The 2023 NFL season is less than two weeks away and the excitement level among every fanbase is very high. While teams take the season week by week, fans are allowed to look ahead to the biggest games for their respective teams.
With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the New York Jets are going to be in the spotlight a lot. Today let’s take a look at the five most anticipated games for the Jets in 2023.
Most Anticipated Games For the Jets in 2023
Week 1: Buffalo Bills
The Jets will open up their 2023 season by welcoming the Buffalo Bills to MetLife Stadium on Monday Night Football. Once the schedule came out back in May this was a game many Jets fans circled on their calendars. The home opener for any team is always an exciting game, especially when it is two division rivals going at each other.
For many years the Jets and Bills have been at the bottom of the AFC East, but that has changed recently for the Bills. Since Tom Brady left the Patriots in the 2020 offseason the Bills have dominated the division. Taking home the AFC East crown in each of the past three seasons. Meanwhile, the Jets have only mustered up 13 combined wins in the last three years. However, bringing in Aaron Rodgers has just put this division up for grabs again.
It will all begin on Monday Night Football with both these teams having the talent to compete for a top spot in the AFC. Aaron Rodgers vs Josh Allen will headline the matchup at quarterback. Other must-watch matchups will include Jets cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed against the Bills receiver tandem of Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis.
Week 5: Denver Broncos
For a while, this was just another game on the schedule for the Jets and the third year in a row they would visit Denver to play the Broncos. However, that changed a few weeks ago when Sean Payton made comments about former Broncos head coach and current Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
Hackett who was hired last offseason only lasted 15 games at the helm with Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos. Payton was hired back in February and made comments earlier this month on Hackett’s job as head coach. Payton called it “one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL.” These comments set many off in the Jets locker room including Aaron Rodgers who is extremely close with Hackett.
When the Jets visit Denver in week five expect them to come out with lots of energy rallying around Hackett who is well respected in the Jets locker room. Meanwhile, the Broncos will look to rack up early season success under Payton after a five-win season a year ago.
Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs
The defending Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs will visit MetLife Stadium for a primetime matchup on Sunday Night Football in week four. This will be the first time since 2017 that Kansas City travels to MetLife to face the Jets. This is another big early season test for the new-look Jets and will feature an exciting QB matchup.
The QB matchup is the biggest headline, this battle will feature Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes. Between these two quarterbacks, they have a combined six NFL MVPs, 15 Pro Bowls, and three Super Bowl Championships. Now for the first time, they will both battle for a top spot in the AFC. Robert Saleh will also be tasked with going up against Andy Reid on the opposite sideline. This will be a big early season test for Saleh to see how he matches up against one of the league’s best head coaches.
Week 8: New York Giants
Anytime these two teams meet it is always an exciting matchup as it is a battle between two teams in one city. This season is one of the most anticipated Jets vs Giants matchups in a long time with both teams having realistic playoff aspirations. The Giants coming off of a surprising nine-win playoff campaign in 2022, look to take another step in 2023.
It will be a quarterback matchup between two number eights. One of those eights is Daniel Jones, who is coming off of a career year in year number one under head coach Brian Daboll. His career year earned him a four-year contract extension in the offseason. Another matchup to watch will be the two running backs, Breece Hall for the Jets and Saquon Barkley for the Giants. Both teams have lots of talent on the defensive line it will be fun to watch which position has the edge in this matchup.
With both these teams expected to make noise in their respective conferences, this game should provide some major fireworks.
Week 3: New England Patriots
Sandwiched in between a road trip to Dallas and a Sunday Night home matchup against the Chiefs, the Jets will face off against the Patriots at home in week three. With the addition of Aaron Rodgers, Jets fans are asking the question once again. Is this the year we finally beat the Patriots?
The last time the Jets beat New England was in week 15 of 2015 when Eric Decker caught an overtime game-winning touchdown from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Since that week 15 victory, the Jets have gone 0-14 against the Patriots. On paper, this should finally be the year the Jets take down Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Coming close twice last year with poor quarterback play the Jets have the upper hand with Rodgers, while the Patriots roll out Mac Jones.
Out of the Jets’ first six opponents to start the season four of them were playoff teams last season. One of the two teams that weren’t are the Patriots, this is a game the Jets should win and should win it big.
