Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Looking ahead to the Chargers’ next four games on their schedule and seeing if we can predict how they will play out.
The Chargers are in the midst of their bye week before having a long stretch of games for the remainder of the 2023 season.
With a 2-2 record, Los Angeles will use this time to get players back to full health and address their in-game areas of improvement, like converting on crucial downs and defending explosive plays.
Let’s look ahead and see if we can predict how the next four games will play out on the Bolts’ schedule.
The Jets’ 2022 schedule is officially set:
The Jets have released their 2022 regular-season schedule.
We’ve known New York’s opponents for months, but the exact slate was a mystery until now. With the official, 17-game schedule now out, Gang Green fans can start planning ahead for the new season.
Take a look at the Jets’ complete 2022 regular-season schedule below:
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | ||
| 1 | Sept. 11 | vs. | Ravens | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 2 | Sept. 18 | @ | Browns | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 3 | Sept. 25 | vs. | Bengals | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 4 | Oct. 2 | @ | Steelers | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 5 | Oct. 9 | vs. | Dolphins | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 6 | Oct. 16 | @ | Packers | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 7 | Oct. 23 | @ | Broncos | 4:05 p.m. | Tickets |
| 8 | Oct. 30 | vs. | Patriots | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 9 | Nov. 6 | vs. | Bills | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 10 | BYE | – | – | – | – |
| 11 | Nov. 20 | @ | Patriots | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 12 | Nov. 27 | vs. | Bears | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 13 | Dec. 4 | @ | Vikings | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 14 | Dec. 11 | @ | Bills | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 15 | Dec. 18 | vs. | Lions | 1 p.m. | Tickets |
| 16 | Dec. 22 | vs. | Jaguars | 8:15 p.m. | Tickets |
| 17 | Jan. 1 | @ | Seahawks | 4:05 p.m. | Tickets |
| 18 | Jan. 7/8 | @ | Dolphins | TBD | Tickets |
The Jets will also play the Eagles (Week 1, August 12, 7:30 p.m, at Philadelphia), Falcons (Week 2, August 22, 8 p.m., at MetLife Stadium) and Giants (Week 3, TBD) in the preseason.
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No surprise here: the Jets and Dolphins won’t play on primetime television in Week 15.
No surprise here: the Jets and Dolphins won’t play on primetime television in Week 15.
New York and Miami will instead play at 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, Dec. 19, the Dolphins announced Tuesday. The rematch was originally listed as “TBD” on the schedule, leaving open the possibility of a premium broadcast slot.
But the Jets (2-8) and Dolphins (4-7) aren’t exactly an attractive draw for a national audience. A 1 p.m. Sunday game was always the most likely outcome. Now it’s official.
The Dolphins are coming off a 24-17 win over the Jets at MetLife Stadium in Week 11. Now Gang Green knows exactly when it will get its chance for revenge in Week 15.
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The Jets have the second-weakest remaining strength of schedule this season, per Tankathon.
The Jets haven’t had it easy this season, but they will.
Well, on paper anyway. That’s because Gang Green (.400) has the second-weakest remaining strength of schedule this season, per Tankathon. Only the Titans (.346) have a softer slate the rest of the way.
With a 2-7 record, the Jets have eight games left to play. Some of those games, like contests with the Buccaneers and Saints and a rematch with the Bills, will be challenging. But New York’s remaining schedule features a lot of lesser teams, too. The Jets will play the Dolphins twice, as well as the Texans, Jaguars and Eagles.
Of course, when you’re a basement-dweller like New York, no game is a cupcake. While the Jets have beaten quality teams like the Titans and Bengals, they’ve also lost to good, bad and mediocre teams alike.
How the Jets play the rest of the season will go a long way in determining their standing in the 2022 NFL draft order, but Robert Saleh and company will be focused on adding a few wins to what’s been a lackluster campaign.
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Early afternoon kickoffs could be a major help to Gang Green in 2021.
Consistency has consistently evaded the Jets over the last couple of years. New York was seldom able to string together wins under Adam Gase, making it impossible for the team to find its rhythm throughout the course of a season.
Fortunately for Robert Saleh, the Jets have been granted some built-in consistency entering 2021 — and it could make his task of leading New York out of the AFC East cellar a little bit easier.
Thirteen of the Jets’ 17 regular-season games are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. EST. That was far from the case in 2020, as New York played multiple primetime games and made three trips to the west coast, resulting in late afternoon start times after lengthy travel.
