Breaking Down The 2012 Jets Schedule

With the release of the 2012 schedule we can now take a better look at the Jets opponents for the 2012 season and where the Jets will be going for in these games. To start things off I will be using the preseason schedule as well as the starters do travel to these games even if it is to watch 75-90% of it. For the regular season I will be using 2011 numbers in terms of yards and not points scored so it won’t be 100% accurate as teams do change from year-to-year. Also I will include distance traveled back from New Jersey between road games as I assume they go back first to do stuff then go out to the next game’s location a couple days later so the total number will be higher than expected.

The distances I will be using are courtesy of sportmapworld.com

Preseason Week 1
August 10 at Cincinnati
Cincinnati in 2011: 9-7, 3rd in AFC North (20th ranked offense, 7th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 565.9 miles to Cincinnati – 565.9 miles total
Bengals travel distance: 0 miles total

Preseason Week 2
August 18 vs. Giants
Giants in 2011: 9-7, 1st in NFC East (8th ranked offense, 27th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 565.9 miles from Cincinnati, 0 miles to NJ – 565.9 total
Giants travel distance: 840.3 miles from Jacksonville, 0 miles to NJ – 840.3 miles total

Preseason Week 3
August 26 vs. Carolina
Carolina in 2011: 9-7, 3rd in NFC South (7th ranked offense, 28th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 0 miles total
Panthers travel distance: 0 miles from home vs Miami, 534.3 miles to NJ – 534.3 miles total

Preseason Week 4
August 30 at Philadelphia
Philadelphia in 2011: 8-8, 2nd in NFC East (4th ranked offense, 8th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 97.6 miles via bus to Philly and another 97.6 miles via bus back to NJ
Eagles travel distance: 501.9 from Cincinnati, 0 miles to home – 501.9 miles total

Total preseason travel for Jets: 1,327 miles

Regular season

Week 1
September 9 vs. Buffalo, 1PM EST
Buffalo in 2011: 6-10, 3rd in AFC East (14th ranked offense, 26th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 0 miles
Bills travel distance: 0 miles from home, 278.4 miles to NJ – 278.4 miles total

The Jets start off the season with the rival Bills at home which should be a good game for the Jets to win as long as they don’t play like it’s the presason and the O-line shows up.

Week 2
September 16 @ Pittsburgh, 4:15 PM EST
Steelers in 2011: 12-4, 2nd in AFC North (12th ranked offense, 1st ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 0 miles to NJ, 312.9 miles to Pittsburgh – 312.9 miles total
Steelers travel distance: 840.3 miles from Jacksonville, 0 miles to NJ – 840.3 miles total

After the Bills the Jets travel to Pittsburgh to face one of the best teams in the AFC in their house. The odds of winning this one should be low even if the Steelers face some jetlag from their week 1 game in Jacksonville.

Week 3
September 23 @ Miami, 1 PM EST
Miami in 2011: 6-10, 3rd in AFC East (22nd ranked offense, 15th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 312.9 miles from Pittsburgh, 1086.7 miles to Miami – 1399.6 miles total
Dolphins travel distance: 0 miles total

After going to Pittsburgh, the Jets have to go to Miami to play the Dolphins. While this should be an easier game now since the Dolphins have gotten worse, the long travel is going to affect their play.

Week 4
September 30 vs. San Francisco, 1 PM EST
San Francisco in 2011: 13-3, 1st in NFC West (26th ranked offense, 4th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 1086.7 miles from Miami, 0 miles to NJ – 1086.7 miles total
49ers travel from previous week: 1583.8 miles from Minnesota, 2563.4 miles to NJ – 4147 miles total

Couldn’t of gotten this team at a better spot as the 49ers would just have finished playing the Vikings in Minnesota though the 49ers coach has taught this team to adjust for east coast games, the jetlag can only help the Jets’ chances in this game.

Week 5
October 8 vs. Houston, 8:30 PM EST
Houston in 2011: 10-6, 1st in AFC South (13th ranked offense, 2nd ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 0 miles total
Texans travel distance: 0 miles from home, 1424.1 miles to NJ – 1424.1 miles total

Toss-up game as the Jets and Texans should be equally match-ed since the Texans lost their superstar Mario Williams to the Bills in the offseason which weakens the Texans defense.

Week 6
October 14 vs. Indianapolis, 1 PM EST
Colts in 2011: 2-14, 4th in AFC South (30th ranked offense, 25th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 0 miles total
Colts travel distance: 0 miles from home, 641.5 miles to NJ – 641.5 miles total

This one will be determined by how good Luck is with the Colts. If he stinks, the Jets should win and if Luck is Manning II the Jets might need some help to pull off the win.

