As the festive period moves into overdrive, so does the football.
One of week 16’s most intriguing matchups sees the Jacksonville Jaguars take on the New York Jets, with plenty of storylines that spice up this NFL fixture even more.
With a quarterback drama of the type that absolutely no one wants brewing at the New York Jets, Saleh’s once surprise package of the year find themselves improbable but slim favorites against a quietly dangerous Jacksonville Jaguars outfit.
Let’s delve deeper, shall we?
>> Latest Jaguars vs Jets odds
Jaguars vs. Jets: Game Info, Date, Kick-Off Time & More
When Is the Jaguars vs. Jets Game?
The Jaguars and Jets’ upcoming week 16 clash takes place on December 22nd, 2022, at 8:15 PM Eastern.
Where Can I Watch the Jaguars vs. Jets?
The Jaguars and Jets game will be televised on Amazon Prime.
Who Are the Favorites in the Jaguars vs. Jets Game?
The New York Jets are current favorites by a slim margin of -2.
Where Is the Jaguars vs. Jets Game Being Played?
The game will take place on the Jets’ home field at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
Related Betting Guides:
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Jaguars vs. Jets: Breaking Down Each Team’s Chances
New York Jets
The Jets have home-field advantage and the favorites tag. The latter of which is a generous assessment for Robert Saleh’s team, who are quickly running out of all the goodwill they accumulated early this year.
Three defeats in the Jets’ last four games have seen a surprising start to the season grind almost to a halt.
They’ve gone from AFC East contenders to rock bottom in the standings, below even the somehow less impressive New England Patriots.
There are still many reasons to be hopeful about the Jets, not least in this matchup against the Jaguars.
The emergence of explosive runner Zonovan Knight has dulled the loss of their number one pick Breece Hall, and in Sauce Ahmad Gardener, they’ve found a certified star on the defensive side of the ball,
Robert Saleh, however, still has a problem at quarterback — and not the good kind.
Zach Wilson is back in the lineup after an injury to backup Mike White, and it really is the last chance for 2021’s number two pick to show he can be a solid starter in the league.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Do you hear that? It’s the winds of change.
For Jaguars fans who have been through the false dawns of Blake Bortles and Urban Meyers, it’s a very welcome one. It seems like it’s finally starting to click down there.
The Jaguars sit second in the AFC South with a middling 5-8 record.
Okay, so it’s not exactly a swashbuckling dominance, but if you look at how the team performed just a year ago, the improvement is dramatic.
It’s unlikely they’ll make the playoffs this year. They would have to manage an extraordinary unbeaten run to the end of the season and hope other results go their way.
But the future is bright for the Jags, and this matchup is more than winnable for Trev and the boys.
Will History Repeat Itself? Historic Jaguars vs. Jets Matchups
Although it’s not one of the great rivalries you hear about so much in the NFL — or even a rivalry at all — the New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars have served up some humdingers over the years. Here are a few of our favorites.
New York Jets 28 Jacksonville Jaguars 23: Turnover City
The Jags racked up four turnovers in this 2015 classic in which the NY Jets snapped a two-game losing streak thanks to some Fitzmagic and some good ol’ fashioned Bortles interceptions.
Ryan Fitzpatrick found Brandon Marshall in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown with 2:41 left on the clock. Bortles quickly got one back for the Jags after hitting Bryan Walters with 2:41 remaining.
Bortles had one last chance to get the Jags back in front with 1.05 left. His first pass was intercepted by Marcus Williams, and that was all she wrote for the NY Jets vs. Jaguars.
Jacksonville Jaguars 24 New York Jets 22: Rex’s Fury
Chalk this up to a tale of good ol’ fashioned communication, or at least a trainwreck of some.
This game saw both sides enter it with a 4-4 record and a chance to grab an advantage in a tiebreaker for the playoffs.
It was the Jags who ended up taking the initiative. Garrard led Jacksonville to the two-minute warning with just a field goal needed to win.
Rex Ryan knew they planned to run out the clock, so he ordered the team to let them score.
Someone along the line just didn’t get Rex’s message. Maurice Jones Drew was tackled at the 10-yard line, angering Rex enough to use his last time out to make sure the plan was hammered home.
It was a waste of time. MJD knew better by this point and kneeled at the one-yard line.
Josh Scobee ended up kicking the last-minute field goal as time expired, delighting those who’d purchased Jaguars tickets.
We’d have liked to have been a fly on the wall in the Jets dressing room that day.
New York Jets 34 Jacksonville Jaguars 24: Keyshawn Is the Key
This 1999 divisional round classic was probably the last time both teams were considered amongst the best in the league.
As far as the Jets were concerned, that may have had something to do with a certain Bill Belichick, who would leave the next season to become the New England Patriots head coach.
The Jets dominated the first half of this harshly fought game, looking like they’d go in 17-0 up.
Former Washington Huskies quarterback Mark Brunell had other ideas and hit Jimmy Smith on a 52-yard touchdown to get the Jags back in the game.
Ultimately though, the Jets stood tall and prevailed.
This victory was largely due to one Keyshawn Johnson, who finished with nine receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown, two rushes for 28 yards and another touchdown, plus a fumble recovery and an interception to boot.
Talk about stuffing the stat sheet.
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Key Players for the Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence
Whisper it, but it looks like one of the most heavily touted quarterback prospects of all time may be quietly starting to hit his potential.
Nobody could blame him for the mess Urban Meyer left him in last year.
It’s been a different story under Doug Pederson, though. That goes for the whole of the Jaguars roster, too.
Trevor Lawrence, in particular, has gone from strength to strength as the season has gone on, and he’ll be looking to continue his improvement against a Jets team currently in disarray.
Travis Etienne JR
Trevor’s Clemson co-star was perhaps lucky to avoid the mess that Urban Meyer turned the Jags into last year.
