The Jets’ 2018-19 season is coming to a start. With summer camp, OTAs and a bunch of mini camps, the roster will eventually be cut down to 53 men for the beginning of the season when they head to Motown to face the Lions. Now, before we get into the happening of the Jets, these projections are way too early ones that will highlight key players in certain positions assuming they make the roster.
The Jets schedule is on the easier side however, with most of their opponents having a losing season or a mediocre season in 2017. Of course, the Jets will have to face MVP stars like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers and upcoming stars like DeShaun Watson. The Jets defense will have their hands full fighting off these contenders which, after the shake-up in each town, could spell trouble or hopeful depending on the team.
Jets’ 2018-19 Regular-Season Schedule
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Week 1: Detroit Lions (Prediction: Victory)
The Jets have been shut out of the limelight due to a failure to perform on a playoff level for the past few years. However, after last year’s resurgence in both offense and defense, the Jets are possibly on the come up again. This time it starts with a big stage performance against the Lions. After both teams had a major offseason, it seems the Jets will face their former center Wesley Johnson and the smartest man in football, Matt Patricia, in a good ole bout between two teams on the come up. After the Lions failed to make the playoffs last year, they’ll be looking for a comeback. However, I think the Jets will snag this victory in a tight margin game thanks in part to McCown in his gunslinging form and the Robby Anderson/Terrelle Pryor wonder twin duo combo.
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Week 2: Miami Dolphins (Prediction: Victory)
After the cutting of every talented player on their defense and offense, the Dolphins managed to add some very seasoned talent. Now while this ragtag team seems terrible on paper, it is anyone’s guess how this game will play out. However, I predict the Jets will prevail here thanks in large part to the newly/ish defense and an upgraded offense. The Dolphins won’t know what hit them until week nine.
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Week 3: Cleveland Browns (Prediction: Victory)
Sam Darnold versus Baker Mayfield, draft pick versus draft pick. Alright, I may be overreaching here but it is still a possibility. The number one draft pick (who a lot of Jets fans wanted) versus the number three draft pick. The Browns will put up more of a fight than they have in other years thanks in large part to them blowing through literally tens of millions of dollars to upgrade the wide receiver core, the QB situation, O-Line and running back (and that is just on the offense). But the Jets are more solid all around and they just poured on more talent to fill holes that have hurt them in the past.
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Week 4: Jacksonville Jaguars (Prediction: Loss)
After making the playoffs and almost beating the Patriots the Jaguars are looking for a comeback tour to the playoffs and this begins with playing the Jets. After a vicious and long drawn out battle with the Jets that ended in OT last year, this time around will be very different. The Jaguars defense found chemistry and beefed up their defense majority through the draft and free agency. They also stole awat the Jets former tight end Austin Serfian-Jenkins for offense, but let their two best receivers leave. The Jets on the flip-side have gone beefed up the offense and reinforced the defense by adding a lockdown corner in Trumaine Johnson. So this will be a low scoring battle between the Jets D and the Jaguars D, however the Jaguars will prevail.
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Week 5: Denver Broncos (Prediction: Victory)
After last season when the Jets flew out to Mile High stadium to fight the Broncos they came back a laughing stock. Racking up less than 100 yards total, losing their starting quarterback Josh McCown and allowing Petty to step in was quite the unfortunate scenario. This time around it will be different though. The Jets are in the top ten for most home victories and since the Broncos are coming to MetLife, this will be a very different battle. The Broncos may have lost their ability to limit the passing attack with Aqib Talib leaving town, but they’ve gained the ability to stop the run with Bradley Chubb addition. While this will hurt the Jets on the ground game, they could make up for it in the passing game thanks to a better O-Line, McCown back (and healthy) and more weapons to chose from. This will be a close game but the Jets will grab this win.