Week 7
October 21 @ New England, 4:15 PM EST
Patriots in 2011: 13-3, 1st in AFC East (2nd ranked offense, 31st ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 0 miles from NJ, 210.3 miles to New England via bus – 210.3 miles total
Patriots travel distance: 2487.3 miles from Seattle, 0 miles to home – 2487.3 miles total

Difficult game for the Jets if either QB is starting. The defense is going to have to play their ‘A’ game if they want any chance to win this one.

Week 8
October 28 vs. Miami,1 PM EST
Dolphins in 2011: 13-3, 1st in NFC West (22nd ranked offense, 15th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 210.3 miles from New England, 0 miles to NJ – 210.3 miles total
Dolphins travel distance: 0 miles from home, 1086.7 miles to NJ – 1086.7 miles total

Should be the 2nd win for the Jets against the Dolphins in 2012, but who knows.

Week 9
Bye Week
Distance traveled: 0 miles

Great time for a bye week as the Jets come off a possible win and start a road trip the week after.

Week 10
November 11 @ Seattle, 4:05 PM EST
Seahawks in 2011: 7-9, 3rd in NFC West (28th ranked offense, 9th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 2398.2 miles to Seattle – 2398.2 miles total
Seahawks travel distance: 0 miles total

The Jets need to show up for this one as they don’t seem to play that well on the west coast during the regular season.

Week 11
November 18 @ St. Louis, 1 PM EST
Rams in 2011: 2-14, 4th in NFC West (31st ranked offense, 22nd ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 2398.2 miles from Seattle, 869.1 miles to St. Louis – 3267.3 miles total
Rams travel distance: 1743.0 miles from San Francisco, 0 to home – 1743.0 miles total

This game will be determined by if the Rams QB is healthy or not.  If healthy, the Jets will probably have some trouble and the game will be close, if hurt the Jets should win this one easily.

Week 12
November 22 vs. New England, 8:20 PM EST
Patriots in 2011: 13-3, 1st in AFC East (2nd ranked offense, 31st ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 869.1 miles from St. Louis, 0 miles to NJ – 869.1 miles total
Patriots travel distance: 0 miles from home, 210.3 miles to NJ – 210.3 miles total

The Turkey day game that everyone seems to loathe. Might as well chalk this one up as a loss as long as Brady is playing in this one, as the Jets only have 3 days to prep for the Patriots.

Week 13
December 2 vs. Arizona, 1 PM EST
Cardinals in 2011: 8-8, 2nd in NFC West (19th ranked offense, 18th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 0 miles total
Cardinals travel distance: 0 from home, 2146.3 miles to NJ – 2146.3 miles total

Difficult game but the Jets will have ample time to prepare for the Cardinals and should have the advantage in the cold.

Week 14
December 9 @ Jacksonville, 1 PM EST
Jaguars in 2011: 5-11, 3rd in AFC South (32nd ranked offense, 6th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 0 miles to NJ, 840.3 miles to Jacksonville – 840.3 miles total
Jaguars travel distance: 875.4 miles from Buffalo, 0 miles to home – 875.4 miles total

If the Jags play like they did in 2011 the Jets should win this one easily.

Week 15
December 17 @ Tennessee, 8:30 PM EST
Titans in 2011: 9-7, 2nd in AFC South (17th ranked offense, 18th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 840.3 miles from Jacksonville, 757.8 miles to Tennessee – 1598.1 miles total
Titans travel distance: 250.8 miles from Indianapolis, 0 miles to home – 250.8 miles total

This one will be hard to judge as the Titans can look great and lousy at times and the outcome of this one will be determined by which Titans show up to play.

Week 16
December 23 vs. San Diego, 8:20 PM EST
Chargers in 2011: 8-8, 2nd in AFC West (6th ranked offense, 16th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 757.8 miles from Tennessee, 0 miles to NJ – 757.8 miles total
Chargers travel distance: 0 miles from home, 2422.5 miles to NJ – 2422.5 miles total

Not a fun game to have late in the season, but the fact that the Chargers have to go to the east coast should give the Jets some help in trying to help the Jets possibly clinch a playoff spot.

Week 17
December 30 @ Buffalo, 1PM EST
Buffalo in 2011: 6-10, 3rd in AFC East (14th ranked offense, 26th ranked defense)
Distance traveled: 0 miles from NJ, 278.4 to Buffalo – 278.4 total
Bills travel distance: 1166.1 from Miami 0 miles to home – 1166.1 miles total

The Jets end the regular season the same way they started it vs. the Bills except this time it will be in frozen Buffalo. If things are going well the Jets might either go all-out to clinch a playoff spot or rest some guys since they either clinched or won’t have a shot at the playoffs.

Jets total travel in 2012: 13,507.4 miles or 6753.7 miles if you think they don’t go back to NJ after each game.

Chris Menn

I'm a 27 year old Jets fan from Massachusetts who has been following the Jets since 1990. I used to run my own Jets blog called Chris' Jets fan blog and worked on JetsCentral.com before I joined JetNation.com. Still waiting for that Super Bowl...

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