Jets Vs Cardinals Preview

 As the lifeless Jets continue to play football, another task comes their way as new starting QB Joe Flacco and the Jets play host to QB Kyler Murray, WR Deandre Hopkins and the dangerous Arizona Cardinals at Metlife Stadium. The Jets are 0-4 so far and hopefully, a change in the QB slot will make somewhat of a difference, as QB Sam Darnold is out this week with an AC Joint Sprain in his throwing shoulder. 

Following last week's disappointing loss to the Broncos on Thursday Night Football, the Jets must come into today with clear heads in order to keep things somewhat align for themselves. Although there were many positive moments from the offense at times last week along with the defense (more specifically CB Pierre Desir), when the going gets tough, the Jets simply had no grit and weren't prepared for the big plays in the big moments. Another upsetting factor is that some Jets players and personnel thought they had COVID and weren't 100%, but those tests ended up coming up as false positives. The last thing the Jets really need is a COVID plague on an already disappointing season. 

A huge sign of positivity today is that RB Le'veon Bell is back after missing the last 3 games with a hamstring injury. The Jets will be very happy to have his presence back on this offense and OC's Dowell Loggains and Adam Gase MUST make him a factor immediately if there will be any shot at winning this game today. OT Mekhi Becton will be out this week as well. (Yeah you're reading this one Adam Gase aren't you???) That injury solely goes onto the shoulders of Adam Gase forcing him to play when he wasn't 100% going into the Broncos game last week. Terrible coaching there if you ask me. WR Breshad Perriman continues to be out again this week as well.

On the defensive side of things, the Jets will be thin in the secondary today, as CB Bless Austin is out this week so CB Quincy Wilson will be getting the start this week. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray will definitely look to attack Wilson's side of the field considering he is young and lacks NFL experience. It's going to be another long day for the Jets defense again as the Cardinals have some impact players on their offense. 

QB Kyler Murray is explosive, has amazing pocket passing ability, and can run all over a defense any given day. If Josh Allen embarrasses our defense when he scrambles, I can only imagine what Kyler Murray might do. Cardinals WR Deandre Hopkins is also a major piece and can light up a defense any given day as well, along with long time veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald. Hopkins may debatably be one of if not the best all around WR in the NFL. He has beat up the Jets before when he used to play for the Texans, and things haven't slowed down for him much in the desert after signing a big money deal there just last offseason. Other names that must be mentioned for their offense are RB Kenyan Drake (we all remember him in Miami), WR Andy Isabella, and RB Chase Edmonds. 

Defensively, the two main guys that lead this defense is long time CB Patrick Peterson and LB/DE Chandler Jones (again a former AFC East foe with New England). Last year, Chandler Jones was second in the NFL with sacks at 19, and the season before that, he had 13 sacks. This guy causes corruption and disrupts so many opposing QB's. With OT Mekhi Becton being out today, OT Chuma Edoga picks up the start, but there's a strong likelihood Jones will be coming to attack Edoga big time today. 

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray will be a big 
piece today in their offensive play

QB Joe Flacco better be ready for pressure to be put on him since the Jets offensive line can't seem to do much right, especially pressure from Jones. CB Patrick Peterson also is the veteran and long time tenured Arizona Cardinal on this team as well. He leads this defense in the secondary and can make any given play at any given time, even despite being 30 years old now. This game isn't much of a make or break today, it's more of Jets fans asking how long they'll be able to hold onto dear life for. 

Ultimately, nothing has worked out for Jets fans so far this season, and this week probably won't change much of that either. If the Jets want to contend, QB Joe Flacco must bring back some of his old self and make big throws to guys like Jamison Crowder and Braxton Berrios and utilize Le'veon Bell appropriately and not waste his talent on the field. Defensively, the Jets must try to put as much pressure on Kyler Murray as possible. Guys up front like DT Steve McClendon and DE's Quenin Williams and Henry Anderson must be more impactful than they've been so far, as they all three combined only have just two sacks so far (both from Williams). This game looks to be another toilet bowl in East Rutherford, unfortunately. I'll take the Cardinals over the Jets today winning 37-10. 

QB Joe Flacco makes his debut in his
first game starting as a Jet

-Miles Chamberlain