3 potential X-factors on the Jets offense vs. Packers in Week 2
· Yahoo Sports
Every week in the NFL provides tests, this one doubly so. The New York Jets need all hands on deck for a home win vs. the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. They do, however, need the right players to consistently win their individual battles, particularly with the Packers coming off a Week 1 performance that exposed some vulnerabilities.
The Jets enter their home opener 1-0 and have already shown they can control a game with efficient quarterback play and a productive running attack. The challenge now is determining whether that formula can work against a Green Bay team that will be looking to respond after its collapse against the Minnesota Vikings.
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Here are the offensive X-factors who could have the biggest impact on whether the Jets start the season 2-0. If this game results in a win, you may hear all of their names several times.
Geno Smith, quarterback
It's almost too obvious to put Smith on an X-factors list, but leaving him off would also be difficult to justify considering the quarterback duel awaiting him on Sunday.
Smith played an efficient game in the Jets' Week 1 victory, completing 19 of 24 passes for 215 yards without an interception. Now he gets a home opener against Jordan Love and a Packers defense that will be looking to make life much more difficult than the Tennessee Titans did.
The good news for Smith is that Frank Reich's offense doesn't appear to require him to do everything himself. The Jets can run the football, use their tight ends, and create opportunities downfield when the protection holds up. If Smith can stay efficient while avoiding the pressure situations that allowed Minnesota to overwhelm Love, New York should have opportunities to move the football.
Kenyon Sadiq and Mason Taylor, tight ends
The Packers allowed T.J. Hockenson 36 yards and a TD on four catches in Week 1, and Minnesota may have had opportunities for more. Kenyon Sadiq can feast in this one if utilized, and exploring ways to attack Green Bay's second level could help Mason Taylor gain some momentum after a quiet opener
Breece Hall and Braelon Allen, running backs
The Jets' running game should have opportunities to create explosive plays against Green Bay, but balance will be just as important as the occasional big gain. Breece Hall showed in Week 1 that he can carry a significant workload, rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against Tennessee. The Jets also have Braelon Allen available to keep the backfield fresh and maintain pressure on a defense that will have to account for both runners.
That becomes particularly important if New York can control the clock. The Jets dominated time of possession in their opener, holding the football for nearly 39 minutes, and another performance like that would keep Love and the Packers' offense standing on the sideline. The objective isn't simply to run the ball as many times as possible. It's to make Green Bay respect the run enough that Reich can continue mixing in everything else.
Worth mentioning: Jason Sanders, kicker
Jason Sanders is an X-factor in every sense of the word, particularly if this game turns into the kind of fourth-quarter contest where every possession matters. Glenn has confirmed that Sanders will handle the kicking duties Sunday after he went 3-for-4 on field-goal attempts in the season opener, including makes from 51 and 52 yards, while also recovering from a 54-yard miss.
The Jets would prefer not to put Sanders in a position where one kick determines the outcome, but that's precisely why he belongs on this list. Field goals can become especially important in a matchup that features two offenses capable of moving the football and defenses capable of creating difficult stretches. Nobody around the Jets wants to spend Sunday afternoon wondering whether a late field-goal attempt will decide the home opener, but Sanders now has an opportunity to provide some confidence when that moment arrives.
The Jets don't need one offensive star to carry them Sunday. They need Smith to stay composed, Hall and Allen to keep the Packers honest, the tight ends to exploit the middle of the field and Reich to keep finding favorable matchups. If those pieces work together, New York should give itself a legitimate opportunity to control the game rather than simply react to Green Bay's offense.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: 3 potential X-factors on the Jets offense vs. Packers in Week 2