There is no such thing as a moral victory in the NFL, but there is a productive loss. The Jets falling to the Kansas City Chiefs was disappointing and frustrating, but it also offered fans a glimpse of the team’s potential and supplied a reason for hope.

Zach Wilson enjoyed arguably the best game of his Jets career, completing 71.8% of his passes with two touchdowns and a rushing 2-point conversion. The new-look offensive line looked like a unit capable of dominating the opposition.

Now we need to find consistency in performance.

Following the game against Kansas City, Jets head coach Robert Saleh said that if Zach Wilson plays like he did against the Chiefs, we’re going to win a lot of football games. I think that’s a sentiment that we can all agree with, but it’s not just on Zach.

The offensive line needs to play with consistency, the coaches need to be consistent, the defence needs to consistently force turnovers and make the opposition uncomfortable.

Coming away with a victory is imperative and motivation won’t be in short supply.

Not only will the Jets have an opportunity to close back in on that .500 mark before the Philadelphia Eagles come to town, but they’ll have the chance to prove that the performance against the Chiefs wasn’t a one off.

Denver has problems of its own. They’re one late and improbable comeback against the Bears away from being 0-4, but find themselves 1-3 and coming off their first victory of the season.

The game could present another opportunity for the Jets offence to click. The Miami Dolphins dropped 70 points on Denver in week three, and Justin Fields had a career day last week passing for over 330 yards and four touchdowns.

The Broncos have only managed to keep one team under 25 points this year, and that came in a 17-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on opening weekend.

Denver’s defence ranks dead last in the NFL with 37.5 points allowed per game on average and 461.5 total yards on average. Part of the issue for the Broncos is the inability to generate pressure on the opposing QB. As a unit, they generate pressure on just 14% of dropbacks, which is the worst mark in football, in comparison the Jets generate pressure on 26.5% of opposing QB dropbacks.

The New York Jets, in partnership with the NFL, are delighted to announce the inaugural NFL International Fan of the Year contest for 2023!

The International Fan of the Year title celebrates extraordinary fans who inspire others with their passion for the game and have been a rallying force across their family, friends and local community through fandom.

Expanding beyond the U.S. to seven eligible international markets this season, enthusiastic fans from around the world who use football as a platform for inspiration and change can now be honoured for their love of American football and proudly represent their favourite team. The eligible international markets include the UK, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Australia, France and China.

All 32 teams are involved, with the nomination period running until December 31st, after which each team will announce their chosen nominee. The 32 nominees will all attend the 2024 NFL Draft in Detroit, which includes roundtrip airfare for the nominee and a guest, exclusive access to the Draft Experience, and other exclusive experiences.

In 2021, the Jets were awarded the United Kingdom as an official international market through the NFL’s Global Markets Program (GMP). Through this initiative, the Jets can directly engage with fans through physical events, marketing activations and sponsorship opportunities.

Jets fans can nominate themselves or others for the Fan of the Year contest through the NFL’s website: https://www.nfl.com/honors/fan-of-the-year/gb

Once the nomination period closes, each club will unveil their nominee between January 26th and February 4th 2024. The Ultimate NFL International Fan of the Year will be announced live at the NFL Draft with all 32 nominees in attendance.

Key Nomination Details:

1. To initiate the nomination process, visit NFL.com/FanOfTheYear.

2. Each submission will be evaluated based on the following criteria: passion, enthusiasm and fandom for their favourite NFL team and the league itself, along with an inspirational story and a sense of community spirit.

3. Application must be submitted by Dec. 31, 2023.

The big games keep on coming for the New York Jets as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the Meadowlands on Sunday Night Football in Week 4.

And this promises to be a heavyweight clash featuring two of the best units in the league. The Chiefs will be led by two-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes. And the gold-standard quarterback is getting up to speed after a slow start. Mahomes threw for more than 300 yards in beating Jacksonville in Week 2 and then threw for 272 yards and three scores against Chicago in Week 3.

