Throughout their recent five-game losing streak, Jets players reiterated that all they needed was a victory to change their fortunes.
They achieved just that on Thursday night against the Texans, securing a 21-13 win with a strong second-half performance. Now standing at 3-6, the Jets must build on this win if they aim to make a playoff push.
“We mentioned earlier in the week that one win could kick-start things for us, and now that we’ve achieved it, the onus is on us to maintain the momentum,” stated right tackle Morgan Moses on Monday.
While the Jets are riding high after snapping their losing streak, they must remain focused on their upcoming opponent this week.
On Sunday, the Jets will travel to face the Cardinals in the desert.
Arizona currently leads the NFC West with a 5-4 record after winning four of their last five games. The Cardinals convincingly defeated the Bears 29-9 and also secured victories against the 49ers, Chargers, and Dolphins in recent weeks.
The Cardinals’ potent rushing attack could pose a challenge for the Jets, as they rank 7th in the NFL in yards per game and amassed 213 yards against the Bears.
The Jets have struggled against the run throughout the season, a trend that started in Week 1 against San Francisco. They currently rank 21st in the NFL in run defense.
Linebacker Quincy Williams acknowledged the Cardinals’ strong running game, emphasizing the challenge of containing both the running backs and quarterback.
While Kyler Murray has been performing well for the Cardinals, his rushing impact has lessened recently, as evidenced by his six yards gained in the previous game against Chicago.
The Jets have struggled to contain quarterback runs in recent weeks, with opposing quarterbacks like Drake Maye and C.J. Stroud finding success on the ground.
Addressing the upcoming challenge posed by Kyler Murray, safety Jalen Mills highlighted the need for the defense to focus on stopping the run game and preventing Murray from making big plays both passing and rushing.
James Conner leads the Cardinals with 664 rushing yards and four touchdowns, presenting a formidable threat to the Jets.
Mills cautioned against solely focusing on the run, as it could lead to potential big pass plays, especially from rookie Marvin Harrison Jr.
With the Cardinals sacking opposing quarterbacks six times in the previous game, the Jets must also be prepared for a challenging matchup against their defense.
For the Jets, the focus this week will be on translating their strong second half performance against the Texans into a full-game effort.
Right tackle Morgan Moses emphasized the need to start faster and maintain consistency for the entire duration of the game.
Looking ahead, the Jets-Colts game scheduled for Nov. 17 has been rescheduled to 1 p.m. due to a flexing decision by the NFL, moving Bengals-Chargers to the prime time slot.
