NFL Bets on 2024 Jets

Edition #631

Good morning!

I’m writing this first thing on Thursday having waited for the official schedule announcement. But the schedule that leaked on Tuesday night turned out to be accurate and the NFL have dealt the Jets a tough hand, especially over the first half of the season.

Today we’re going to take a look at the schedule. For a content creator on the other side of the Atlantic, it’s an absolute nightmare scenario. We’re going to start with the schedule release and then go into the Quick Throws later.

The NFL are betting on Aaron Rodgers bouncing back in a big way in 2024, giving the Jets 7 standalone games in the first 11 weeks. That means that all eyes will be on Rodgers as he attempts to come back from a torn Achilles at age 40.

The NFL being what it is and having a flair for the dramatic decided to schedule the Jets to be in San Francisco to open the season on Monday Night Football. That’s pretty good as it stands, but this off-season Leonard Floyd signed a two year contract with the 49ers. Leonard Floyd was the player who sacked Aaron Rodgers causing his season-ending injury last year (unintentionally of course), which adds to the drama.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a schedule like this. Only four of the first 11 games will be run alongside other games on a Sunday. 4 of their opening 6 games will either be played in primetime or overseas with the week 5 games against Minnesota being held at Tottenham stadium, where I’ll be watching.

It was once a standard procedure that teams receive a bye week immediately following the game in London, but teams can elect to bypass that. I’m not 100% sure if the Jets chose to bypass that because they didn’t want their bye so early (week 6) or if they weren’t given an option. But the Jets will get an extra day as the following week is a key divisional matchup against Buffalo on MNF.

According to the strength of schedule, the Jets will play the 12th toughest schedule on the slate this year. Although, that’s based on 2023 performance and a lot has changed over the last few months with plenty of new coaches and new signings.

According to ESPN, the Jets will face seven games against teams that were ranked in the top 11 in defensive expected points added -- the Patriots (twice), Bills (twice), 49ers, Steelers and Jaguars. I can’t say as I’m that worried about any of them outside the 49ers, but as long as we escape training camp unscathed at least we should be able to rely on having our top offensive line combination for that matchup.

I personally feel that having a home opener on a Thursday should be illegal. The Jets also play two of their opening three games on short rest. The game in Tennessee and then the home opener against New England. That’s not ideal when you have a couple of key veterans with injury question marks hanging over their head. But I do feel as though the Patriots are in for a rough season this year, so of all the teams I’d pick for a home opener, they’d be right at the top of that list, but I do feel for all season ticket holders/fans who have to finish work and then head towards the stadium. Somehow I feel that takes away from the opening day experience.

Despite the first half of the season being a unique collection of primetime games, with the NFL giving the Jets the maximum amount. I do look at that schedule as an opportunity to get off to a good start. Week one in San Francisco is going to be difficult, but gone are the days where I’ll write off any game. With this defence and a healthy Aaron Rodgers we can beat anyone and everyone, it doesn’t mean we will but we could.

Then we head to Tennessee to face Will Levis and an offence that were only marginally better than us last year, and although they’ve made a lot of signings that doesn’t always equal immediate returns. After Tennessee we have rookie Drake Maye followed by rookie Bo Nix (or Zach Wilson). Then we have travel to London to play rookie J.J McCarthy (or Sam Darnold) then we have Buffalo, Pittsburgh and the Patriots again. Through those first eight games of the season, a 6-2 record isn’t out of the question, in fact, a 7-1 record is even possible.

The last five weeks of the schedule which see us face Miami (twice), Buffalo, Jacksonville and LA won’t be easy, but are any of those teams clearly better than the Jets? At least on paper you have to say no. But when you hit that portion of the schedule it’s all about health. Do we still have all the key components of the defence? Do we still have our two starting tackles? Do we still have our hall of fame QB? If the answer to all of those questions is yes…then I don’t see any reason why we wouldn’t go into each game full of confidence, especially with two of our last three games at home. Hopefully that means an opportunity for the home crowd to celebrate a playoff place.