While the start time of a game might not seem like a big deal on the surface, it could make all the difference for the Jets this season. Athletes are creatures of habit and football players are no different. New York will be able to develop a relatively consistent game day routine knowing it is kicking off at the same time most weeks, simplifying things for its players — especially Zach Wilson as he looks to develop healthy habits at the professional level — and Saleh in his first year as a head coach.
Being able to stick to the same game day routine on an almost weekly basis could be just what the doctor ordered for the Jets. It’s unlikely the start time of last year’s games played much of a role in New York’s downfall considering its many shortcomings, but there is something to be said about the negative effect that playing in a different time slot almost every weekend could have on a team that never got in any sort of groove.
The Jets need all the help they can get to get back on track in 2021. Many upgrades to the roster have been made this offseason and Saleh has been a breath of fresh air in his brief tenure with New York, but there is still plenty of work to be done before the Jets can return to respectability.
Consistent start times could only help their odds of doing that next season.
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Jets Wire breaks down New York’s 2021 regular season schedule with six takeaways.
The 2021 NFL season is slowly but surely approaching.
The league announced its first-ever 17-game regular season schedule on Wednesday and it features plenty of interesting twists and turns — especially for the Jets. Between a trip to London, consistent start times and some home cooking toward the end of the season, New York’s 2021 schedule is one of its most interesting in recent history for a bevy of reasons.
Let’s break down Gang Green’s slate with six takeaways from the schedule announcement.
The Jets are playing Sam Darnold and the Carolina Panthers on the road in their Week 1 opener.
The Jets won’t have to wait very long to see their former quarterback, Sam Darnold.
The team announced Wednesday morning that it will play Darnold and the Carolina Panthers on the road in Week 1 of the 2021 regular season. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST on Sunday, Sept. 12, on CBS.
Robert Saleh will make his Jets head coaching debut against Matt Rhule, who almost became New York’s head coach in 2019 before the organization hired Adam Gase. The game could also be the debut of Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson.
The Jets traded Darnold to the Panthers last month in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round pick, a 2022 second-round pick and a 2022 fourth-round pick. New York faced a huge decision this offseason: keep Darnold or draft a new quarterback. In the end, Joe Douglas decided to draft Wilson, allowing the Jets to hit the reset button financially at quarterback.
Darnold was drafted by the Jets in 2018 out of USC with the expectation of being their future franchise quarterback. However, it didn’t work out that way, as Darnold’s three years in New York were underwhelming. He received little to no support in terms of playmakers and a stable offensive line. He also dealt with poor coaching and ever-changing schemes and staffs between Todd Bowles and Gase.
Of course, Darnold often struggled on his own as well. In 38 career starts, he had a 13-25 record, including a 2-10 mark in 2020. Darnold has a 59.8 percent completion percentage to go along with 8,097 yards, 45 touchdowns, and 39 touchdowns.
The Jets will also pay a visit to Robby Anderson for the first time since letting him walk in free agency after the 2019 season. Anderson never recorded a 1,000-yard season in his four years with the Jets but immediately did so in his first season with the Panthers.
This won’t be the first time that the Jets play a recently traded player’s team in the season opener. The Jets played Darrelle Revis and the Buccaneers in Week 1 of the 2013 season after Revis was traded to Tampa Bay the previous offseason.
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Gang Green’s 2020 schedule gives Sam Darnold the chance to prove he is one of the best young quarterbacks in football.
The early part of the Jets’ 2020 schedule is more than just a litmus test for a team looking to inch closer to contending.
It is a chance for Sam Darnold to show where he stands among some of his colleagues.
New York’s early-season schedule pits the Jets up against some of the best young quarterbacks in football. First up is Josh Allen in Week 1, followed by Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 2, Drew Lock in Week 4 and Kyler Murray in Week 5.
Allen and Darnold have met multiple times since entering the NFL together in 2018, so those two squaring off is nothing new. As AFC East rivals, that is a battle that could last for possibly a decade or longer. Facing Garoppolo, Lock and Murray in a span four weeks is a new challenge — one that allows Darnold to stake his claim as one of the best young quarterbacks in football.
Many have questioned Darnold’s place in the rankings when it comes to discussing the game’s elite young signal-callers. Some believe Darnold is near or at the top of the list. Others think Darnold has a long way to go before he can even be considered for a spot in the top five. New York’s early-season slate will settle some of that discussion.
Garoppolo is head and shoulders above Darnold and most other young quarterbacks right now considering he just led the 49ers to a Super Bowl. Lock and Murray, meanwhile, are coming off their rookie seasons and still have a lot to prove — just like Darnold.
