New York Jets vs. Green Bay Packers: Jets' Week 2 Game Preview
Fresh off a Week 1 victory, the New York Jets look to build upon their success against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.
Unsurprisingly, the Jets are the underdogs in the contest. The Packers are playing at home and coming off an embarrassing defeat against the Seattle Seahawks in their opener.
If Gang Green can pull off the victory, it would be momentous for both their playoff chances and their confidence.
With games against the Bears, Lions, Chargers, Broncos and Patriots in the next five weeks, the Jets will take wins anywhere they can get them.
Next 6 QBs on Jets' sked, starting w/ Rodgers, have combined total of 213,713 career passing yds. That's 121 miles. http://t.co/3MNdVdB2r9
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) September 11, 2014
But can Geno Smith and New York's defense rise to the occasion and beat a Packers team with Super Bowl aspirations?
Click through to to see a full preview and analysis, as well as a final score prediction, for Sunday's contest at the Frozen Tundra.
Jets' Week 1 Recap
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The Jets should have won this game by 20 points, but it ended up being too close for comfort.
Gang Green outgained an inferior Raiders team by 244 yards, registered nine more first downs and completely shut down Oakland's rushing game.
However, two turnovers by Geno Smith, a string of costly penalties and a few missed opportunities kept Derek Carr and company in the game until the very end.
Despite the mistakes, it was still a pretty impressive effort from Rex Ryan's troops.
Geno looked more poised and confident in the pocket, the running game exploded for 212 yards, the defensive front was even better than advertised, and the secondary didn't look like the liability it had been made out to be in the preseason.
A home win against a rookie quarterback and one of the NFL's bottomfeeders at home is expected, though. Geno Smith and Co. know they have to pick up their game and avoid making costly mental and physical errors if they are to have a shot of competing with the league's best teams.
Nonetheless, a win is a win and it can't be taken away. At the moment, Gang Green is undefeated.
News and Notes
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Is the Jet Sweep In Play vs. the Pack?
John Idzik was brought in from Seattle to re-create the roster in the form of the defending Super Bowl champions.
It looks like the coaching staff is buying into that on the field, as well.
According to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York, the Jets may unleash the "jet sweep" this Sunday against the Packers.
The Seahawks found a lot of success running the play against Green Bay on opening night, and New York will hope to do the same this week.
As Rex Ryan pointed out, the Jets have plenty of speed on offense, with Chris Johnson and Saalim Hakim ranking as two of the fastest players in the NFL.
The Packers, who are already without B.J. Raji, could be burned with the play once again if Marty Mornhinweg and Co. run it to perfection.
Rex - Pryor > Clinton-Dix
Rex Ryan's never been shy about gloating about his own players, but he made a very blunt assessment on his opinion regarding the top safety in this year's draft this week.
When asked why the Jets chose Calvin Pryor over HaHa Clinton-Dix, who was chosen three selections later by the Packers, Ryan said he "took the guy who will knock your face in," per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York.
Pryor, coming off a terrific regular-season debut in which he made a number of standout plays, is known for his toughness and hard-hitting, while Clinton-Dix is more of a traditional cover safety.
Well, the Green Bay rookie took exception to Ryan's comments, saying he's going to "show" the head coach exactly what he's capable of doing, per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Sunday's game is shaping up to be a showcase for two of the most talented defensive players taken in this year's draft. It'll be interesting to see which one ends up on top.
Red-Zone Offense Needs to Improve
Despite his pair of turnovers, Geno Smith undoubtedly looked like a more refined and confident quarterback in his second-year debut.
Smith completed 23 of his 28 passes, tossed a touchdown and made some big plays with his feet.
However, the Jets ended the contest with fewer than 20 points. They'll certainly need to score more if they're going to pull off a victory this weekend.
The reason for New York's lack of scoring was its inability to score in the red zone.
Gang Green went just one-four-four in the opponent's 20, an unacceptable percentage for a team that's shooting for a playoff berth.
Smith understood the offense's need for improvement in that area, saying they have "to do a lot better there," per Seth Walder of the New York Daily News.
Rex Ryan and Co's fate this season could depend upon Smith backing up his word.
Injury Report
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| Player | Injury | Status |
| Dee Milliner | Ankle | Questionable |
| Ik Enemkpali | Foot | Probable |
| Willie Colon | Calf | Questionable |
| Jeff Cumberland | Non-Injury | Probable |
| A.J. Edds | Hamstring | Questionable |
| Josh Bush | Quadriceps | Questionable |
*Injury report courtesy of the official website of the New York Jets
For the second consecutive week, Dee Milliner is the highlight of the injury report.
