The New York Jets’ disastrous season continues when they host the Houston Texans on the latest edition of Thursday Night Football.
The Jets came into the season with a ton of fanfare, a ton of hype, yet the results have been an abject disappointment. Can the Jets gain some momentum with a win over one of the AFC’s top teams in primetime? Who should you back at online sportsbooks to make a winning NFL pick?
NFL Pick
- Houston Texans ML (+102) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Houston Texans vs. New York Jets
Thursday, October 31, 2024 – 08:15 PM ET at MetLife Stadium
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans improved to 6-2 with a 23-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. It was another big game for Texans running back Joe Mixon, who rushed for 102 yards with a touchdown in the win. Mixon became the first player in the history of the NFL to have a TD run and at least 100 yards rushing in four of his first five games with a new team.
The Texans’ defense looked excellent against the Colts and were getting pressure on Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson all day. The Texans are a well-balanced team on offense and defense. The Texans will look to continue that momentum when they take on the floundering New York Jets.
New York Jets
The New York Jets are quickly realizing that the actual game of football is nothing like the fantasy football that has become so popular in our nation. The Jets added an old quarterback who has lost all semblance of mobility, that quarterback pressed to have their excellent defensive head coach fired, and the Jets have become a disaster on all fronts.
The Jets’ decision to fire head coach Robert Saleh was the latest in their disastrous moves. The Jets essentially jettisoned the best coach on their staff. While interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich might end up being good, throwing a coach with no head coach experience into this role with the team struggling so hard hurt the team immensely.
Ulbrich lost the wisdom that Saleh had and now has to focus on all 52 men instead of just worrying about the defense. This has made the defense much worse. And being a defensive head coach he needs to have good offensive coordinators in place. Unfortunately for the Jets, they have two of the worst offensive minds in football in Nathaniel Hackett and Todd Downing. Neither man has had success at all in the NFL, and for a defensive first head coach, they’re not the type of offensive coordinators that you can rely on.
Caught Up in the Hype
The Jets thought they had solved their problem when they added WR Davante Adams. I don’t see why they thought this would solve the problem. In watching the game against the Bills, in no way did I ever think, “boy, the wide receivers are the problem.” WRs Garrett Wilson and Alan Lazard were doing their jobs. The problem was that the Jets could not run block very well, they could not protect the quarterback for more than 3 seconds, and they couldn’t stop the run on defense. Davante Adams does nothing to address these deficiencies.
The Jets sold their soul to a quarterback who has passed his prime. Now they are reaping the ramifications of choosing big names over quality football players. Once again, the disaster that is the Jets organization is at the forefront of a national primetime game.
Key Matchup: Texas Defensive Line vs. Jets Offensive Line
With every single game that we preview on the Jets this season, their offensive line matchup will be the key. The Jets were built to be a run-first team behind the strength of RB Breece Hall and RB Braelon Allen. However, if the Jets cannot establish the run game, they cannot pass-protect well enough for Aaron Rodgers to make do with his limited mobility.
If the Jets are going to save their season they’re going to need to do so tonight and that starts with winning the battle up front. For the Jets to try and salvage their season they’re going to need better blocking in both the run and pass game.
The Pick
I think this line is an absolute joke. The Texans should be favored. There’s no way the Jets should be favored against a good football team right now. They’re coming off an awful loss to one of the worst teams in the NFL, the New England Patriots. Now, they face a true contender in the AFC, a team that is balanced on both sides of the ball and well coached.
There’s no aspect of this game where the Jets have the advantage. Houston has the better line of scrimmage play, the better quarterback play and a much better defense. This line is a gift. Take advantage of the media’s infatuation with the big names on the Jets and take the real football franchise the Houston Texans.
NFL Pick: Houston Texans ML (+102) at Bet365
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