Still, people were concerned about the star running back’s recovery after a nasty Lisfranc injury sustained in last year’s pre-season.
He’s done enough this year to calm the nerves and show everyone how explosive he can be, not least in the running game but also a passing weapon for his former Clemson teammate Trevor Lawrence.
He’s been plagued by some inconsistency, but it’s nothing he won’t be able to shake off, especially against a middle-of-the-pack rushing defense like the New York Jets.
Key Players for New York Jets
Sauce Gardner
Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner seemed destined to be a star in the NFL, and his rookie season has proven it.
PFF has already ranked the charismatic cornerback as the best at his position in the league, with the year not even over.
As usual, he’ll be looking to make some big plays against the Jacksonville Jaguars and spoil any ideas Trevor and co. have of capitalizing on the Jets’ current shaky situation.
Zonovan Knight
When star rookie running back Breece Hall went down earlier in the year, it seemed inevitable Michael Carter would take his job back as the starter in the Jets backfield.
However, he, nor anyone else, it seems, had accounted for undrafted rookie Zonovan Knight.
Even after an injury let Knight in, he kept Carter out in the cold with his impressive performances in recent weeks.
With Zach Wilson getting his last chance to impress as a starter in the coming weeks, we’ll bank on him leaning heavily on the talented running game to give himself and the Jets the best chance of succeeding.
Luckily Zonovan ‘Bam’ Knight is ready and waiting to hit the turf and do the dirty work.
What Is the New York Jets Quarterback Controversy?
This offseason, the New York Jets will have to make some important and difficult decisions at quarterback.
This is not how they envisioned it would be after drafting Zach Wilson second in the 2021 NFL draft.
By and large, the BYU QB just hasn’t panned out. But you can learn a lot about a player in the face of adversity, and this is the first time in his young career he’s faced some after being benched recently in favor of Mike White.
The latter’s injury issues mean Wilson has been allowed a way back into the Jets lineup, leapfrogging the aging veteran Joe Flacco in the pecking order.
So what will it take to save his New York career, if it can be saved at all?
He’s going to have to finish spectacularly. But it’s not going to be easy. This young and exciting Jets team had issues gelling with Wilson that didn’t exist when Mike White took the starting role.
To put it plainly, Wilson has lost the locker room. That much is clear to everybody inside and outside the organization. But he has the rare opportunity to win it back.
A second chance that only a few inside this game are given.
It’s up to him to see what he does with it. But perhaps it’s too early to count him out just yet.
Who Will Jacksonville Jaguars Be Targeting in the 2023 NFL Draft?
The Jacksonville Jaguars have had the luxury of the number one pick for two years in a row, allowing them to draft one of football’s most elite prospects in Trevor Lawrence, along with versatile defender Travon Walker.
So, where will the Jags be looking in the 2023 draft?
They won’t have the luxury of the number one pick this time around, but there’s still plenty of talent ready and available for them to pick up.
The Jags currently rank as one of the worst passing defenses in the entire league, so it makes sense for them to be looking out for some cornerback talent in the first round of the draft.
Names like Christian Gonzalez of the Oregon Ducks and Joey Porter JR. of Penn State have been linked, depending on their final position within the draft.
Who Will New York Jets be Targeting in the 2023 NFL Draft?
This is potentially an interesting question for the Jets, and much of the answer depends on how Zach Wilson finishes his sophomore season with New York.
There are several areas the Jets can improve on. The most obvious is an upgrade on offensive tackle, with Mekhi Becton sorely disappointing in that regard. Names like Jaelyn Duncan of Maryland have been mentioned.
But if the Jets once again find themselves in the hunt for a signal caller, they may end up taking a gamble on Florida QB Anthony Richardson, a raw athlete with a huge arm.
Failing that, they may look to bolster their line back corps.
Links to players like Jack Campbell and Noah Sewell have materialized recently, but there’s still lots of time, and a lot could change between now and draft day.
Fantasy Football Spotlight: Who’s Projected Big for Jaguars vs. Jets?
Check out our quick primer on Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets players you may want to start in your fantasy teams this week.
Trevor Lawrence
Depending on how deep the leagues you’re in, you may or may not have the opportunity to pick Lawrence up as your starting QB this week.
Either that or you’ve had the foresight to stash him so no one else can.
T-Law has been quietly improving week after week, and a middle-of-the-road passing defense like the Jets should present him with no issues capitalizing on his recent strong performances.
Christian Kirk
The Jaguars’ surprise big-money acquisition at wide receiver perhaps wasn’t the weapon many people were hoping Lawrence would be paired up with this off-season.
However, Kirk has largely proved critics wrong, putting in a solid year. He’ll be the first to benefit from a strong Lawrence showing, especially in PPR formats.
Zonovan Knight
There’s no reason the explosive undrafted running back out of NC state won’t continue his short-term ascension against a lackluster Jaguars defense.
Expect a solid outing and an easy double-digit showing on the night.
Garrett Wilson
Although the quarterback situation at New York is far from clear, Garrett Wilson has shown himself to be a dynamic rookie receiver who can put up numbers regardless of who’s under center for the Jets.
While the situation is much more favorable under White, we feel comfortable giving him the start under Wilson too, and his addition may prove to be crucial by the time the game ends.
Jaguars vs. Jets is the Underrated Festive Showdown You Didn’t Realise You Were Looking Forward To
Hey, we know there are more appealing matchups on the week 16 slate, but come on, you can’t deny the intrigue of this regular season matchup on paper.
To us, it’s another potentially great football game. To Zach Wilson, it’s one of the defining games of his early career — try telling him that this TNF matchup doesn’t mean anything!
So do yourself a favor and get in the festive football spirit this Thursday night and gear yourself up for some football. You’ve earned it.
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