As the Jets home opener approaches, lots of questions will be asked and many will be answered as the game progresses. Can the Jets have enough to contend with a powerhouse 49ers team and defending NFC champs? Can QB Sam Darnold and the Jets find a way to score against a top notch 49ers defense? Can the Jets find a way not to dissapoint as they did while losing to Buffalo 27-17 in week 1. One major thing to note here is that both the 49ers and Jets will be without key players: these players include RB Le'veon Bell and TE George Kittle.
For a preview of the 49ers, although this team manages to put up the numbers on offense at times too, this is mainly a team known for their defense and features a top defense in the NFL. Without Kittle offensively, that forces San Francisco to use the 1-2 punch in the backfield with RB's Raheem Mostert and Jerick McKinnon. QB Jimmy Garoppolo is a threat as well and when he has the targets to pass to, he has proven effective. The 9ers have lots of young wideouts with guys like Kendrick Bourne, Brandon Aiyuk, Trent Taylor, and Dante Pettis, and even newly acquired Mohamed Sanu Sr. Although not all big names, this will be a test to the young and improving Jets secondaries who are playing against a group of wideouts that don't have much chemistry with their QB yet.
As mentioned earlier, this 49ers group is mainly under a top defense in the NFL, under the direction of DC Robert Saleh. His aggressive playcalling style makes this 9ers defense a nightmare for opposing teams, and that's just what they plan to do while playing Gang Green today. Although strong all around, some main leaders of this group are DE Joey Bosa, LB Kwon Alexander, S Jaquiski Tartt, and CB Emmanuel Moseley. If the Jets continue to give the ball away too easily, they will be in for a nightmare matchup today and things will definitely go in the 49ers favor. It's as simple as this: if the Jets continue to not move the ball downfield effectively enough, they won't stand a chance at winning games like these.
An x-factor on offense for the Jets today in the absence of RB Le'veon Bell would be Frank Gore. The 37 year old back is without question probably one of the best and most efficient RB's the NFL has ever seen. The fact that even after all this time in the league he finds himself with the starting nod is crazy. HC Adam Gase needs to utilize Gore in some situational play for Gore and make sure he has his involvement in the offense. Even if he's older and isn't the player he once was, his grit and experience prove otherwise. The other big part about this is that he is playing against the team that he started his career at. He even made it to the Super Bowl when he was with the 49ers. This will be exciting to watch today, and with no doubt, RB Frank Gore is the x-factor in this Jets' offense.
At the end of the day, this game will come down to whoever is more prepared, and although I don't like to speak poorly on the Jets, I can't say I have much reason to believe they're prepared. Even despite the long East Coast trip for the 49ers, I can't see why the defending NFC champs wouldn't come hungry to win after a tough heartbreaking loss in their opener last week against QB Kyler Murray and the Cardinals (who the Jets will see soon too). The Jets need a real kick in the pants to best figure out if they're ready for this week's challenge. I like the 49ers winning this one here at Metlife 24-10.
- Miles Chamberlain
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| Jets RB Frank Gore has a big game to prove his worth today |
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