Some find it surprising that the San Francisco 49ers, who opened the 2023 season with five straight wins in games that all included the Brock Purdy directed offense scoring at least 30 points, followed that strong start with three straight losses.
Perhaps just as surprising, is that the New York Jets, who opened the season with the loss of their newly crowned starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, have won three straight games and come into play tonight with a chance to climb into contention in the highly contested AFC East Division. The Jets have four wins this season, and are looking for a fifth on the same weekend that the three other teams in the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills, all lost.
Tonight, they host the Los Angeles Chargers, a team with higher credentials than the Jets but less wins. The Chargers have only three victories this year, including their most recent game when they downed the Chicago Bears last Sunday night.
After Rodgers was lost for the season to the injury suffered in the Jets first game, New York turned back to one-time first round, second overall pick in the draft, Zach Wilson. The reception he got from the New York fans was akin to how a Trump rally crowd might greet Joe Biden.
Still, after somehow guiding New York to a come-from-behind overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills in the season opener, Wilson showed evidence that finding a replacement for the quarterback was a good decision on the Jets management part. After losses to the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots the New York fans were expecting the worst when their team went up against the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Mid-game, Wilson suddenly started to click with his Jets offense and they took off in the right direction. In the end, the Chiefs escaped with a narrow win, 23-20, but New York fans were excited about the possibility of Wilson finding his way from behind the Jets center.
Victories over the Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants now have New York fans filing into MetLife Stadium tonight with hopes for the season behind Wilson.
There is good reason to like the Jets … if Wilson continues to play up to the potential the Jets saw before drafting him three years ago.
Rodgers did not leave the Green Bay Packers without eyeing a solid supporting cast in New York. The Jets defense has personnel that promises good things, and the team is well coached by one time 49ers assistant Robert Saleh. Before the season began, there was conversation that the longtime Packers signal caller and future member of the Hall of Fame was the final cog in returning New York to the playoffs.
Then there are the Chargers. A team that in recent years seems to have all the talent on the field to succeed but don’t have the same strength as the Jets at the head coaching position. Brandon Staley doesn’t appear to have his squad prepared to best capitalize on their strengths from both a design perspective and as one long time coach I knew in the league used to say, “Have their minds right.”
There is a bottom line on tonight’s contest and it is driven by math. The Chargers are better than the Jets and have won one less game this season. Do you think New York can win at home, push their winning streak to four games, while ending the night two games ahead in the win/loss column over the Chargers?
I don’t.
Qoxhi Picks: Los Angeles Chargers (-3) over New York Jets