The chance for Darnold to make his case as one of the best young quarterbacks out there goes beyond the first couple of weeks of the season too. There is a chance Darnold faces Los Angeles Chargers first-round pick Justin Herbert in Week 6 before facing Allen again in Week 7. Patrick Mahomes, who might be the best quarterback in football period, is on tap in Week 8. Week 9 could feature a showdown between Darnold and Jarrett Stidham, while Darnold will likely battle with Tua Tagovailoa for the first time in Week 10.
Opportunity is knocking at Darnold’s door entering the 2020 season. This is not just the season he could help the Jets begin to trend back in the right direction. It is the season he could set himself apart and quiet all the naysayers that have been questioning if he has what it takes to be Gang Green’s franchise quarterback.
Darnold is the ultimate competitor. Don’t think outplaying his counterparts won’t be on his mind at the beginning of the season. Winning is the No. 1 goal, but Darnold will be hungry to begin 2020 by putting the league on notice.
Jets Wire breaks down why 2020 could be another long year at One Jets Drive.
Hope has been the theme of the offseason for the Jets, but it’s going to take a lot more than that to overcome a daunting 2020 schedule.
Joe Douglas did a nice job addressing needs in free agency. He did an even better job in his first NFL draft as a general manager, landing New York a handful of players that can make an instant impact. Sam Darnold now has an upgraded crop of offensive linemen protecting him and two new weapons at wide receiver. Gregg Williams has numerous new defenders with track records of success that he can plug into his scheme.
Gang Green’s strong offseason, combined with the way the team ended in 2019, has given Jets fans reason to hope with the 2020 season approaching. Last season went off the rails due in large part to Darnold missing games at the beginning of the season, injuries on both sides of the ball and porous offensive line play throughout the year. With Darnold back for his third season, reinforcements in the trenches arriving and a clean team bill of health entering training camp, what is keeping the Jets from being a contender in 2020?
The simple answer is their schedule.
New York’s schedule this upcoming season is the second hardest in the NFL. The Jets have to take on both the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers, last year’s participants in the Super Bowl. They have to play the Seattle Seahawks on the road, a grueling task for any team. They also have to go up against the AFC South favorite Indianapolis Colts, an upstart Denver Broncos squad and Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles Rams.
Oh yeah, and they still have to play the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots a total of four times.
Unless Darnold takes a major step forward after two up-and-down seasons, the offensive line can consistently keep him clean and the pass defense drastically improves, the Jets are going to have issues competing in 2020. That might be a harsh take, but one that is extremely realistic considering the challenges New York will face throughout the season.
The Jets open the year on the road at Buffalo, a place they seldom win. They then host the defending NFC Champions, travel to Indianapolis to take on a Colts team that has the talent to win a division title and welcome the Broncos to town for a Thursday Night Football showdown in Week 4.
There is a legitimate possibility New York starts 2020 with an 0-4 record (or worse if you look further down the schedule). Unlike last season, there is no soft second-half slate to fall back on. Things only get harder as the season progresses. If a slow start occurs, it is going to be extremely tough for Adam Gase’s team to dig their way out of any sort of hole.
Let’s be clear — the 2020 season is not a lost cause. The Jets do have the talent to win games. It just remains to be seen if they can get it done against teams that are already established winners with Gase running the show. His track record indicates that it is unlikely to happen.
Anything can happen on any given Sunday. That is why the game is played. With that being, it might be time to gear up for another rough season at One Jets Drive. Based on the schedule and the deficiencies on the coaching staff and roster, it’s hard to really believe this is going to be the year the Jets get it right.
The Jets have the second-hardest strength of schedule in 2020, but will still run into easier games against the Dolphins, Raiders and Browns
The Jets’ schedule isn’t easy by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, New York owns the second-hardest strength of schedule in the NFL, right behind the Patriots.
On top of their six division games, the Jets will see the AFC and NFC West, as well as playing two potential playoff teams in the Colts and Browns. After stumbling to a 7-9 finish last season, it’s a possibility that the Jets could be a better team in 2020 and still finish with a worse record due to their schedule.
Any slate that involves playing Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, on their home turf is a tough one. With that said, the Jets’ schedule tends to ease up before its second and final primetime matchup of the season. Unfortunately, that also includes a two-week road trip to play both the Seahawks and Rams on their home turfs — the Jets’ only back-to-back road games in 2020.
Instead of focusing on the difficult, though, let’s take a look at the four easiest games on the Jets’ 2020 schedule.
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