Say what you will about last week’s monotonous 13-10 overtime win against the rudderless Giants, but — barring the Week 2 blowout to Dallas — the Jets have grinded it out in every game this season, no matter the feat.
Their other two losses have been from within one possession, as the Jets’ defense yields 4.9 yards per play despite whatever Zach Wilson can or cannot muster that given day.
His hesitant decision-making is a clear hindrance to the offense. For what it is worth, Wilson will see friendlier avenues against the Chargers’ third-worst passing secondary in the NFL on Monday.
Jets vs. Chargers prediction
(8:15 p.m. ET. ESPN)
That’s not to say he will answer the bell as he owns a 58.3 completion percentage, but Los Angeles does give plenty of opportunity for gain; it has forced a grand total of six turnovers through seven games and ranks No. 27 in defensive DVOA. So, both sides must be salivating here.
The Chargers have just been brutally inconsistent all season.
They set things back on course with a 30-13 victory against Chicago, but the Jets league-leading 29.2 pressure rate could cause disruption for Justin Herbert, who leads a below-average offense in first downs.
There hasn’t been much to go around in the passing game other than to Keenan Allen.
He leads the rest of the receiving corps by over five targets per game, so it will be interesting to see how the veteran pass catcher evades Sauce Gardner as it’s becoming evident Herbert is a one-trick pony with Mike Williams out for the season.
What has been most disappointing with the Chargers is their ineffectiveness in the run game. It is well below the league average in yards and attempts with a weapon like Austin Ekeler.
He serves as a trusty extra target, but he hasn’t rushed for more than 45 yards in any of his three games since returning from injury.
Betting on the NFL?
Los Angeles needs this game to stay within the AFC West mix while the Jets keep outperforming the odds.
Their hard wearing front facing the one-dimensional Chargers offense and Wilson’s flakiness against a secondary as green as “go’’ seem to negate each other, which is why this clash should make for another stubborn scoreboard at MetLife.
THE PLAY: Under 39.5 (-110 at BetMGM)
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