The New York Jets are 2-5, making them one of the NFL’s most disappointing teams relative to on-paper talent level.

Even so, the Jets can still step to the podium and make every excuse in the book. Whether it’s the injuries, the strength of the schedule, or the magical, hidden growth they are making behind the scenes that somehow never shows up on gameday, New York is masterfully dodging criticism for another year of losing.

Fresh off a home loss to the previously lead-less Miami Dolphins, though, the Jets are quickly running out of excuses. With the Las Vegas Raiders and their four-game losing streak traveling across the country to MetLife Stadium this week, New York won’t have any valid excuses left if they fall to 2-6.

These three Jets, in particular, could not ask for a better “get-right” matchup this week, so if they falter against Las Vegas, their excuses will be spent.

Your team. Your final drive.

Jet X Final Drive

Ten Jets eras. One defining finish.
Take the headset when the game is on the line.

Call the plays, manage the clock and chase a score—or make the stop. Choose your era and log in to post Coach Points.

Learn More

Explore Final Drive and choose your era. Fresh situations. Every time.

DT Jowon Briggs

Jowon Briggs came out of the 2025 season as the Jets’ best player-development story and one of their highest-upside defenders going into 2026. He emerged as a potential star pass rusher on the interior, posting the third-best pass-rush win rate among all defensive tackles from Weeks 10-18.

However, the Jets buried Briggs on their depth chart in the summer, which carried into the regular season. The third-year man was poised to play a minimal role until David Onyemata’s injury thrust him back into the starting lineup.

Since stepping back into a starting spot, Briggs has shown why the Jets were skeptical to rely on him. His pass-rush win rate is less than a third of what it was last year, and his run defense has been a major liability.

Time is running out for Briggs to recapture his late-2025 promise and show that he is more than an expendable role player. If he can’t step up against the Raiders of all teams, the Jets may start writing him out of their future plans.

Las Vegas’ running game has been the worst in the NFL by a longshot over their four-game losing streak, ranking 32nd in both rushing yards per game (55.8) and yards per rush attempt (2.8). Outspoken running back Ashton Jeanty is the league’s easiest high-volume running back to tackle; his average of 0.094 missed tackles forced per carry ranks last among the 27 running backs with at least 100 carries.

Meanwhile, Briggs is one of the top culprits for a Jets run defense that has become pillow-soft. Since Week 3, the Jets are allowing a league-worst 9.2 rushing first downs per game, and over that same stretch, Briggs ranks last on the team with a 44.4 run defense grade at Pro Football Focus.

Briggs has to prove that he can at least play solid run defense against a bottom-of-the-barrel run game. If he can’t do that, it will be difficult to envision a long-term role for him in New York.

With the Jets’ top run-stuffer, T’Vondre Sweat, going on injured reserve this week, Briggs will be counted on immensely to carry the Jets’ run defense. This is a golden opportunity for him to rebuild his standing within the organization.

OC Frank Reich

The Jets are the NFL’s worst offensive team after crossing the 50-yard line, and much of that falls on offensive coordinator Frank Reich, who is struggling to cook up easy answers for his players in that half of the field.

New York is particularly brutal in the red zone, ranking 31st with a 45% touchdown conversion rate. Well, something has to give this week. In comes the flimsy Las Vegas defense, which ranks 29th with a 78.6% touchdown conversion rate allowed in the red zone.

Las Vegas’ red zone defense has specifically struggled to stop teams through the air. The Raiders have allowed a league-high 14 red zone touchdown passes, with no interceptions.

It’s been a rough go for first-year defensive coordinator Rob Leonard. Opposing offenses are scheming receivers open with ease in the red zone; only 23.7% of the Raiders’ opponent red-zone pass attempts were charted as “tight-window throws”, ranking sixth-lowest in the NFL.

This opens up a get-right opportunity for Reich, who hasn’t been able to scheme up aerial success in the red zone. New York has thrown only five red zone touchdowns this year, the seventh-fewest, and of those, three were thrown into extremely tight windows. Only two were wide open.

If Reich can’t scheme receivers open in the red zone against a first-year DC who has been allowing wide-open red zone touchdowns galore, we will probably have enough evidence to chalk Reich up as a liability for the Jets.

C Josh Myers

The Raiders have a fantastic EDGE trio in Maxx Crosby, Malcolm Koonce, and Kwity Paye, posing a challenge for the Jets’ starting tackle duo. The three players have combined for 8.0 sacks, 29 quarterback hits, and three forced fumbles.

Crosby will primarily line up against right tackle Armand Membou, while Koonce is expected to take on left tackle Olu Fashanu. Paye has the most balanced left-right split of the three.

While Las Vegas’ edge unit is one of the top strengths on their roster, their interior pass rush is quite weak. The Raiders’ defensive tackles have combined for just 4.3 total pressures per game, ranking 26th in the NFL, one spot behind the Jets’ quiet unit (4.6). The unit’s leader in total pressures is former Jets run-stopper Foley Fatukasi, who ranks 50th among defensive tackles with nine.

This matchup should be a make-or-break game for Jets center Josh Myers, who has been the offensive line’s weak link since he was thrust into the lineup just ahead of the 2025 season opener.

Over the last two seasons, Myers has allowed 38 total pressures, tying for him the second-most among centers, per Pro Football Focus. Even if we account for sample size, Myers’ allowed pressure rate of 4.25% ranks fourth-worst among the top 32 centers in pass-blocking snaps.

To boot, Myers is tied for second at the position with 12 penalties (based on PFF’s tracking, which accounts for mistakes in penalty charting that can be made by the official play-by-play). His rate of a penalty committed on 0.81% of his offensive snaps ranks fourth-worst out of 32 qualifiers.

On top of the pressures and penalties, Myers is tied for 29th out of 32 with a 54.2 run-blocking grade at PFF. Tie it all together, and his average ranking of 29.2 across pressure rate, penalty rate, and run-blocking grade places him 32nd out of 32.

  • 1. Creed Humphrey, 2.0 (1st / 3rd / 2nd)
  • 2. Coleman Shelton, 7.7 (9th / 8th / 6th)
  • 3. Ryan Neuzil, 8.0 (7th / 12th / 5th)
  • 4. Zach Frazier, 8.3 (3rd / 13th/ 9th)
  • 5. Cooper Beebe, 9.3 (15th / 1st / 12th)
  • 28. Robert Hainsey, 24.3 (30th / 27th / 16th)
  • 29. Lloyd Cushenberry III, 25.3 (26th / 19th / 31st)
  • 30. Graham Barton, 26.0 (27th / 31st / 20th)
  • 30. Blake Brendel, 26.0 (28th / 28th / 22nd)
  • 32. Josh Myers, 29.2 (29th / 29th / T-29th)

If Myers cannot hold up in pass protection at home against the likes of the Raiders’ Foley Fatukasi-led group, it will be time for the Jets to roll the dice on something new at center, whether it’s Jordan Meredith, sliding Joe Tippmann back inside, or picking up someone via trade or free agency. At some point, choosing to continue starting Myers is to willingly sink the offensive line.