Game Day at a Glance; Jets Host Pats in Home Opener, Matchups to Watch

It’s game day, Jets fans as rookie quarterback Zach Wilson gets his first look at Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots in his MetLife Stadium regular season debut.  After opening the season with a loss to the Miami Dolphins, the 0-1 Patriots will take on the 0-1 Jets.  Where are the key matchups?

Zach Wilson vs Bill Belichick: Wilson got off to a slow start last week before picking things up and leading the Jets to some points.  Wilson showed poise, accuracy and great enthusiasm last week.  Meanwhile, Belichick has a reputation as a coach who eats rookie QBs alive.  Is Wilson on the menu?

LB CJ Mosley vs RB James White: The Jets were eaten alive last week by Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey and you’d better believe Bill Belichick was taking notes.  Look for the Pats to target White early and often until the Jets show there’s a reason not to.

DL John Franklin-Myers vs RT Justin Herron: The Patriots will be without starting tackle Trent Brown which is a big blow to their O-line.  Justin Herron isn’t in Brown’s class but that won’t matter come kickoff.  Herron will draw plenty of attention from John Franklin-Myers as the active defensive lineman looks to follow up his strong week 1 performance.

WR Corey Davis vs J.C. Jackson: Davis scored a pair of TD’s in his Jets debut last week and will surely see his share of targets against Jackson.  The 6′ 1” Jackson will have his hands full between Davis and Keelan Cole who he’ll likely see intermittently in his Jets debut.

OLB Hamsah Nasirildeen vs TE’s Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry: With a rookie of their own to protect, look for the Patriots to use a heavy dose of runs with short passes to backs and of course his tight ends.

LT George Fant vs DE Henry Anderson: Another week, another Anderson looking to make plays against his former team.  Last week it was wide receiver Robby Anderson and this week it’s DE Henry Anderson.  As Jets fans know, Anderson is capable of playing at a very high level when his head is on straight.  This is a chance for Robby Anderson to show the Jets they were wrong.

Glenn Naughton

Glenn was Born in the Bronx, New York and has followed the Jets religiously despite being stationed in several different countries and time zones around the world. He now resides in England and has been a JetNation member since 2005. Glenn will bleed green with the rest of us through the highs and lows.

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