But neither of those teams can field a defense like the Jets and that’s what will make Sunday’s matchup so fascinating. It’s strength versus strength.

Mahomes loves to connect with Travis Kelce and his All-Pro tight end has scored in each of the two games he has played this season. But the Jets allowed New England’s lead tight end, Hunter Henry, to gain just 17 receiving yards on five targets in Week 3.

And we know Mahomes likes to spread the ball around, hitting 11 different receiving targets in Week 2. Well, the Jets have linebackers who can run and disrupt, safeties who can cover and arguably the best cornerback trio in the league in Sauce Gardner, D.J. Reed and Michael Carter.

Mahomes is still likely to have his moments so New York will need to find more offensive output than the 10 points scored in each of their last two outings. Even without being prolific on offense in Week 3, the Jets still came about an inch away from beating the Patriots on a Hail Mary to end the game.

The spirited Jets will battle and scrap for those fine margins to fall in their favour on Sunday and if they do, they will make a bold statement… and ruin Taylor Swift’s visit to the Big Apple!

New York Jets Player to Watch

Sauce Gardner – Cornerback… This feels like a game where the Jets will really need to lean on their All-Pro cornerback as the Chiefs are likely to take to the air early and often. If Gardner and his secondary teammates can plaster receivers downfield, Mahomes may have to hold the ball a second longer; allowing that Gang Green rush to get home.

Kansas City Chiefs Player to Watch

Patrick Mahomes – Quarterback… The two-time Super Bowl MVP stands atop the NFL mountain and continually wows us with an array of angle-defying passes. What makes Mahomes so special is that elite arm strength but also his will to win. It’s what all the greats have and Mahomes remains as hungry as ever even with two Super Bowl victories to his name.

Stat Attack!

A total of 14 different Chiefs players have caught a pass already this season – that is the most in the NFL… Dating back to the start of last season, the Jets have the fourth-best scoring defense in the league.

Keys to the game

We’ve already touched on the greatness of Patrick Mahomes with his arm, but what about his legs? He can frustrate defenders with timely scrambles. But the Jets will be willing to put that to the test early on Sunday night as Mahomes injured his ankle in last week’s win over the Bears. The quarterback insists he is fine, but the Jets and their pass rush will be keen to find out.

On the other side of the ball, the Jets need to get the football to Garrett Wilson. He showed against Dallas that he can score from anywhere on the field and he could be just the player to spark the offense. And a big game from running back Breece Hall would be welcomed. The young star rushed for 127 yards in Week 1 but has a total of 27 yards on the ground in the past two games.

Sunday was difficult. I don’t think there’s any way to sugarcoat the fact that as Jets fans, we’re in a difficult position right now. We’re not where we thought we’d be and we’re certainly not where we hoped we’d be. But… we’re just three games into the season. There are a lot of miles left in this race and plenty of opportunities to turn things around.

For whatever reason, the Patriots have been a thorn in our side for a long time. Coach Saleh rightfully chose to switch the focus away from the losing streak, but for the fans, it stings. 15 straight losses to a division rival is difficult to stomach, but out of the loss there were some positives.

For the first time this season, Jets rookie Joe Tippmann took to the field. Not in his preferred centre position which was occupied by Connor McGovern, but as a guard. Duane Brown’s unfortunate injury and placement on IR meant a shuffle of the offensive line.

Mekhi Becton moved out to left tackle from right tackle, Alijah Vera-Tucker from right guard to right tackle, and Joe Tippmann slotted into that vacated guard spot. Although it’s only one game, the early signs were positive, especially when you consider that Tippmann had just 11 career reps at guard while working his way through college in Wisconsin.

With Duane Brown set to miss at least four weeks after being placed on IR, it presents opportunities for certain players, including Joe Tippmann. I’m sure the Jets see Tippmann’s future at centre, but for now, playing at guard will allow him valuable live reps against NFL competition. There’s also something to be said for gaining the perspective of the player you play next to, so once Tippmann switches back to centre, he’ll have a better understanding of the guard’s responsibilities, techniques and assignments.