Except this time, things are looking much more positive for the second-year cornerback.
After missing the regular-season opener with a high-ankle sprain, Milliner returned to practice earlier this week and was dressed in full pads, per Ben Shpigel of the New York Times.
Rex Ryan expressed cautious optimism that Milliner will start on Sunday, but unless Milliner suffers a setback, it looks like he will be on the field for New York's first away game.
There's no doubt the Jets' defense will need him. The secondary played well against the Raiders, but Aaron Rodgers and the Packers' explosive passing attack poses a much greater challenge.
The rest of the injury report is nothing to be concerned about. Ik Enemkpali will in all likelihood make his NFL debut after practicing fully, and Willie Colon looks fine to suit up, despite being a limited participant in practice on Thursday.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Jets' front seven vs. Eddie Lacy
After witnessing their absolute dismantling of the Raiders' offense last week, I'm confident saying the Jets possess the best front seven in football.
New York led the NFL in yards allowed per carry last season, and it allowed just 25 rushing yards to Oakland in Week 1.
However, Eddie Lacy will be a big challenge for the unit.
Lacy was largely kept in check by the Seahawks a week ago, and he suffered a concussion in the process, but it looks like he's a good bet to suit up for Sunday's game.
The Alabama product has a ruthless, physical running style that punishes tacklers and tires opposing defenses. He put up one of the most impressive rushing seasons in Packers history as a rookie, totaling over 1,400 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Damon Harrison and Co. need to bring their A-games in order to contain Lacy on Sunday.
Dee Milliner vs. Jordy Nelson
If Dee Milliner does take the field, he will immediately be thrown into the fire.
The second-year cornerback will probably match up with one of the most talented and productive receivers in the league in Jordy Nelson.
Nelson's caught 31 touchdowns in the last three years, and he has two 1,200-yard seasons in that span.
He even managed nine receptions against the vaunted Seattle secondary last week.
The 29-year-old is a phenomenal route-runner with great size and underrated speed, so there's no room for error for Milliner in his 2014 debut.
It could take just one play for Nelson to blow past the inexperienced Alabama product for a crippling touchdown.
This is definitely a matchup that could go either way, depending on which Milliner shows up.
Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson vs. Packers' front seven
This is the matchup the Jets have to win. It's one of the team's biggest strengths against one of Green Bay's biggest weaknesses.
Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson were terrific a week ago, totaling 170 yards and two touchdowns on just 23 carries.
Meanwhile, the Packers were torn up by the Seahawks' ground game, allowing 207 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Green Bay's inability to defend the run isn't a new thing either. It ranked 25th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed in 2013 and 29th in yards allowed per carry.
To pull off the upset, the Jets have to control the clock and keep Aaron Rodgers off the field. An effective ground game would do just that.
Jets' X-Factor of the Week: Kyle Wilson
Kyle Wilson is a draft bust. There is no other way to describe him.
Drafted with the 30th overall pick in the 2010 draft, Wilson has been a colossal disappointment, as he has surrendered numerous big plays and has never picked up Rex Ryan's defense.
Wilson will never be anything more than a below-average cover corner, but he's been a serviceable option in the slot in recent seasons.
However, the Boise State product will face one of his toughest challenges to date in Randall Cobb.
Cobb has never really broken out, but he's still one of the most dangerous slot receivers in the league in game-by-game situations.
The Kentucky product possesses great speed and elusiveness, and he's been a solid red-zone threat when called upon.
Wilson has to contain Cobb for New York's defense to be successful, but one has to favor Cobb in this matchup.
Prediction
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The Jets are one of the more underrated teams in the NFL, but they have little chance of beating an angry Packers team on the road in Week 2.
Aaron Rodgers and Co. have too much offensive talent to be contained by New York's questionable secondary, as Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson are simply too explosive to be stopped by the Jets' multitude of young cover men.
Geno Smith and Co. should find success against a weak Packers defense, but the unit will have a tough time keeping up with Green Bay's offense.
If the Jets can dominate with their rushing game and control the clock, this game could turn into an upset quickly. However, it's difficult imagining Aaron Rodgers failing to take advantage of Gang Green's secondary and falling to 0-2 on the season.
Rex Ryan and Co. will compete on Sunday, but they'll fall just shy of the victory.
Packers 24, Jets 16
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