Detroit Lions vs. New York Jets: Complete Week 4 Preview for New York
Following two consecutive disheartening losses to NFC North foes, the New York Jets need to right the ship quickly or else they risk going into a complete free fall.
The Jets have shown over the first three weeks that they can compete with some of the top-tier teams in the league, but competing and winning are two separate things, and New York better start doing some of the latter or its season could go down the drain quickly.
Seven of Gang Green's next eight opponents have winning records, and three were among the top four teams in the AFC a year ago.
Rex Ryan and Co. need to cut the mistakes they've been committing in the season's early going and begin to pick up victories, starting with the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
This game is as close to a must-win as it gets in the month of September. The Jets simply can't afford to drop to 1-3 with the brutal midseason run that lies ahead.
Click through to see a complete preview and analysis, as well as a final score prediction, of the critical Week 4 matchup.
Jets' Week 3 Recap
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The Jets couldn't have started out more differently on Monday night than they did in Green Bay a week prior.
Geno Smith tossed a pick-six on the second play of the game, Jalen Saunders muffed a punt, Darrin Walls committed a (questionable) pass interference penalty on Alshon Jeffery, and before you could get comfortable on the couch, New York trailed by two touchdowns.
Gang Green rebounded from the horrendous start to get back in the game at halftime, though. And if not for a quick whistle on a Jay Cutler fumble, the team would have led by a field goal heading into the break.
Despite a terrific performance by the defense in the second half, New York couldn't take advantage.
Smith and the offense were stalled in scoring range on seemingly every possession, and the unit ended up scoring just one touchdown on six red-zone trips.
The lack of success in the Bears' 20, along with some crucial mistakes later on, ultimately resulted in another tough loss for the Green and White.
The goats in the game were certainly the mistake-prone Smith and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, who made several awful play calls throughout the game.
When the defense plays as well as it did in Week 3, the Jets have to get the victory.
News and Notes
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Despite Rough Start, Geno's Still the Guy
After Smith's unsuccessful outing in prime time, many fans were calling for his head.
However, that's certainly not the attitude in the Jets locker room.
This week, Rex Ryan called Smith "our quarterback" and said "we believe in Geno," per Fox Sports.
Smith may have struggled in Monday night's game, but Ryan is right. It's way too early to give up on the second-year quarterback, especially considering the improvement Smith has shown in his accuracy and playmaking.
There's no doubt that he needs to improve his decision-making, but Smith's long-term potential is still very high.
There will be growing pains, but keeping Smith as the starter is a good idea.
Red-Zone Offense Needs to Improve or Else
As previously stated, the Jets were absolutely pitiful in the red zone against the Bears, registering just one touchdown in six trips.
Jeremy Kerley definitely agrees. He told Mitch Abramson of the (New York) Daily News, "We got to capitalize in the red zone when we get down there...I don't know how many times we were successful but not enough."
Not finishing the opponent's 20 is not a new issue for the Jets.
New York was one for four in the red zone in Week 1 against the Raiders, and its struggles kept an overmatched Oakland team in the game through all four quarters.
Against better opponents such as the Bears and the Lions, a lack of red-zone success won't cut it.
Nick Folk can only do so much.
Calvin Johnson Excited to Face Jets' Secondary
After watching Jordy Nelson and Jeffery have their way with Gang Green's defensive back end the last two weeks, the best wide receiver in the game is licking his chops as he prepares for this Sunday's game.
When asked about whether he's excited to play New York's depleted secondary, Johnson admitted, "No doubt. I definitely look forward to the opportunity to get get single high-coverage out there," per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
After a dominating season debut, Megatron hasn't eclipsed 100 yards or scored a touchdown in each of the last two games.
It sounds like he thinks that drought will end against the Jets.
Injury Report
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| Player | Injury | Status |
| Chris Johnson | Ankle | Probable |
| Muhammad Wilkerson | Knee | Questionable |
| Eric Decker | Hamstring | Questionable |
| Dee Milliner | Quad | Questionable |
| Nick Mangold | Shoulder | Questionable |
| David Nelson | Illness | Questionable |
| Willie Colon | Calf | Questionable |
| Dalton Freeman | Knee | Questionable |
*Injury report courtesy of the official website of the New York Jets.
For the second consecutive week, Eric Decker and Dee Milliner are the big names on the injury report.
