Jerod Mayo's primetime debut as head coach will see his team go up against a familiar foe: the New England Patriots will visit the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football this week. As with all division games, the stakes are high -- and not just due to bragging rights.
Both clubs, after all, are entering Week 3 with identical 1-1 records after back-to-back non-division games. The winning side will therefore gain a clear advantage, at least temporarily, over its opponent.
With that said, let's take a look at what that opponent looks like from a Patriots point of view.
Two games are a small sample size to draw any definitive conclusions from a statistical breakdown. Nonetheless, the numbers below give us an overview of how the club performed so far on both sides of the ball.
Record: 1-1 (3rd AFC East)
Offense: 21.5 points/game (t-14th), 265.5 yards/game (27th), 0.040 EPA/play (10th)
Defense: 24.5 points/game (t-25th), 350.5 yards/game (24th), 0.033 EPA/play (22nd)
Scoring differential: -6 (17th)
Turnover differential: 0 (t-14th)
Two things stand out here, starting with the discrepancy between yards and points on offense. The Jets may not have gained yards consistently, but they sure are efficient: their 2.14 points per drive rank 10th in the league.
Their defense, somewhat surprisingly, finds itself on the opposite end of the spectrum. New York has had particular struggles versus the run, ranking just 24th in both run defense EPA per play (0.011) and rushing yards given up per game (155.0).
The 2024 season is still in its early stages, but there are two Jets games to look back on:
Week 1: 32-19 loss at San Francisco 49ers
Week 2: 24-17 win at Tennessee Titans
The Jets opened the season with two straight road games, including Aaron Rodgers' return to the starting quarterback position on opening weekend. That game in San Francisco ended in disappointment, however, with the Jets unable to keep up with a spirited 49ers team.
They did enter the win column in Week 2. Despite trailing at the half, the Jets managed to beat the Titans by a touchdown to improve to 1-1 on the year.
(Note: Roster up-to-date as of Sept. 19, 7 a.m. ET; *indicates projected starter)
Wide receiver (6): Garrett Wilson* (5), Allen Lazard* (10), Mike Williams* (18), Xavier Gipson (82 | PR | KR), Malachi Corley (17), Irvin Charles (19)
Tight end (3): Tyler Conklin* (83), Jeremy Ruckert (89), Brenden Bates (84)
Offensive tackle (5): Tyron Smith* (77 | LT), Morgan Moses* (78 | RT), Olu Fashanu (74), Carter Warren (67), Max Mitchell (61)
Interior offensive line (5): John Simpson* (76 | LG), Joe Tippmann* (66 | C), Alijah Vera-Tucker* (75 | RG), Jake Hanson (62), Xavier Newman (65)
Interior defensive line (4): Quinnen Williams* (95), Javon Kinlaw* (54), Solomon Thomas (94), Leonard Taylor III (96)
Defensive edge (5): Jermaine Johnson II (11), Micheal Clemons* (72), Will McDonald IV (99), Takkarist McKinley (93), Braiden McGregor (91), Eric Watts (58)
Linebacker (5): Quincy Williams* (56), Jamien Sherwood* (44), J.C. Mosley* (57), Chazz Surratt (55), Samuel Eguavoen (52)
Cornerback (7): Sauce Gardner* (1), D.J. Reed* (4), Michael Carter II* (30), Brandin Echols (26), Isaiah Oliver (23), Jarrick Bernard-Converse (29), Qwan'tez Stiggers (37)
The biggest name on the Jets' roster obviously is quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Hall of Famer, who arrived via trade last offseason, missed virtually all of 2023 after tearing his Achilles on the fourth snap of the regular season opener.
His main weapons consist of running back Breece Hall as well as wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Allen Lazard. Hall leads the team in receptions (12), carries (30) and scrimmage yards (207), Wilson in receiving yards (117), and Lazard in receiving touchdowns (2).
Defensively, Quinnen Williams and Sauce Gardner are the names to watch. Two All Pro-caliber players, they are among the best the NFL has to offer at their respective positions.
Another player pointing out is Jermaine Johnson. The former first-round draft pick, who leads the team in quarterback pressures through two games, will miss the contest due to an Achilles injury. The ailment is reportedly season-ending, even though he has yet to be moved to injured reserve because of it.
Practice squad (16): WR Jason Brownlee, TE Anthony Firkser, DT Bruce Hector, DE Jalyn Holmes, S Jaylen Key, TE Zack Kuntz, OL Kohl Levao, QB Adrian Martinez, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball, OL Connor McGovern, S Jarius Monroe, RB Kene Nwangwu, CB Kendall Sheffield, LB Jackson Sirmon, WR Brandon Smith, C Tre Swilling
Practice squad international (1): OT Obinna Eze
Injured reserve (7): ED Zaire Barnes, ED Jimmy Ciarlo, DT Leki Fotu, WR Marcus Riley, OL Wes Schweitzer, WR Malik Taylor, TE Kenny Yeboah
The most prominent name among the Jets' reserves is Haason Reddick. A trade acquisition via the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason, he has held out through all of training camp and into the regular season while looking for a new deal or another trade. He has already racked up fines north of $4.4 million but has shown no signs of giving in.
The Jets are a model of stability as far as their coaching staff is concerned. Robert Saleh is in his fourth year with the team, despite having yet to reach winning territory and going a combined 18-33 over his first three seasons.
Nathaniel Hackett joined him as offensive coordinator last season, reuniting him with Aaron Rodgers. Jeff Ulbrich has coordinated the defense since Saleh's arrival in 2021, while Brant Boyer has been with the organization since 2016.