There were plenty of big highlight-reel plays to go around last week for the Seattle Seahawks in their big win over the San Francisco 49ers. Unfortunately for the Jets, the same can’t be said for them, as they were on the wrong side of a 24-3 beat down by the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs.
To begin this breakdown, we start up front with a shaky Seattle offensive line going up against a Jets defensive line that is not only the anchor for their defense, but perhaps their whole team. Leonard Williams already has as many sacks as he did a year ago (three). He seems to be a fine fit playing as a nose tackle in the Jets 3-4 scheme, or 0 technique. But when needed, he can instantly become a 3-technique to rush the passer.
Other guys along the line like Sheldon Richardson, Steve McLendon and Muhammed Wilkerson all present problems in their own right. On top of their pass rush, the Jets have some long arms up front that could create narrow throwing lanes for the short Russell Wilson (5’11”). Seattle has already allowed seven quarterback sacks this season. The Jets have nine sacks, which is tied for fourth in the league.
It’s been well noted throughout the league thus far that Seattle is not stout on their offensive line. Last week against San Fransisco, they were able to create some explosive plays in both the downfield passing game and the running game, which kept the Niners pass rush to a minimum. The Chiefs used quick crossing routes and misdirection runs to befuddle the Jets pass rush early on Sunday. We’ll see how the Seahawks address the issue up front.
Pete Carroll made it clear on Wednesday per Pro Football Talk that he would be shocked if Wilson didn’t play (sprained MCL). Trevone Boykin is the backup and played 23 snaps last week. Wilson is listed as probable, however.
Either way, he won’t be 100 percent, so the Jets getting pressure on Wilson via the blitz is what can be expected.
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The Jets quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick is likely counting down the minutes to this game, as he desperately wants to forget about last weeks six interception game against the Chiefs. Things won’t get any easier for him this week though, as he faces a Seattle pass defense that ranks second in the NFL. Five of his INTs came in the second half of the game while two of them were in the red zone.
Part of the reason he had so many was because no one was open, a frequent theme throughout the game. In all likelihood, there won’t be too many receivers wide open in this game against Seattle either. It’ll be up to Fitzpatrick to play a smarter game, but also help make some splash plays to keep the Jets in it.
Odds
Believe it or not, Seattle is 2.5 road favorites with an OVER/UNDER in this one of 40.5, which seems about right. The Jets will be in for a rude awakening with an offensive performance like the one last week. While they’re well known for their ability to connect on the deep ball downfield, perhaps we will see the Jets look to screen plays and dump offs to give Fitzpatrick some confidence back after last week.
Next: Ryan Fitzpatrick's bad day
Prediction
Well, the Jets can dump it off as much as they want to Matt Forte or Bilal Powell, this Seahawks team is as fast as any defense in the NFL. They storm to the ball, and even though they have lost pieces over the years, they’re a dominant group and will force Fitzpatrick to beat them throwing the ball 10+ yards downfield. How will Fitzpatrick hold up?