Decker left Monday's game after re-aggravating his hamstring, while Milliner didn't even suit up.
Unfortunately, neither appears ready to hit the field on Sunday, as Decker missed his second consecutive practice, while Milliner missed his fourth straight, per Jane McManus of ESPN New York.
The Jets offense really suffered without the former Broncos wide receiver last week, so his presence is needed against a stingy Lions defense.
As for Milliner, it's difficult guessing what he will bring to the table, as he's been dealing with nagging injuries throughout the last couple months.
Key starters Nick Mangold, Willie Colon and Muhammad Wilkerson were all limited in practice, but unless something unexpected happens, they will all suit up against Detroit.
Backup center Dalton Freeman, on the other hand, suffered a knee injury in practice on Thursday. Rex Ryan said he didn't know the severity of the injury in his press conference, per Dom Cosentino of The Star-Ledger.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Chris Ivory vs. Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley
Chris Ivory received the same amount of carries as Chris Johnson (10) last week, but it's pretty clear at this point who the more effective back is on the ground.
Ivory's averaged a superb 5.8 yards per tote on 33 carries, while Johnson's averaged just 3.5 yards per carry on 35 touches.
The former should be the lead back this week in Detroit, as his physical running style can help set the tone and control the line of scrimmage.
However, Ivory, who relies on breaking tackles to pick up tough yardage, will face his biggest challenge to date in the Lions defensive front, led by two of the game's best defensive tackles in Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley.
Suh and Fairley are the main reason Detroit currently ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards allowed, as they have the ability to harass opposing running backs in the backfield.
Ivory has to bring an extra gear to MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Antonio Allen vs. Calvin Johnson
The Jets could line up a number of different defensive backs on Johnson, but Antonio Allen is the most likely adversary for the best receiver in the game today.
Allen, who moved to cornerback from safety just a month ago, has had his struggles in coverage thus far this season, but his size (6'1'') and tackling ability give him the best shot to contain the former Madden cover boy.
Everyone who follows football knows just how dominant Johnson has been in recent years. Despite consistently receiving double coverage from opposing defenses, the former Georgia Tech standout has more than 5,500 receiving yards and 47 touchdowns over his last 64 games.
The Jets won't be stupid enough to leave Allen alone with Johnson, but the latter will be Allen's main responsibility.
Demario Davis vs. Reggie Bush
Demario Davis has gone from developmental prospect to decent starting linebacker to one of the team's most productive players in a matter of two years.
The former third-round selection has been absolutely brilliant through three weeks, as he's emerged as both a terrific pass-rusher and run-stopper.
Reggie Bush is sure to give the speedy linebacker a challenge, though.
While Bush will likely be contained on the ground by New York's dominant run defense, his pass-catching ability makes him a dangerous threat in the Lions offense.
The USC product is capable of turning any screen pass into a huge gain, as once he gets going, he's almost impossible to bring down.
It's up to Davis to keep an eye on Bush throughout the game and prevent the defense from being burned by short passing routes to the Lions runner.
Jets' X-Factor of the Week: Brian Winters
As previously stated, the Lions possess Suh and Fairley, two of the most disruptive defensive linemen in the NFL.
Well, embattled guard Brian Winters will likely be matched up with one, or both, of the former first-round selections at some point during Sunday's contest.
Winters has really struggled thus far in his short career, both in pass protection and run blocking.
Unless the Kent State product can step up his game and manage to contain the two behemoths, Geno Smith could spend most of the day running for his life.
Predicton
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The New York Jets cannot afford to drop a third consecutive game against an NFC North opponent.
A 1-3 hole is almost impossible to climb out of, especially when you consider the Jets have the Chargers, Broncos and Patriots over the next month.
The Jets can easily win this game if they avoid killer mistakes, somewhat contain Johnson and convert on scoring opportunities.
Detroit's a talented team, but it possesses a weak secondary and a rushing game that will almost assuredly struggle to get going against New York's defensive front.
With the Lions offense one-dimensional, Ryan can dial up the pressure and force the mistake-prone Matthew Stafford into bad decisions.
Ultimately, I think Smith bounces back in a big way and has a productive contest, while New York's rushing game does just enough to help move the ball downfield and control the pace of the game.
I have my doubts, but chalk up a tight, hard-fought victory for Ryan and his troops in Week 4.
Jets 24, Lions 20
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