The New York Jets open their 2018 season by traveling to Detroit to face the Lions on September 10, 2018 at the Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
Not much is expected of these two teams this season. The Lions are coming off a season where they barely missed the postseason with their 9-6 record. Meanwhile, the Jets finished at the bottom of the AFC East with their 5-11 standing.
After going 0-16 in 2008, the Detroit Lions have been a mediocre team. The Lions enjoyed some success, like when they went 11-5 in 2014 but they have not been able to push forward as they’ve gone 0-3 in the playoffs over that period. Detroit had a relatively quiet offseason and they are bringing in a new head coach so nobody is really expecting much from the Lions.
The Jets have failed to finish with a winning record in five out of the last seven seasons. Last season, the Jets were 5-11, the same record they had in 2016. New York has not made the playoffs since 2010 and with head coach Todd Bowles entering his fourth season, time is ticking on this team. With the arrival of their new franchise quarterback, the Jets hope to turn things around soon.
History is set to be made as Sam Darnold, the 3rd overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft, will become the youngest player to start at quarterback in the modern era. At 21 years and 97 days old, Darnold’s NFL debut will be on full display as the game will be the first installment of the NFL’s Monday Night Football for the 2018 season.
The Jets’ top rookie had an impressive preseason and instead of playing him next to Teddy Bridgewater or Josh McCown in the regular season, the team has given the kid the keys to the car after they traded Bridgewater to the New Orleans Saints. But while Darnold has the tools to be great, it remains to be seen how he handles the pressure of being the starter. It will also be interesting to see how he adjusts to the regular season game speed and the fact that he is making his first career start on the road in the first Monday Night Football game of the season.
The Jets have a capable offense around him. Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse are the Jets’ top two receivers. Anderson is dealing with legal issues and is under review by the league. Kearse suffered an abdominal injury in preseason but has recently returned to practice. It’s not sure if both will play against the Lions but even if they will, you have to ask if they are both 100%. Bilal Powell and Isaiah Crowell will lead the Jets’ running game but everything will go back to how well Darnold plays in this contest.
The Lions fired Jim Caldwell despite three winning seasons and two playoff appearances in his four year tenure. Replacing Caldwell is former New England Patriots Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia. Patricia’s arrival is expected to improve the Lions’ defense but despite their new coach, Detroit gave up a preseason high 27.8 points per game.
Detroit has not had a head coach last for more than four seasons since Wayne Fontes left in 1996. The constant changing of coaches could be the reason why the Lions have not found sustained success and playoff wins. They hope the Belichick mentored Patricia is the guy who brings stability to the team.
Not much changes for the Detroit offense as it is still Matt Stafford calling the plays for the Lions. Despite the lack of playoff success, Stafford remains as one of the top tier quarterbacks in the NFL. He’s thrown for more than 4,000 yards in seven straight seasons and is nearing 35,000 total yards in his career. Stafford had 29 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions last season.
The Lions have won six out of their last seven season openers while the Jets have been as good with five wins in their last seven opening games. The Jets have won just once in their last seven games and are winless in their last five road games. On the other hand, the Lions have won six out of their last nine games and 10-5 in their last 15 games at home.
Sam Darnold is making history by starting on Monday but he’ll also need to make history to help his team beat the Lions. No starting quarterback aged 21 years old has won on opening night in the last 30 years. That may be too much to ask for Sam Darnold at this stage of his NFL career.
Meanwhile, the Lions will ride the consistency of Matt Stafford. If Golden Tate and Marvin Jone Jr, both 1,000 yard receivers last season, can get going early, expect an easier outing for the Lions. We’re picking the Detroit Lions to beat the New York Jets on 9/8/18.
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