There was one play in particular where Tippmann was able to identify and pick up Matthew Judon, one of the better pass-rushers in football. Tippmann used his anchor and strength to divert Judon away from the QB and open up a throwing lane. If he can do that in his first game against a player like Judon, he’ll be absolutely fine the rest of the way.

When you lose players to injuries, you have to adapt. The Jets have been unfortunate enough to lose both their starting quarterback and starting left tackle within the first quarter of the season. Alijah Vera-Tucker’s versatility gives the Jets options, as Saleh said this pre-season:

“We think he’s (AVT) an All-Pro-caliber right guard. We think he can be a heck of a tackle, too, but he is an elite guard. That’s somewhere we would love to keep him.”

The current structure of the line was not in the blueprint, but like all teams, adjustments need to be made, and while it’s only one game, the early signs are positive when it comes to the Joe Tippmann, Alijah Vera-Tucker combination on the right side of the line.

According to football analytics firm PFF, Tippmann and AVT combined to allow just 1 pressure on Zach Wilson in Sunday’s loss to the New England Patriots. In 39 pass-blocking snaps, that combo allowed a defensive player to generate heat just once, with Joe Tippmann putting together a pressure-free performance. While he did have a late penalty called against him, it was an incredibly clean game considering it was his maiden voyage into the depths of the NFL.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is renowned for his blitzes. New England ranks in the top-5 in terms of blitz percentage (43.6%), which puts an incredible amount of pressure on the communication of the line, and it puts even more pressure on the centre and guards who have to make sure blitzes through the middle are picked up.

While the Jets struggled to move the ball on the ground on Sunday, largely thanks to the Patriots loading the box, AVT in particular showed that whether he’s playing guard or tackle, he’s going to move people off the ball.

That was game one. This week represents another opportunity to get practice reps in as a unit, but the early signs are positive on the new unit in the trenches.

The Jets battled to the end Sunday in the rain, making another late charge at home against a division rival. But unlike their week one contest with the Bills, there would be no dramatic come-from-behind win as the Green & White fell to 1-2 after a 15-10 loss to the Patriots. It was the third consecutive matchup these teams have played with the game decided by one possession.

“We just have to keep working,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “Obviously not good enough overall. Third downs, couldn’t run the ball. … Just overall it wasn’t good enough from coaching to players to all of it.”

Trailing by 13-3 in the fourth quarter, QB Zach Wilson got the Jets back in it as he completed 7-of-10 passes on a drive that culminated on FB Nick Bawden’s 1-yard plunge. Wilson, who had just 47 yards on 9-for-17 passing before the scoring drive, passed for 79 yards on the march that ended on Bawden’s first career TD.

With the crowd alive and the Jets defence energised, Jeff Ulbirch’s unit forced a punt on the Patriots ensuing drive. Taking over at his 10-yard line, Wilson couldn’t repeat the magic as two incompletions were followed by a holding call and then a safety by Matthew Judon.

The Jets got another crack at it down 15-10, but Wilson threw incomplete three times before Tyler Conklin was held to 2 yards on fourth-and-10. A Wilson Hail Mary as time expired was knocked around a few times but fell out of the reach of Randall Cobb. The Pats also moved to 1-2, avoiding Bill Belichick’s first 0-3 start since 2000.

The Pats held a 10-3 lead at halftime, outgaining the Jets 216 to 39. The third down issues that plagued the Jets last week in Dallas reappeared as the visitors went 6 of 10 in the opening 30 minutes and the Jets were held to 1 of 8. New England finished 8 of 19 while the Jets ended up 2 of 14 (12.5%), the Green & White’s lowest conversion rate since 2018.

“Even with Aaron [Rodgers] at quarterback, we knew there were going to be some hiccups along the way because of a new offence, new play caller, new o-line, new players all over the offensive side of the ball,” Saleh said. “Now you’ve got this curveball that was sent to us, so they’re acclimating. They’re going to get better, but it’s still very early in the season.”

