Flip the Script
Jets HC Robert Saleh is trying new tactics coming out of the bye week because the team is 0-2 in Saleh's tenure in the team's first game after the break.
"Just trying to tweak the schedule," he said. "The first year, it felt like we stayed on the gas and we did improve as the year went on. Last year, I felt like we may have taken too much off where it just kind of fizzled away. We're trying to find that happy medium because in Year 1 I felt like we got better as the year went on, finished strong. Last year, obviously we didn't. Somewhere there's a middle ground where we can keep guys fresh and healthy and try to finish this thing as strong as we can."
After a 7-4 start in the 2022 season heading into the bye week, the Green & White dropped six straight games. Like last season, the team entered its bye week after an emotional home victory – vs. Buffalo in 2022 and vs. Philadelphia two weeks ago. Saleh's parting message to the team last season was "finish," which was printed on Tshirts and hung in the players' lockers following the season finale at Miami.
Like last season, the Jets (3-3) are in the mix to make a playoff push as they embark on the final 11 games of the regular season.
"There's a lot of things I look at from an inward standpoint," Saleh said of last season. "Like what could I have done better from a scheduling standpoint to help our guys stay fresh? What could we have done from a practice standpoint to help our guys stay healthy? That's the big thing. What can we do to stay fresh, excited about the game and stay healthy at the same time? Some things you have no control over, so we've been diving into the schedule compared to a year ago, we tried changing things up, we're changing things up moving forward.
"Just trying to make sure we find that balance where we still hit what we're trying to hit from a preparation standpoint, but again, keeping our guys fresh both mentally and physically."
Uncertainty Under Center for Giants
QB Tyrod Taylor has started for the Giants in each of the last two games while Daniel Jones has been dealing with a neck injury. In Jones' weekly spot on "The Up & Adams Show" on Tuesday, he said he's "able to do everything I need to from a running, throwing, lifting standpoint. It's mostly a contact thing, proving I can handle that."
If the doctors don't clear Jones, it will be Taylor for a third straight week. Taylor, in his 13th season, led the Giants to a 14-7 win over the Commanders in Week 7. He threw for 279 yards and 2 touchdowns without an interception while completing 62.1% of his passes (18 of 29). At Buffalo the week before in a 14-9 loss, he threw for 200 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and completed 66.7% of his passes (24 of 36).
Favorable Matchup for Jets Defense
The Jets defense will have its most favorable matchup of the season Sunday against a Giants offense that ranks No. 29 and has allowed the second most sacks this season (37).
The Green & White's 41.9% pressure rate is the third-highest in the NFL and the Giants signal-callers have been pressured on 109 dropbacks in the 2023 season, tied for the third-most in the league. The Jets have a 37.0 QB pressure rate without blitzing (fourth-best) and an 18.7% blitz rate (second-lowest).
The Giants, however, could have All-Pro LT Andrew Thomas back in the lineup after he missed the last six games.
