Game Overview ::
By MIKE JOHNSON >>
- The Jets’ passing offense found its groove in Week 9 against the Texans and will look to keep the momentum in a good matchup this week.
- Arizona has a 5-4 record and currently leads the NFC West as the Cardinals get set to head into their Week 11 bye.
- New York’s pass rush had its best game of the season with eight sacks of C.J. Stroud last week, thanks in large part to the addition of holdout edge rusher Haason Reddick.
- The Jets have placed Allen Lazard on injured reserve and traded Mike Williams over the last two weeks, further concentrating their offense on their star WR duo of Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams.
- There are several key defenders and linemen for the Jets who are in danger of missing this game.
HOW NEW YORK WILL TRY TO WIN ::
The Jets may have got their groove back in Week 9. Maybe “back” isn’t the right term for that, as it is hard to get something back that you never really had in the first place. In any regard, the team finally looked like what they had envisioned coming into the season and, even more so, when they acquired Adams from the Raiders. Aaron Rodgers completed 69% of his passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns, with an astounding 181 of those yards and all three touchdowns being accounted for by Adams and Wilson. New York has a great upcoming schedule as it faces the Cardinals, Colts, Seahawks, Dolphins, Jaguars, and Rams during the coming weeks and could feasibly play itself back into the AFC playoff race as there are currently only seven teams in the conference with winning records.
Adams and Wilson are obviously the “alphas” of this passing game, but that becomes even more pronounced with Lazard on IR and Williams traded to the Steelers. Usually when a team is so concentrated, the opponents may be able to take away specific threats. However, Wilson and Adams are both versatile and talented enough that New York can find ways to get them the ball. We can also take solace in the rapport Rodgers has with each of them, as he and Adams played together for the majority of their careers and Wilson has been clicking with Rodgers recently. The Cardinals’ defense is nothing to fear, ranking 25th in pass defense DVOA and 31st in QB pressure rate. In the first two games since acquiring Adams, the Jets faced the strong pass rush of the Steelers and a Patriots team that blitzes at a top-five rate in the league. They were able to get things together against Houston, and Arizona is unlikely to disrupt the Jets’ timing the way the first two opponents did, making it likely that New York can move the ball through the air with their primary offensive weapons.
We should not forget about running back Breece Hall, who dominates touches and is explosive in a multitude of ways. The lack of pressure and low blitz rate of the Cardinals should also allow Hall to be heavily involved in the game plan as a receiver. Tight end Tyler Conklin should effectively be the fourth option of the offense and should see several targets in the middle of the field against the Cardinals’ zone-heavy coverage schemes. The Cardinals’ pass defense looked solid in Week 9 against the Bears in large part due to the inaccuracy of their quarterback and the lack of rhythm within their passing game. Given the skill sets of Rodgers, Adams, and Wilson, that should not be an issue for the Jets. Expect New York to move the ball rather quickly and easily against Arizona this week with a clear “Big 3” of Adams, Wilson, and Hall accounting for most of the offensive usage and production.
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