The only TD in the first half came on a broken coverage as Mac Jones connected with TE Pharoah Brown for a 58-yard score in the second quarter. It was Brown’s first touchdown catch of his career and his first career reception that was longer than 30 yards.

“Mistakes like the 58-yard touchdown can’t happen,” Saleh said. “They can’t happen. Unfortunately it did, but I thought they did a really nice job in the second half locking down and giving us as many opportunities as possible. We had some opportunities there with the football. It was there, it was live. On a couple occasions it felt like we were about that close from flipping the game.”

The Jets’ scoring drive in the second quarter saw Breece Hall (4-17) and Dalvin Cook (4-12) running on 8 of 9 plays before Greg Zeurlein nailed a 52-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 10-3 before the break.

New England won the battle on the ground, churning out 157 yards on 40 carries (3.9 yds/att) while the Jets finished with 38 yards on 22 rushes (1.7 yds/att). Zach Wilson had completions to 8 different receivers, but the Jets had only 128 yards on their 17 completions.

Next Sunday night, the Jets will host the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

It doesn’t get any easier for the New York Jets as they get set to host the New England Patriots in Week 3 action on Sunday evening.

New York is coming off a 30-10 defeat against the Dallas Cowboys and now takes on a Patriots team led by mastermind head coach Bill Belichick. The Jets have lost 14-consecutive games to their AFC rival.

But this New England team could offer the Jets a chance to get back into the win column. The Patriots have opened the year with back-to-back losses to Philadelphia and Miami and are looking to avoid a first 0-3 start under Belichick since his opening campaign with the team back in 2000.

Zach Wilson enjoyed some highs against the Cowboys but the offense, as a whole, will need to produce more than the 10 points scored in Texas. Belichick has made a career out of feasting on young quarterbacks, so it has to be a team effort to assist Wilson. Look for Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook to feature much more heavily after combining just for just eight runs in Week 2 against Dallas.

Defensively, the Jets flew to the football once again in Week 2 and kept the game competitive into the third quarter. This unit plays with so much passion and fire and they will surely make life difficult for a New England attack that has yet to hit top gear with Mac Jones at quarterback.

The Jets have every chance of holding New England – who lack explosive difference-makers at the skill positions – below 20 points in this game. If that happens, and the offense finds its feet, the Jets could enjoy a morale-boosting victory to move to 2-1 on the season, and an impressive 2-0 in the division.

New York Jets – Player to Watch

Garrett Wilson – Wide Receiver… While the Jets must find balance through the run and be cautious in attacking an opportunistic New England secondary, they also have to find ways to get the ball into the hands of their best offensive player. Garrett Wilson caught an acrobatic touchdown against the Bills in Week 1 and proved he can score from anywhere on the field in Week 2. He must be worked into the attack at all costs.

New England Patriots – Player to Watch

Matthew Judon – Edge Rusher… The Cowboys wreaked havoc on the Jets with a fierce pass rush in Week 2 and more of the same can be expected this weekend. How the Jets deal with Matthew Judon will be key. The Pro Bowl star leads the Patriots with two sacks this season and has 30 dating back to 2021 – fourth-best in the NFL.

Stat Attack!

Keep an eye on these two NFL-elite defenders. Cornerback Sauce Gardner leads the NFL with 21 pass defenses dating back to the start of last season. In the same period of time, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams has recorded 12 sacks – third-most among interior defensive linemen in the league.

Keys to the game

The Jets will need to lean heavily on their defense and they certainly have the horses to make it a difficult day at the office for Mac Jones. A strong showing on that side of the ball should allow New York to play things closer to the vest on offense, easing some pressure on Wilson.

Hall and Dalvin Cook must be used to establish the run and once the defensive backs sneak up to assist in defending that approach, then Wilson to Wilson becomes a factor. There is no doubt that New England are a very tricky opponent on defense, but when it comes to their offense they are a shadow of their former selves.

