Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports
Morning After Takeaways from 2023 Jets' Schedule Unveiling
The schedule has been set for quarterback Aaron Rodgers' first season as a Jet.
The National Football League released the 2023 NFL Schedule powered by AWS, including the New York Jets' complete 17-game slate, on Thursday night.
The Jets' Week 1 opponent went public during the Thursday morning edition of ABC's Good Morning America. Troy Aikman joined the show to unveil the Jets-Bills Monday Night Football matchup.
When the dust finally settled, Gang Green landed six standalone featured games.
"All the nationally televised games, all of that stuff is great," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh during NFL Network's coverage of the schedule release. "It's great for the fans. It's great for everybody, but at the end of the day, we don't take care of today, then tomorrow won't matter."
Here are five noteworthy takeaways from the Jets' 2023 Schedule:
The Aaron Rodgers Effect
Even with the power of the New York media market behind them, the Jets received only one primetime exposure in 2022 - a December date against the Jaguars on Thursday Night Football.
One year later, Gang Green is flush with six standalone featured games and it has everything to do with their new quarterback.
Longtime NFL insider Peter King called it in his "Football Morning In America" column almost two months ago.
“The league loves Aaron Rodgers. The league will try to capitalize on the fascination of Rodgers changing teams to have a ratings bonanza in week one,” wrote King in "FMIA" on March 20. "If you love the Jets and are used to settling in at 1 o’clock Sunday to watch them, those days are over. In 2023, anyway."
The Jets' 2023 slate is loaded with marquee opponents, and Rodgers' arrival made those matchups even more appealing for primetime television. NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North admitted as much.
"As such, obviously, they [the Jets] play the Bills twice, they've got an incredible schedule this year. They play Kansas City, they play Dallas, they play Philly. If Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback, we're going to do something with those games. If Aaron Rodgers isn't the quarterback of the Jets, we're going to do something with those games, but maybe not as much," said North as a guest on Audacy's "It's Always Gameday in Buffalo" podcast.
Gang Green will make two Sunday Night Football appearances this year after last playing in the high-profile time slot during the 2011 campaign when Rex Ryan was still at the helm. The Jets also have two scheduled MNF dates to go along with a late-December TNF battle against the Browns and the first-ever NFL Black Friday game.
That Four-Game Season-Opening Gauntlet
The stretch opens with the reigning three-time AFC East champion Buffalo Bills and ends with the Super Bowl LVII champion Kansas City Chiefs.
In between, there's a trip to the Dallas Cowboys and a home battle against Bill Belichick's New England Patriots.
The Jets' first four games present an early test on a national stage with the Bills meeting slated for Monday Night Football (Sep. 11) and the Chiefs' matchup set for Sunday Night Football (Oct. 1).
The Patriots are viewed externally as the "least-difficult" opponent of the bunch, coming off an 8-9 season. The four foes accounted for a combined 47-20 record (.701) in 2022.
To put it bluntly, the Jets will have no time to get acclimated with their new quarterback once the season kicks off. They'll have to have it together by Week 1 or they could be looking at a 1-3 start.
Done With AFC West after Week 10
The three-year non-divisional game rotation pits AFC East teams against AFC West teams in 2022, but the Jets won't face any of those opponents during the season's stretch run.
After hosting Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs on SNF in Week 4, Gang Green visits Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos one week later on October 8.
The Green & White will open November with back-to-back primetime affairs against AFC West foes.
The Jets welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to MetLife Stadium for Monday Night Football on November 6. It'll be the first time that Rodgers faces a Justin Herbert-led opponent.
Then, it's off to Las Vegas for a SNF date with the Raiders on November 12. It'll be a reunion for Rodgers and former Packers' All-Pro receiver Davante Adams.
Two Huge Division Games in Six Days
The Jets will face two AFC East foes sandwiched around the Thanksgiving holiday.
First, it's a road game at the Bills on Sunday, November 19.
Then, it's back to MetLife Stadium for the first-ever NFL Black Friday game against the Dolphins on November 24.
Gang Green cornerback Sauce Gardner will have his hands full dealing with star receivers Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill in back-to-back weeks. Both games will likely carry serious weight in the race for the playoffs.
Fall Travel Break
In terms of travel, the 2023 schedule doesn't demand much of the Jets.
There are no trips to Europe or California on the docket. Outside of two games in Las Vegas and Denver, the squad won't earn many frequent flier miles this fall.
Gang Green, which will play three of the season's first four games at home, embarks on a travel-less stretch after a Week 5 visit to the Broncos.
The Jets won't have to leave North Jersey from Weeks 6 through 9.
They'll host the Philadelphia Eagles on October 15 followed by a Week 7 bye. In Week 8, the Green & White will be the "away" team against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Then, it's a Week 9 home game against the Chargers on MNF (Nov. 6).
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