3 Reasons Jets Will Beat Packers in Week 2

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Last week, the New York Jets were the better team than the Tennessee Titans. They used that to their advantage, blowing out the lowly Titans by a 23-10 final score.
Week 2's opponent will be much tougher. The Green Bay Packers walk into MetLife Stadium following a disappointing 39-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings to open the year. Green Bay has history of slow starts to the season, especially under head coach Matt LaFleur. Perhaps that is why the Pack are still favorites in this game despite several key pieces along their offensive and defensive fronts.
But when it comes to this new-look Jets team, confidence is at an all-time high. And that confidence is what will get the team to pull off an upset against the Packers on Sunday.
1. Jets' roster is better...right now
If both teams were healthy going into Week 2, the Packers should be able to easily claim the title of "best roster on the field."
But the teams aren't healthy going into Sunday. Green Bay will not have their starting running back, defensive tackles, and top edge rusher in Micah Parsons. Their offensive line is also banged up across the board. New York has its share of injuries as well, but their injuries do not hold the kind of impact that the Packers are dealing with.
That leads to only one conclusion. New York is the better team walking into Week 2. Their offensive line is better, their defensive line will cause problems, and their skill room is closer to what the Packers are working with than anyone would admit.
Jets fans may feel uncomfortable with this fact, but their team is more talented than Green Bay walking into Week 2.
2. Geno Smith owns Jonathan Gannon
Walking into Sunday, it's clear that the Packers have one of their lone advantages at quarterback Jordan Love is a better signal-caller than Geno Smith. The problem for Green Bay is that Love will be going up against head coach Aaron Glenn's defense, while Smith will be taking on Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
Love and the Packers' offensive struggles against Glenn's defenses are well documented. Green Bay scores two points fewer on average than their normal average.
It's Smith's success over Gannon's defense, though, that gives the Jets a major advantage. Smith is 4-0 with a completion percentage of over 70 percent and six touchdowns. Gannon's Cover-4 scheme is predicated on giving up shorter passes while daring quarterbacks to push the ball downfield. Smith is one of the few quarterbacks in the modern league who enjoys going up against that very coverage.
And as long as he plays like he did in Week 1, it should be another successful start for Smith against the Packers.
3. Packers have history of faceplants
Last season, the Packers lost games to the five-win Cleveland Browns, and tied a seven-win Dallas Cowboys roster. The year before that, they lost to a five-win Chicago Bears roster. What do these examples show?
The Packers are susceptible to faceplanting against teams they should blow out.
Even with the Jets owning more talent than them (primarily based on injuries), Green Bay is favored to win this contest. With so many years of blown leads and being unable to show up in games they should win, this is the perfect kind of matchup for New York.
If they win, it will be a monumental upset that will catch the eyes of the league. A loss will simply be what is expected and nothing more.
When it comes to the Packers, though, don't underestimate their ability to give losses away to opposing teams. They may be consistent playoff teams, but they haven't exactly been dominant each season either during that same stretch.
And that will lead to a Jets win on Sunday.
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Nick covers the NFL for Sports Illustrated/FN. He was previously on the New York Jets' beat for AM New York with prior experience reporting on the New York Islanders and the Philadelphia Eagles. The New York City resident is also an Adjunct Professor at LIU Brooklyn.
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