Dissecting Best Individual Matchups to Watch in New York Jets' Week 3 Action
After a disappointing road loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 2, the New York Jets will look to rebound against the Chicago Bears on ESPN's Monday Night Football. The Jets blew an 18-point lead en route to a loss that further exposed New York's grave cornerback situation.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers picked apart the Jets secondary, connecting with Jordy Nelson nine times for 209 yards, including a gut-punching, go-ahead 80-yard touchdown strike late in the third quarter that proved to be the difference.
The Jets need to vastly improve in pass coverage if they're going to compete for the AFC East crown in 2014. That starts with allowing Dee Milliner to get fully healthy, although it's highly possible the former first-round pick starts opposite Antonio Allen on Monday night.
The Jets are desperate for their best cover corner to remain on the field. A banged-up Milliner might be their best shot at slowing down another vicious air attack.
Gang Green's fatal flaw against the Packers might not have been the blown pass coverage against Nelson, though. New York averaged just 3.0 yards per carry on 37 rushing attempts in Green Bay. The Jets must be more efficient on the ground in order to exploit the Bears' mediocre run defense and dominate time of possession.
The following slideshow highlights five key matchups to watch as the Jets take on the Bears in Week 3.
Chris Ivory vs. Bears D-Line
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The Jets tried to consistently pound the football between the tackles against the Packers. However, they were unable to bust loose for big chunks of yardage.
New York did record 146 rushing yards, but Jets running backs mustered just 83 yards on 30 carries, a 2.76 yards-per-carry average.
The longest run by a Jets running back in Week 2 was an 11-yard scamper by Bilal Powell.
On paper, the Jets should improve in that category against the Bears, who currently rank 27th in run defense, allowing 161 rushing yards per game through the first two weeks of the season. For the Jets to maximize their scoring chances and wear down the Chicago defense, Chris Ivory needs to effectively pound the ball through the trenches.
The Jets' power back recorded just 43 rushing yards on 13 carries in Week 2 but is capable of breaking free for a game-changing touchdown against a defense that doesn't match up well against the run.
Jay Cutler vs. Jets Secondary
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The Bears flaunt one of the most prolific aerial attacks in all of football—one perhaps even more potent than that of the Packers, who had no issues carving up the Jets secondary in Week 2.
Chicago boasts a solid core of playmaking receivers, namely Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. Both have been dinged up in the early going, but that didn't prevent Marshall from scoring three touchdowns against a the San Francisco 49ers last week.
Jay Cutler—like most quarterbacks—is at his best when he's given time to throw. The 49ers recorded just one sack on Cutler in Week 2, enabling the Bears' dynamic offense to help rally Chicago from a 17-point deficit on the road.
Given the Jets struggles in the secondary, look for Ryan to dial up the pressure against Cutler and frequently rush four defenders.
Cutler's ability to deliver quick pass attempts on point makes him difficult to sack, adding pressure on Jets cornerbacks to play tight man coverage. In their impressive Week 2 win, the Bears did not register a pass play that exceeded 30 yards.
Until Nelson's 80-yard catch-and-run last week, the Packers' longest pass play against the Jets secondary was just 24 yards.
The key to slowing down the Bears offense is ultimately to find a way to pressure Cutler into making mistakes. If the Jets front seven fails to do so, their secondary could be in for another brutal day.
Brandon Marshall vs. Dee Milliner
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Cornerback Dee Milliner was able to play 40 snaps in the Jets' Week 2 loss against the Packers, despite nursing a high-ankle sprain suffered during training camp. According to Jane McManus of ESPN New York, Milliner is on pace to play despite being limited in practice this week.
Milliner didn't appear to be anywhere close to full strength against the Packers, but the Jets needed him on the field.
Nelson shredded Milliner for what would become the game-winning touchdown on an out-and-up pattern that turned into an 80-yard score.
Rookie Calvin Pryor represented the only safety help over the top on the play. The Jets had lined up eight men in the box, apparently expecting a run instead of play action as Green Bay came out in a two-tight end set.
Pryor promptly missed what could have been a game-saving tackle, as Nelson cut inside of him with Milliner gingerly chasing the Packer receiver from behind.
If Milliner starts against the Bears on Monday night, which is distinctly possible, he'll have the responsibility of covering Brandon Marshall, who recorded five catches for 48 yards and three touchdowns against the 49ers in Week 2.
Milliner's assignment could prove to be daunting, given Marshall's size and impressive athletic ability and the fact that apparently hampered Milliner doesn't seem capable of playing at his highest level.
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Alshon Jeffery vs. Antonio Allen
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There isn't a more intriguing set of second and third receivers in the NFL than the pair that Chicago currently flaunts.
At least as far as Jets fans are concerned.
After all, Alshon Jeffery is the guy the Jets could have had. The Bears selected the former South Carolina standout with the 45th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft—two picks after the Jets had traded up to take Stephen Hill, who is now a member of the Carolina Panthers practice squad.
Then, there's former New York wideout Santonio Holmes, who has somehow proven himself good enough to adopt a contributing role with a potential playoff-contending team. Holmes has recorded four catches for 41 yards on seven targets in two games with the Bears so far this season.
While Marshall serves as the Bears' primary receiving threat, Jeffery is equally as capable of shredding secondaries for big gains.
Safety-turned-cornerback Antonio Allen will be tested yet again in Week 3 while playing man coverage against Jeffery, who caught three passes for 47 yards last week, despite being hampered by a hip injury.
According to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (h/t Twitter), Jeffery came out of the Bears win over the 49ers without any setbacks, meaning that he's likely to be a full-go for Monday night.
Geno Smith vs. Bears Secondary
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The Jets defense, particularly the secondary, will be challenged against a high-quality offense in Week 3, but the biggest key for the Jets to earn their second win of the season under the bright lights is Geno Smith.
The Jets' starting QB has taken strides toward becoming an effective signal-caller for the foreseeable future, although he remains turnover prone. Smith has recorded three total turnovers (two interceptions) in the first two games of the season.
Turnovers are essentially what crippled the 49ers in Week 2 against the Bears. Colin Kaepernick was at his worst, chucking three picks and fumbling once. If Smith can protect the football and the New York offense move the chains (against what is at best an average defense), the Jets will have a solid chance to win this game.
The Bears rank 10th in passing yards through two games, although that figure is somewhat misleading due to opponents' tendency to run the ball against Chicago's ineffective run defense.
According to Rich Campbell of Chicago Tribune, the Bears have placed Charles "Peanut" Tillman on season-ending IR due to a torn triceps. Tillman, a 12-year veteran, anchored the Bears secondary.
The Bears depth chart remains mostly stout in the defensive backfield, though. First-round pick Kyle Fuller is proving to be a difference-maker in his rookie season whereas safety Ryan Mundy is an effective open-field tackler.
If Smith can avoid throwing a pick—which he hasn't done over the first two weeks of 2014—the Jets will be in good standing to pull out a win.
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