NY Jets must account for this offensive wrinkle vs. Raiders

A win today for the New York Jets is crucial to keep their 2026 season alive.

While their opponents, the Las Vegas Raiders, have lost their past four games, don’t be fooled: they have a high-powered passing attack. They’re tied for the most passing touchdowns (16) and have the third-most passing yards (1,883).

In particular, New York must be ready to defend against this tendency from Klint Kubiak’s aerial game.

Jets must be prepared for this

In 2025, one of the league’s top trends was the increased use of 12 personnel packages (1 RB/2 TE/2 WR) and the success that came with them.

Over seven games this season, the Raiders have fully embraced it. They lead the league in 12 personnel usage, deploying it on 49.9% of their offensive plays. Not only do they lead the league, but their mark is also 16 percentage points higher than the third-place Chicago Bears. That is steeper than the difference between the Bears and the 22nd-ranked Tennessee Titans.

That’s a lot of two-tight-end football, and the Jets will need to be ready.

It’s even more interesting when you look into how the Raiders use those packages. While 12 personnel is typically used more in rushing situations, Brock Bowers is one of the league’s best receiving tight ends, and the Raiders use him accordingly.

Bowers against the Jets’ secondary is one of the most intriguing matchups today, especially given how he is used. Las Vegas counts on Bowers as their main source of explosive plays downfield. According to Next Gen Stats, 33.7% of his routes have been on verticals. He leads all tight ends in targets (20), receptions (13), and receiving yards (249) on such routes.

The Jets haven’t struggled or thrived against 12 personnel in passing situations. According to FTN Fantasy, the Jets rank 15th in defensive passing DVOA against 12 personnel (6.2%), right around the league average.

The difficulty, though, is that you can’t treat Bowers like a traditional tight end. He must be accounted for in the vertical game because his explosiveness lets him dominate.

This will be a huge test for the Jets’ defense. They will be without David Bailey and T’Vondre Sweat, so it’ll be even harder for them to generate push up front. For New York to hold up in coverage, the team needs to win more consistently in the trench game, which they have struggled to do in recent weeks.

Kirk Cousins is similar to Jets QB Geno Smith in the sense that if he has enough time, he will make plays. On 177 attempts in a clean pocket this season, Cousins has completed 71.2% of his passes for 1,399 yards (7.9 yards per attempt), 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Meanwhile, on 80 attempts under pressure, he owns a 43.8% completion rate with 478 yards (6.0 YPA), two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

New York has what it takes to beat the Raiders. However, their inability to make high-leverage stops has haunted them this season, and that can’t repeat today, particularly when the Raiders come at them with their best weapon: Bowers out of two-tight end looks.

The Jets know what is coming today: a heavy dose of 12 personnel. To emerge with a victory, the Jets need to have a plan to limit Bowers and the Raiders’ 12 personnel success.