Jets vs. Jaguars Matchup Preview

Jaguars Must Be Ready On A Short Week Against A Competitive Jets Team

After another massive victory, this time coming against the Cowboys, Jacksonville must be able to weather the emotions quickly before a TNF matchup against the Jets. Early on this season, the Jaguars struggled to stay focused on the task at hand following big moments which arguably led to several losses. Somehow, someway, the Jaguars are right back in the playoff picture and if they want to guarantee themselves a shot to point their way in against the Tennessee Titans, they'll need to win this game.

The New York Jets have been one of the most interesting teams to watch this season. Despite Zach Wilson being out early in the year, the Jets were able to stay near .500 and were roar to 5-2 early on. However, things started to unravel in New York with questions arising at the quarterback position and the Jets now find themselves right back at .500 with little momentum late in the year. What makes it even worse is that Zach Wilson was essentially replaced by Mike White several weeks ago and now with fractured ribs sidelining White, they'll be forced to start Wilson again.

The last time that Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson matched up against each other, it was the New York Jets who were able to snatch the victory and send Jacksonville packing. With the game coming down to the wire, the Jaguars were unable to cash in a touchdown at the goal line on multiple attempts which led to the loss. That finish will likely be in the minds of many players still on the roster, so I expect the Jaguars to want to exact some revenge on Thursday.

Even if the Jaguars are the clear team on the rise, the Jets still have a fantastic defense that will challenge Lawrence. They've built a formidable defensive line that's anchored by Quinnen Williams and have one of the best cornerback duos in Gardner and Reed. I'd expect Christian Kirk and Zay Jones to be more limited in this matchup which could lead to players like Engram, M. Jones, and Agnew stepping up in larger roles. There's also no doubt that Travis Etienne will need to play a huge role with this game likely relying heavily on each team's ground attacks.

Zach Wilson Can't Be Underestimated As He'll Be Fighting For His Career

Many fans and players have considered Zach Wilson's legacy to have reached the level of a bust. Personally, I think that's what the final verdict will look like whether that's today or a year from now. Wilson has been effective at times in New York, but he's ultimately more of a problem for the organization and failed to elevate the team. Only a few weeks ago, the New York Jets decided to bench him for Matt White after he refused to take responsibility for a loss to the New England Patriots in which his offense only scored three points.

With that all said, lots of things have changed in New York this month. Matt White was taken to the hospital for fractured ribs following a matchup against the Buffalo Bills which made Zach Wilson once again the starter in New York. He played decently against the Detroit Lions with a lot of volume and two touchdowns, but he also threw an interception and only completed just half of his passes. That's still a good sign that he's improving, but he'll need to play better to stay in charge.

If Zach Wilson wants to establish himself as the clear starter in New York again, he has the perfect opportunity to do it in a rematch against Trevor Lawrence. Their season currently hangs in the balance as they're one game out of a postseason birth, so a loss would effectively eliminate New York from playoff contention. Wilson is undoubtedly going to be ready for this game and look to be explosive in any ways he can. With bad weather looking realistic, the Jaguars will need to contain him and double down against the rushing attack.

Final Prediction

I expect this to be a close matchup that the Jaguars find a way to win. Although both teams will be battling in the rain, Jacksonville gained a lot of experience back in Week 4 during that environment and Lawrence will be able to keep the passing game going. I think that Zach Wilson will make some mistakes in part to the weather conditions that lead to turnovers while the Jets running attack keeps them competitive. Travis Etienne could make an early mistake, but there's no doubt the fumbles are apparent to him and he'll be focused on fixing that issue. I predict the Jaguars are able to take the lead in the first half and hold onto it with a 24-17 victory over the New York Jets.

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