The Jets need to play the current team and not New England’s historic past. And they have to continue to move forward despite that early-season trauma of losing Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Every win will go some way to easing that particular pain and this is a close-to-call game that is there for the taking.

Sunday’s defeat in Dallas was disappointing for everyone, but we need to keep some perspective. The Jets have played two of the better teams in the NFL, and currently sit 1-1 which includes a 1-0 record in the division.

This weekend, they’ll get the opportunity to go above .500 and remain unbeaten in the AFC East with the New England Patriots coming to town.

Bill Belichick and the Patriots always present a great challenge, and despite being 0-2, they can’t be underestimated. You know they’re going to be tough and physical, and you know they’re going to be well coached.

Recent history doesn’t look good for the Jets with New York carrying a 14-game losing streak against the Patriots into this matchup. All streaks, good and bad, are there to be broken, and that’s the aim this weekend.

Here are my three keys to the game.

1. Winning the turnover battle

In week one, the Jets were able to make life uncomfortable for Josh Allen, forcing the Bills into four turnovers, and while they failed to record a takeaway against Dallas they had opportunities to do so.

Sauce Gardner dropped a would-be interception and a forced fumble was recovered on a heads-up play by Cowboys centre Tyler Biadasz. While not forcing a turnover is frustrating, not creating the opportunities for turnovers would be significantly worse.

This week they face the Patriots, who have recorded just two takeaways in the first two games, and have given the ball away on four occasions, meaning they have a -2 turnover differential.

The Jets largely protected the football in week one, but late turnovers while chasing the game against Dallas means they’re also at a minus turnover differential (-1).

Winning the turnover battle is important in every game; in divisional games destined to be close, it’s absolutely vital.

2. Offensive line communication

The Jets preparations for the season were less than ideal considering the starting offensive line was unable to play together due to injuries.

It’s been a difficult start to the season for the unit, but there is reason for optimism. So far everyone has come through healthy and they’ve also played two of the best defensive fronts in football.

With repetition comes cohesiveness, and everyone is hoping that the chemistry needed to operate at a high level will develop over the coming weeks.

Communication is always key, but it’s especially so when the opposition likes to blitz. Identifying where the blitz is coming from and communicating assignments is imperative to give the QB an opportunity to make plays down the field.

The New England Patriots have blitzed on 44.3% of snaps this year, only the Minnesota Vikings have blitzed more through the first two weeks (49.3%).

The Jets have allowed pressure on 33.3% of dropbacks through the first two games of the season, that’s the 2nd highest rate in the NFL ahead of only the San Francisco 49ers (40%).

Despite the high blitz intensity, the Patriots have recorded just 4 sacks and the Jets will be hoping to keep that number down on Sunday.

3. Establishing the ground game

The Jets run game did not produce the desired outcome during Sunday’s defeat in Dallas, but sometimes circumstances and game situation dictate the play-calling.

The Patriots are allowing 121 rushing yards per game so far this year and Raheem Mostert had 121 yards himself last week as the Miami Dolphins came out victorious 24-17.

Establishing the ground game early will open opportunities for Zach Wilson to make plays through the air, especially off play-action. While the Patriots may load the box in an attempt to stop Cook and Hall, the Jets have the personnel up-front to create lanes.

Breece Hall has shown himself to be both powerful and elusive; if he’s fed the ball early, it may be a long afternoon for the Patriots run defence.

The Jets average 3.0 yards after contact on rushes, which is the 2nd best mark in football through the first two weeks, and a large part of that is Hall’s ability to run through arm-tackles.

It’s important that the Jets keep faith with the run-game even if it experiences early struggles. As Coach Saleh said this week, it’s important for the defence to get off the field on third-down to present an opportunity for the Jets to run more offensive plays and generate some rhythm, that’s with the unit as a whole, but the offensive line in particular.

The Jets had big hopes in Big D, but they left Texas with a 1-1 record following a 30-10 loss to the Cowboys. While the visitors got an electrifying 68-yard TD reception from Garrett Wilson, Dallas’ offence was the more consistent unit throughout the game that featured two of the most-talented defences in the NFL.

