Todd Bowles and his New York Jets drew the tough 2016 NFL opener in the Cincinnati Bengals. Here’s what to look for concerning Gang Green.
- New York Jets (0-0)
- Cincinnati Bengals (0-0)
- NFL, Week 1, Sunday, Sept. 11, 1:00 PM on CBS
- MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York Jets football is finally back. It’s here, and for their first test of the 2016 NFL season, an interesting matchup is posed in the form of the extremely talented and consistent Cincinnati Bengals.
The last time the Bengals played a football game, fans witnessed a disaster. Vontaze Burfict and company completely imploded at the end of their 18-16 playoff loss to Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
RELATED: Jets 2016 Season Preview & Predictions
It had finally looked like Marvin Lewis and company had gotten that postseason monkey off their back until it slipped away like so many prior bitter defeats.
These Bengals will be fiery and ready come game time. Therefore, these Jets better be ready.
Here’s the rest of what you need to know leading up to kickoff:
NEXT: Injury Report
Injury Report
Jets:
- Bryce Petty, QB – Out (Right Shoulder)
- Darryl Roberts, CB – Out (Foot)
- Jordan Jenkins, OLB – Doubtful (Calf)
- Bruce Carter, ILB – Questionable (Shoulder)
- David Harris, ILB – Questionable (Shoulder)
- Leonard Williams, DE – N/A (Hip)
- Quincy Enunwa, WR – N/A (Concussion)
- Brandon Marshall, WR – N/A (Hip)
- Steve McLendon, NT – N/A (Hand, Toe)
- Muhammad Wilkerson, DE – N/A (Ankle)
William Hauser, USATSI
Bryce Petty and Darryl Roberts are the only definite “outs” for Sunday, although rookie Jordan Jenkins will most likely have to wait a week to make his NFL debut. This one is rough for Todd Bowles‘s defense who needs somebody to step up along the edge.
Due to the Jenkins injury, more four-man fronts were reported out of Florham Park this week in practice. It’s something that’ll continue to be a trend all season long.
The Hitman, David Harris, is another guy whose status is extremely shaky. The man who seems to never miss a game (last seven seasons he’s never missed a game), should be a game time decision.
Should Harris miss the contest, rookie Darron Lee and Erin Henderson will be severely tested right off the bat. Couple that with the fact that Sheldon Richardson is out via suspension and New York’s defense doesn’t seem as stout as it usually does.
Leonard Williams, Quincy Enunwa, Brandon Marshall, Steve McLendon, and Muhammad Wilkerson were all full participants at Friday practice and are not officially listed on the report.
Jenkins did not practice on Friday while Harris and Carter were limited.
Bengals:
- Tyler Eifert, TE – Out (Knee)
- Darqueze Dennard, CB – Doubtful (Ankle)
- Adam Jones, CB – N/A (Calf)
- Pat Sims, DT – N/A (Achilles)
- Rex Burkhead, RB – N/A (Shoulder)
- Jake Fisher, OT – N/A (Ankle, Knee)
- T.J. Johnson, C – N/A (Concussion)
- Tyler Kroft, TE – N/A (Knee)
- Cedric Ogbuehi, OT – N/A (Toe)
- Eric Winston, OT – N/A (Non-Injury)
- James Wright, WR – N/A (Knee)
- Cody Core, WR – N/A (Heat)
The Bengals are coming in relatively healthy. Only Tyler Eifert and Darqueze Dennard are listed on the official injury report.
NEXT: Keys To The Game
Jets Keys To The Game
1. Stop The Run
With everybody talking up the matchup of A.J. Green and Darrelle Revis, the Jets first objective has become extremely overlooked.
Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard combine as one of the top one-two running back punches in the entire NFL. Cincy has a formidable O-Line and rushed for 1,805 yards last season, good enough for 13th in the league.
With Sheldon Richardson out, Damon Harrison gone, and David Harris possibly on the sideline, Todd Bowles‘s gameplan must have Hill and Bernard on the brain, first and foremost.
2. Solid Right Side Of The O-Line
The Jets running game could be a tough topic of conversation after Week 1 ends. Although Matt Forte is a phenomenal replacement for Chris Ivory, he doesn’t provide the same bullish attitude Ivory did.
Against tough run defenses, Chan Gailey will, instead, rely on Ryan Fitzpatrick‘s short passing mind instead of the power run game. Cincy finished seventh in the league in total run defense a year ago. Names such as Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap could make Fitz’s day a living nightmare.
Ben Ijalana and Brian Winters better be ready. They’ll be the sole focus of the offense in the early going. They’ll have to hold up when they stand up and Fitz takes those rare seven step drops.
3. Special Teams Edge
It’s been a thorn in the side of this franchise ever since the guru, Mike Westhoff, headed for greener pastures (retirement).
Jalin Marshall’s return game and Lachlan Edwards’s right leg will need to provide an edge for the home team to offset some of the potential injuries in the front-seven for the Jets.
NEXT: Prediction
Prediction
New York Jets 27, Cincinnati Bengals 24
Make no mistake about it, this isn’t going to be an easy one. Any expert who believes it will be is either leaning on Jets season-opening recent history (five straight wins) or they simply don’t understand who talented this Bengals roster is.
Andy Dalton is no bum. For all of his issues in prime time, the kid’s constantly put up Pro Bowl numbers year after year. A.J. Green is one of the most dangerous weapons in the league and that aforementioned two-headed monster at running back has a tremendous offensive line to lean on.
Defensively, there is talent everywhere, especially on the back end with strong safety Shaun Williams.
Expect a close game throughout. Expect the Jets to struggle mightily on the ground with Fitzpatrick coming close to 40 pass attempts in the contest. Expect Fitzpatrick to throw, throw, and throw some more en route to over 300 yards utilizing a plethora of his young and talented weaponry corps.
Bowles has already identified that Darrelle Revis isn’t the same guy who donned the nickname of Revis Island. Instead, he’s a veteran version who still belongs in the top 10 at the position. That being said, it’ll take the entire defense to key in on and slow down Green.
This one will be an offensive affair with many turnovers and missed opportunities when scoring.
The Jets will take their sixth straight season opener, but it won’t be easy.