Prediction Panel Picking Falcons to Take Flight vs. Jets

MMQB Majority expects Gang Green to suffer fifth loss in a row

Author:
Ralph Ventre
Publish date:
Dec 2, 2023 11:36 AM EST

In this story:

A December home game against a dome team that has a losing record provides a near-perfect opportunity for the New York Jets to snap their four-game slide.

Not everyone sees it that way, however, especially the majority of Sports Illustrated's weekly predictions panel. Picking every game on the NFL's Week 13 slate, five of seven panelists sided with the visiting Atlanta Falcons over the Jets.

Only senior staffers Albert Breer and Conor Orr bucked the trend and picked the Jets (4-7) to prevail over the Falcons (5-6) on December 3 in East Rutherford.

All MMQB weekly selections are straight up. On the betting line, the Falcons opened as 2.5-point road favorites but SI Sportsbook has since dropped the spread down to 1.5 points. The Jets have failed to cover the point spread in any of their last four games. Money line bettors must lay -133 odds to back the Falcons while the Jets offer +110 odds in return.

A Week 13 loss would all but eliminate any postseason possibilities for the Jets, who have fallen into a tie for 13th place in the AFC standings.

"We have got to continue the same approach with regards to mindset and training ourselves to approach every moment like a championship moment," said Jets' third-year head coach Robert Saleh. "Our backs are up against a wall, and we have to continue swinging."

While the Jets haven't won since a Week 8 overtime triumph over the New York Giants, the Falcons are coming off a November 26 home victory over the NFC South rival New Orleans Saints. Second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder was back at the controls for Atlanta, finishing 13-of-21 passing for 168 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the 24-15 win.

"Ridder, we had him at the Senior Bowl," said Saleh of the 2022 third-round draft pick. "I think he’s a young, exciting, quarterback. He’s just got that bravado to him, just remembering from the Senior Bowl, that’s contagious."

The Jets head into battle with Tim Boyle as the starting quarterback for the second week in a row. The 29-year-old Boyle was intercepted twice and sacked seven times in the 34-13 home loss to Miami on Black Friday.

"There’s things that he could have done better, there’s things that he had no control over and I know he battled out there," said Saleh.

This week, Boyle faces an Atlanta pass defense that ranks 10th amongst NFL leaders for allowing 209.1 yards per game through the air.

"They are very good. The two corners on the outside are probably the most aggressive corners I have seen all year," said Jets' offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on Thursday. "They want to get after you, so I think that is going to be a great challenge for our wide receivers to have to go against the man coverage. Those safeties do a great job of reading the quarterbacks eyes."