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Week 6: Indianapolis Colts (Prediction: Victory)
The Jets and Colts fight dates back to the days of Broadway Joe winning the Superbowl and Johnny Unitas coming on to the scene, but this is another ball game. Since 2010 the Jets and Colts have faced each other five times with the Jets winning three. So they are the favorite to win thanks in large part to their upgrades and the Colts downgrades. The Colts are in a complete rebuild mode (or is giving the appearance of a rebuild) and are struggling to have a bounce back, so the Jets will be able to come in with their more stable offense and defense and breeze through the Colts.
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Week 7: Minnesota Vikings (Prediction: Loss)
The Vikings/Jets match will be an interesting one. On one hand, you have the Jets looking at a possible revenge match because the Vikings stole Kirk Cousins from them during the offseason sweepstakes and snagged their former D-Linemen Sheldon Richardson. Another possibility is that this is a prove it a game. Can they prove that the Vikings were a better fit for Cousins than the Jets? Can Richardson find success in a new home? Two birds one stone – and they will succeed and take the win here.
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Week 8: Chicago Bears (Prediction: Victory)
This game will be an interesting one for many reasons, mostly because of the players that were grabbed during free agency. The Bears got the wide receiver the Jets wanted (Allen Robinson) to be coupled with a sophomore QB and some new weapons on defense. This could be a hard-fought match for the Jets who also had additions but not as much as an upgrade as the Bears.
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Week 9: Miami Dolphins (Prediction: Victory)
Still Dizzy from Week 2.
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Week 10: Buffalo Bills (Prediction: Victory)
This is another battle from draft picks Sam Darnold vs Josh Allen. Now assuming they kept to their word and Darnold is in and assuming he is as good as everyone is claiming, then this will be an interesting match. Allen is regarded by many as an inaccurate QB who went to the Bills in the draft from Wyoming. And while the weather conditions are similar, the O-Line and D-Line will be much better. If Allen gets better and more accurate then it will be rookie v rookie in this matchup, but the edge will go to the Jets.
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Week 11: BYE
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Week 12: New England Patriots (Prediction: Victory)
The Jets have the unfortunate pleasure of playing the top team in the AFC East in the final weeks crunched together with other top teams. Will Tom Brady be back to his Super Bowl winning caliber or will father time allow him to slow down? Either way, the Jets will take the win on home field advantage this time around.
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Week 13: Tennessee Titans (Prediction: Victory)
The Titans and the Jets are very different this time around. This could be a lock-in for the Titans but that is when the Jets do their best work. The additions from the Titans on defense will help them in this matchup. Tennessee did a full workup of their offense and defense so this will be a tough match but the Jets will take the victory here.
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Week 14: Buffalo Bills (Prediction: Loss)
Unlike last time the Bills could take this victory. Back in the frozen land, Allen is on his home turf and know all the ticks. Darnold will be at a disadvantage and the Bill will be able to pull one over on the Jets.
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Week 15: Houston Texans (Prediction: Loss)
This is a tricky one. On one hand, the Jets could have a clear victory, on the other hand, they can be fighting hard or get blown away. If DeShaun Watson is out for this game (likely not) the Jets can get a nice victory here. But the real case is that he probably won’t be and the Watson/Hopkins duo will be disastrous for the Jets.
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Week 16: Green Bay Packers (Prediction: Loss)
Aaron Rodgers to Jimmy Graham combo is enough to make heads roll. After losing Jordy Nelson to free agency Rodgers will need a new favorite target and Graham is a red zone machine. The mix is there – the height and speed alone will make the Jets cornerbacks work for it.
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Week 17: New England Patriots (Prediction: Loss)
The Jets head to Gillette Stadium to face the Patriots in the final game of the regular season. Gang Green had fun in the first round, but fail to pull the wool over the Patriots a second time as Tom Brady comes back for his revenge.
All in all the Jets finish in the positive with a 10-6 record which is a major improvement from last season at 5-11. Possible playoff berth but with the changes in the AFC, it’s up in the air. Do you agree with the final tally? Let me know Jets fan and rememeber #JetUP
– Alessandro Senatore is a staff writer for Full Press Coverage Jets and covers the New York Jets. Like and follow on Follow @AMS1928 Follow @FPC_Jets
