New York needs greater efficiency from its secondary if it's going to pull off the upset at Green Bay.

The following slideshow previews the Jets' Week 2 clash with the Packers by examining what the experts are saying:

Antonio Allen Needs to Defend the Fade

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According to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York, safety-turned-cornerback Antonio Allen will be forced to defend the back-shoulder fade while in coverage against Jordy Nelson on Sunday.

Allen's inexperience at cornerback makes him a prime red-zone target, especially for a quarterback of Aaron Rodgers' magnitude.

Allen was mostly effective in his debut at a new position against the Raiders in Week 1 but surrendered a 17-yard gain on a perfectly timed fade pass from rookie QB Derek Carr. As Cimini notes, he also gave up big yardage on a fade while covering Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green in the preseason.

Cimini references the back-shoulder fade as one of the most difficult passes to defend for experienced cornerbacks.

Allen will be making just his second career start at the position, meaning he will likely be tested early and often against Rodgers, who completed 66.6 percent of his pass attempts to rank fifth in the NFL last season (290 attempts).

Allen demonstrated excellent open-field tackling ability in the Jets' opener, recording five solo tackles with one pass defensed, but his greatest challenge lies in the red zone.

Run Game Is Key to Slowing Down Packers Offense

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The Jets' run game is the key to their success on offense, but it's also their best method of minimizing scoring chances for the Packers' passing game.

According to Manish Mehta of New York Daily News, the Jets will have a "legitimate shot" at beating the Packers if offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg employs a game plan similar to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.

Mehta further notes that Green Bay's front seven is "a mess," allowing the Seahawks to generate 207 rushing yards (5.6 yards per carry) while failing to neutralize power back Marshawn Lynch. The Packers ranked 25th in rush defense in 2013 and don't appear to be much improved (if at all) this season.

The "two-dreaded monster" combined to record 173 rushing yards on 23 carries against the Raiders in Week 1, averaging 7.5 yards per attempt.

It's entirely possible for New York to register similarly impressive numbers against the Packers on Sunday, especially if Chris Ivory is able to pound the ball through the trenches and wear down Green Bay's D-front.

As Mehta notes, Lynch recorded 78 rushing yards on 12 carries between the tackles in Week 1, consistently busting into the second level to tire linebackers A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones.

Although Ivory isn't as talented as Lynch, he's equally as capable of breaking tackles. According to information gathered by Mehta from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Lynch forced nine missed tackles on 20 carries.

If Ivory is able to do that against the Packers on Sunday, the Jets will have a tremendous chance of pulling off the upset.

Banged-Up Offensive Line Could Become Problematic

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At the onset of training camp, veteran guard Willie Colon's proneness to injury was seemingly a problem.

The eighth-year O-lineman suffered a torn biceps in the Jets' season finale in 2013 and also underwent surgery to have his knee scoped, according to Seth Walder of New York Daily News (h/t Twitter).

As Dom Consentino of The Star-Ledger reports, Colon has been limited in practice this week due to a nagging calf strain that he reportedly suffered last season, an injury of which Colon noted as being more serious than it is now.

Rich Cimini of ESPN New York recently reported that New York worked out two veteran guards on Tuesday in an effort to protect itself in the case of injury.

Cimini states the Jets are "solid" at guard with Colon and second-year pro Brian Winters, but he also notes that backups Oday Aboushi and Dakota Dozier have never played in an NFL game.

Colon is expected to play on Sunday against the Packers, but his injury status remains noteworthy. The Jets need able run-blockers in order to effectively operate in Mornhinweg's West Coast offense.

Rex Ryan Is in Ha Ha Clinton-Dix's Head

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Smack talk is a staple of Jets football in the Rex Ryan era. The week leading up to Gang Green's showdown against the Packers is no exception to Ryan's tendency to generate locker room fodder.

According to Paul Imig of Fox Sports Wisconsin, Ryan's comments about not hesitating to take Calvin Pryor or Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the 2014 NFL draft have sparked what could be interpreted as an emotional response from the former Alabama standout.

Ryan emphatically made his opinion on Clinton-Dix's gameplay known, telling reporters, "I took the guy who will knock your face in." Clinton-Dix responded by saying, "If that's what they thought, then hey, that's up to them and I'm going to show them."

Clinton-Dix was solid in his NFL debut, recording three tackles, one sack, one pass defensed and a fumble recovery in a 36-16 loss against the Seattle Seahawks.

The friendly banter between opposing coach and player also involved rounds of compliments, but Ryan seemingly forced added pressure on the Packers' rookie safety to perform at a high level by indirectly questioning his toughness.

Geno Smith Could Be Bound for Breakout Season

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Jets starting QB Geno Smith generated headlines at the start of training camp by telling reporters that he expects to be a "top-five" signal-caller at some point over the next year or two, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York.

Smith has seemingly taken strides toward becoming a viable starting quarterback in the NFL, completing 82.1 percent of his pass attempts (23-for-28) to lead the NFL in that category through the first week of the season.

Still, turnovers remain problematic for Smith. He coughed up the football twice against the Raiders in Week 1, which turned what should have been a "rat kill" into a close game.

Smith's mistakes accounted for a 14-point turnaround; the interception resulted in a touchdown in favor of Oakland whereas his fumble virtually subtracted seven points from the Jets total.

Seth Walder of New York Daily News reports that data suggests Smith could be poised for a breakout season, stating that improvement is more likely to present itself early rather than throughout the season.

If that's true, the Jets may stand a better chance at winning a road game against a serious playoff contender than they did a year ago.

Smith's performance on Sunday will go a long way toward determining if Walder's analysis is correct and whether the Jets' starter is indeed on his way toward becoming a "top-five" QB.