Zach Wilson, who came on in relief of Aaron Rodgers in the Jets’ thrilling Monday night win over the Bills in Week 1, finished 12-of-27 passing for 170 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. All three picks came in the final quarter as the Green & White was trying to put points on the board.

“Up until we had to force it, I thought [Wilson] did a really nice job,” head coach Robert Saleh said. “[Zach] Wilson hit that strike route to Garrett over the middle for that big touchdown. I thought he did a really nice job at the end of half moving to chains getting some points.”

Dak Prescott, meanwhile, connected on more than 80% of his passes while throwing for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns. Dallas dominated time of possession (42:15 to 17:45) and won the battle on third down (53% to 10%) while pass rusher Micah Parsons set the defensive tone with a sack of Wilson on the Jets’ third play from scrimmage. Parsons totaled 2 sacks, 4 QB hits and a forced fumble he recovered as he ripped the ball out of Dalvin Cook’s hands.

“That pass rush, those guys did a good job. You got to give them credit,” Z. Wilson said. “I thought we had a good game plan as far as trying to help those guys out up front. We’re going to go back, and watch see how I can help in the pocket and see if I can get the ball in my hands quicker, but you got to give those guys credit. They did a good job and they made it tough on us.”

Four plays.

That’s all it took for the 2023 NFL season to deliver the cruellest of gut punches to the New York Jets as superstar quarterback and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers was lost for the year to a torn achilles.

How did the shell-shocked Jets respond? They responded like champions, rallying around young quarterback Zach Wilson on offense while unleashing a dominant defense on Buffalo’s Josh Allen, and winning the game on a massive special teams play from undrafted rookie Xavier Gipson.

With that 22-16 overtime win against a high-quality divisional opponent on the board, the resilient Jets face another huge challenge in Week 2 as Robert Saleh’s men head on the road to face the Dallas Cowboys, who were also winners in New York in Week 1.

The Cowboys demolished the New York Giants on the first Sunday of the new campaign, registering a 40-0 win behind some outstanding defensive play. When this game kicks off in Texas on Sunday night, two of the best defenses in the league will be on display.

Speaking to Jets linebacker Quincy Williams, who recorded 10 tackles in Monday’s victory over Buffalo, the Jets have not changed their goals at all for this season. Rodgers visited the players in the team facility midweek and reiterated to the squad that the ambition is still to win the Super Bowl this season.

A win in Dallas could send a serious message around the league and even though Rodgers is now sidelined, we should not forget about the high talent level on this team. Breece Hall at running back and Garrett Wilson at receiver are two stars who can help Zach Wilson prove why he was the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. And the defense has too many difference-makers to list all of them here.

Jets fans may be feeling low this week, but this team is continuing to work and is most definitely plotting to reach the AFC playoffs in January. On that front, it’s business as usual in New York.

New York Jets to Player to Watch

Breece Hall – Running Back… Last week I wrote about Breece Hall working his way back to fitness. Well, he looked pretty good in Week 1 as he rushed for 127 yards on 10 carries and added a 20-yard reception. The Jets simply must field a balanced offense for the remainder of 2023 in order to make life easier for Wilson at quarterback. Hall is much more than a serviceable support item, however. He is an absolute game-changer who can score from anywhere on the field.

Dallas Cowboys Player to Watch

Micah Parsons – Edge Rusher… The Cowboys have a game-changer of their own leading their playoff charge in explosive pass rusher Micah Parsons. There have been lofty comparisons to Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, but Parsons has made such claims credible by recording 26 ½ sacks in his first two seasons. He got his third year off to a good start with a sack in Sunday’s win over the Giants. Parsons is a player who must be accounted for on every single snap and a star who can wreck opposing game plans.

Stat Attack!

