Second time’s the charm?
The Jets were supposed to take flight in 2023, but that departure was canceled just four plays into the season in a classic case of “same old Jets.”
With a playoff drought that stretched to 13 seasons, the longest in professional sports, Gang Green has run out of time — and excuses.
Aaron Rodgers was expected to make New York a Super Bowl contender before the lights go out on his NFL career. In what is now a make-or-break season, the Jets will either deliver on finally making the playoffs, or just about everyone that can get fired will be as they reset once again.
MORE: Watch the NFL with Fubo (free trial)
It’s hard to imagine 2024 being much worse than 2023, but the Jets are no strangers to setting new lows with their play on the field. On the bright side, New York brings in a loaded roster that can compete with anyone if healthy. Better yet, they also boast some solid depth that can keep them afloat this time around if the injury bug decides to take another bite out of the group.
As arguably the NFL’s ultimate boom-or-bust team in 2024, everyone will want to catch a glimpse of Rodgers’ Jets experiment in year two.
Here’s how the Jets look in 2024 from Week 1 to 18:
New York Jets schedule 2024
The Jets’ full schedule, including dates, times, and locations, will be unveiled on Wednesday, May 15. The teams they’ll play are as follows:
- Home: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Broncos, Texans, Colts, Rams, Seahawks
- Away: Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Cardinals, Jaguars, Vikings, Steelers, 49ers, Titans
In addition to their division schedule, the Jets will battle the AFC South and NFC West this season. More important, after playing 10 de facto home games in 2023, they are slated, just like the rest of the AFC, to play nine road games to only eight at home.
Jets strength of schedule
The Jets come into 2024 owning the league’s 12th toughest schedule in the NFL. Their opponents bring in a 146-143 record from 2023, which translates to a .505 winning percentage. In total, they’ll play eight games against playoff teams from last season.
Jets prediction 2024
Toughest tests: Many of the Jets issues come from within their own building. They have the tools to be one of the NFL’s best teams, but they’re littered with question marks up and down the roster — most of them related to health. They have a 40-year-old quarterback coming off a torn Achilles in addition to both starting tackles and their No. 2 receiver all having health concerns. It’s a coaching staff that likely would’ve been fired if it weren’t for the Rodgers injury and a fan base that has run out of patience. Their toughest test will be getting off to a quick start before the outside noise gets too loud.
On the field, the Jets — and their fans — have endured a difficult home schedule lately, and that won’t change in 2024. While it seemed like a cakewalk a year ago, Gang Green will have to welcome in tricky opponents like the suddenly AFC-contending Texans, the upstart Colts, and offensive masterminds like Sean McVay and Sean Payton, who bring their Rams and Broncos to town. That’s in addition to divisional games, which are always tough, meaning there isn’t a guaranteed win on the home slate.
Biggest breaks: The AFC East is wide open. After the Bills purged their roster over the offseason, it’s hard to imagine that Josh Allen’s heroics will be enough to keep Buffalo among the AFC elites. The Patriots are welcoming in a rookie quarterback, and the Dolphins haven’t been as dominant as the Bills. New York was expected to challenge for the AFC East in 2023. With an improved roster and a trio of vulnerable opponents, their chance to secure a home playoff game is better than it’s been in a long time.
MORE: NFL Draft grades 2024: All 32 draft classes ranked from best to worst
Bottom line: Once again, it all comes down to Rodgers. The Jets have the talent to compete in a difficult AFC, but none of it matters if the franchise quarterback is a shell of his former self. New York’s defense is capable of winning games by themselves, and Rodgers, if healthy, can lead to a memorable season in the New Jersey swamps. Armed with a new rebrand and a talented roster, the Jets definitely look the part of a team that will be a factor. However, health is too much of a concern, and the hope remains that Rodgers covers up the coaching staff’s deficiencies.
It’s hard to believe they can “top” last year’s disaster, but nothing ever comes easy for the green-and-white. As arguably the team with the league’s greatest difference between floor and ceiling, we’ll settle somewhere in the middle because of the question marks that remain. After all, the drought has to end eventually. Don’t be surprised if they either end up with another top pick in the draft or make a run at the Lombardi Trophy.
Record prediction: 10-7
