Dec 10, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) is sacked by New York Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (95) during the second half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Jets will kick off their much anticipated 2024 NFL season on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. There will be no shortage of story lines as Aaron Rodgers returns from a ruptured achilles to face the team that snubbed him in the NFL draft.
There will also be some talk about the Jets being without edge rusher Haason Reddick who may be reporting this weekend, but is highly unlikely to suit up.
So with Rodgers and (most of) his teammates ready to roll, where are the key head-to-head matchups that will have the biggest impact?
DT Quinnen Williams vs OG Dominick Puni:
Without Reddick, the Jets won’t be at full strength on the edge but this is one matchup the Jets should look to exploit in getting to the QB. A rookie guard out of Kanas, Puni is making the move from left tackle to right guard. The All-World Williams is likely to see his share of double teams but should be a huge factor when drawing Puni on his own.
OT’s Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses vs Edge Nick Bosa:
The Jets added a pair of elite tackles this offseason and they get a huge test to get things going. Both Tyron Smith and Morgan Moses will get plenty of Nick Bosa coming in off the edge to get after Aaron Rodgers. Keeping Rodgers upright is obviously priority number one for the Jets. Will Smith and Moses get the job done?
Edges Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald vs Colton McKivitiz:
Left tackle Trent Williams is back for the 49ers so if the Jets are smart, they’ll send waves of pass rushers at right tackle Colton McKivitz. With McKivitz playing on the right side next to the aforementioned Puni, that’s where we should see the Jets have success.
LB’s vs RB’s
This applies to both sides of the football. Both the Jets and 49ers have elite pass catching running backs in Breece Hall and Christian McCaffrey respectively. Quincy Williams and Fred Warner are top end cover linebackers but the Jets will also likely rely on CJ Mosley to get involved in covering McCaffrey. If and when that happens, it could get ugly for the Jets. If they can’t contain McCaffrey through the air it could be a huge day for him.
Safeties Tony Adams and Chuck Clark vs TE George Kittle:
Adams did some good things last year after a redshirt rookie year but neither he nor Clark, who is coming back from injury, have shown that they can cover an elite tight end in this system. If the Jets corners limit damage on the outside as one might expect, San Francisco will likely look to feed Kittle for as long as he’s getting open. It’ll be up to Clark and Adams to stop the catches from piling up.