Jets Clash with Cardinals: What to Expect in Week 10
The 3-6 New York Jets hoped to have found their spark in a monster second half against the Houston Texans in last week’s Thursday Night game. The Jets need to make an incredible run if they want to solidify their playoff hopes, and the win over the Texans snapped a devastating five-game losing streak. This West Coast battle against the Arizona Cardinals is a must-win to build momentum and string together wins. Facing the NFC West’s division leader, the Jets enter another pivotal battle to inch closer to a positive record.
“It was kind of season on the line,” said quarterback Aaron Rodgers about the win over the Texans. “We wouldn’t have been mathematically done, but it would have been tough to come back from.” With the Jets gaining confidence and momentum, the goal is once again to make a run. The Jets seemed to have found their formula for success, with the offense opening up and the defense getting back to the basics.
They will need all hands on deck to stop the Cardinals, who are on a three-game win streak. The biggest difference in the game will be on the ground. In their last three games, the Jets have allowed 149.3 rushing yards per game, the eighth-worst in the NFL. The Cardinals offense has been red hot rushing the ball, going for 158.7 rushing yards per game, the sixth-best in the NFL.
If the Jets can find a way to slow down the combination of James Conner’s hard rushing and Kyler Murray’s ability on the ground at quarterback, they give themselves a great chance to win the game. The Cardinals passing game has struggled and the Jets second-best in the league secondary have done a great job in the red zone and preventing big plays. Assuming this trend continues, if the defense can handle business in the run game, the Jets can put the ball in Rodgers’ hands to feed his newest polished receiving duo in Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams, giving themselves a great chance to win the game.
Now that the Jets have finally made a breakthrough, they look to go undefeated until their bye week, which is just two weeks away. This would put the team at 5-6 in position to make a run towards the end of their schedule. However, it’s one game at a time. If they can continue to put it together, the Cardinals are a team that can be knocked off of their winning streak and propel the Jets further in the standings.