New York’s defense forced Josh Allen into four giveaways in Week 1 (three interceptions and one lost fumble). This week, the Jets face Dak Prescott, who led all NFL quarterbacks with 15 interceptions in 2022 – despite playing in just 12 games. While Prescott did not throw an interception in Week 1, he did have five multiple-interception games in 2022 – tied for the most in the NFL. You can bet your last pound that Saleh has reminded his defense of those particular facts.

Keys to the game

What’s better than an opening weekend win? An opening weekend win against a divisional opponent. What’s better than that? Doing it in walk-off style. Like a home run to the back of the bleachers, Xavier Gipson’s punt return was electric; Coach Saleh may still be running.

While we received bad news on the injury to quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are 1-0 and ready to move on to Dallas. This is a team game, and each victory needs contributions up and down the roster.

When you play a game like we did on Monday, it’s hard to pick just five players, but I’m going to give you five players who stood out to me.

Xavier Gipson

I wrote about Xavier earlier in the preseason and his undrafted free agent story is one we can all enjoy. Although Gipson wasn’t hugely involved in the offence, his main contribution was one to remember.  His punt return sent MetLife into a rapture, and his wave goodnight while he crossed the line was about as picturesque as you get.

According to NFL Next Gen stats, at the point he caught the ball he had a 0.8% chance of scoring a TD, and he gained 55 yards over expected. He actually covered 99.2 yards in total  when you consider his lateral movement. It was also only the third punt returned for a touchdown in OT in NFL history, and all three have been by rookies.

It was an incredible moment for an incredible talent who had to do it the hard way. Coming in as a UDFA and being a game-winner in week one is rare.

Jordan Whitehead

Coming into 2023, Whitehead’s best season total for interceptions was two, achieved in three different seasons between 2020-2022. After just a single game this year, he already has three. That’s an incredible achievement, and considering it’s three turnovers against one of the best QBs in the league, it’s worth just that little bit more.

The Jets played a lot of three-safety looks to counter Buffalo’s multi-TE sets, which means that Whitehead spent a fair amount of time roaming in the secondary as opposed to being in the box. The results could not have been better.

When you combine the three interceptions with Whitehead not allowing a single catch into his coverage and not missing a single tackle, this was without doubt Jordan’s best game in a Jets uniform. If this is a taste of what’s to come, we’re in for a very exciting season.

Quinton Jefferson

The entire defensive line could be on here. We all know that Quinnen Williams did Quinnen Williams things, and you absolutely have to mention John Franklin-Myers and his eight pressures – he remains one of the most underrated Jets on the roster – but this was an outstanding start for new Jet Quinton Jefferson who got to Josh Allen twice and generated 5 pressures of his own.

Playing next to Williams will provide plenty of opportunities for Jefferson to get after the QB; the more players that teams dedicate to stopping Quinnen, the less they can utilise against Jefferson.

Jefferson’s career high for sacks is 5.5, he’s already 36% of the way there this year.

Quincy Williams

When you’re playing Buffalo you know your linebackers are going to be tested, and Quincy in particular passed the test with flying colours.

Celebrating his return to the Jets, Williams was all over the field with the perfect blend of speed, physicality, and patience.

According to PFF, Williams made 7 defensive stops that constituted an offensive failure, he made key tackle after key tackle and even had a PBU to his name.

Williams has the perfect blend of skills to be one of the best linebackers in football, and if the start of the year is anything to go by, he could vault into that conversation this season.

Breece Hall

Coach Saleh said that the team was going to be smart with Breece, and that’s exactly what happened on Monday night with the second-year pro working his way back from his ACL tear.

Racking up 127 yards on 10 attempts is not a bad night of work, especially when you force 5 missed tackles and have two plays of 15+ yards. His lung busting run of 83 yards flipped the field – and momentum – for the Jets in the second quarter.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Hall had 81 rushing yards over expected, that’s the 5th highest amount by any RB since the start of last season. He also hit 20mph on two occasions Monday night; he was just the third player in the NFL this week to have multiple plays where he hit that speed (Tyreek Hill & Aaron Jones).

Is Breece back? You bet he’s back and he put the league on notice in week one.