Seattle Seahawks (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) vs. New York Jets (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS)
Week 4 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, October 2, 2016 at 1PM EST
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
TV: Fox
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Betting Odds: SEA -2.5/NYJ +2.5
Over/Under Total: 41.5
The Seattle Seahawks come to East Rutherford to face the New York Jets in key week four action. The Seahawks moved to 2-1 with a 37-18 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, as they saw their offense get off for the first time this season after scoring 15 combined points in the first two games. But injuries loom over this offense, namely with Russell Wilson, who is suffering with an ankle injury. The Jets, meanwhile, fell to 1-2 after a 24-3 loss to the Chiefs on the road on Sunday. They are at home and will be pining hard to even their slate at 2-2.
The issue with Wilson takes on a greater meaning with his mobility being such a key factor. But we saw him finally take to the air on Sunday, which offers some hope for this offense moving forward. On Sunday against the Niners, Wilson connected well with Doug Baldwin, who caught 8 balls for 164 yards and a score. TE Jimmy Graham had 100 yards and a TD and his growing into this offense more consistently would give the team a big boost. RB Christine Michael ran for over 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns and with Thomas Rawls out indefinitely, that's something they're going to need a lot of as they move into the meat of the season.
Wilson, however, might be on a short leash. With two different ankle injuries this season, they don't want to risk something far worse. If he starts limping around, they could pull him. In relief last week, Trevone Boykin was 7-for-9 with a TD and a pick. And Boykin can move with his legs too. They hope it doesn't come to that, as handing the ball over to a rookie could take an already dicey offense and make them a non-factor. After needing a late TD to beat Miami, 12-10, they scored three points on the road against the Rams. They had more production against San Fran, but now on the road with a gimpy Wilson taking on the Jets defense, could we see the Seahawks from the first two weeks of the season? With a bye coming up next week, will they let Wilson take many hits against the formidable Jets' pass-rush? Another good development from Seattle was the play of the line, which had its best game of the season last week.
The Seattle defense is still in full-effect. They're allowing very little. Quarterbacks have averaged 162 yards through the air against this bunch. And even when giving up 18 to the Niners, most of that came in the 4th quarter when the game was already a lost cause. It was 37-3 almost halfway through the final period. Can the Jets produce something that can challenge the Seattle defense? Or will the Seattle "D," knowing that the offense might need extra help, play another vintage game and have the Jets' offense grasping for straws?
One thing is for certain and that is that the Jets' offense will need to find some answers after a disastrous week three showing in Kansas City. The Jets committed eight turnovers, with Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing an alarming six interceptions. Two fumbles were also lost, as the Chiefs scored two touchdowns off Jets' turnovers. There was no way they could overcome the mistakes, as the offense was not able to sustain much of anything, with the Chiefs offense given one gift after the next. At the same time, games like that where a team just bottoms-out can be unreliable indicators on future performances. In other words, we can't think the Jets are some slapstick bunch that can't get anything right. And at 1-2, one should expect a robust home effort from the Jets this week.
The Jets have actually shown some good signs on offense, their week three game notwithstanding. Matt Forte has given them a reliable force in the backfield, both for getting yards on the ground and through the air, as well. The receiving package of Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker continues to shine, with receiver Quincy Enunwa making a lot of progress in this offense. Bilal Powell also continues to add production. After back-to-back road games, look for the Jets to enjoy retuning to their stomping grounds.
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The Jets' defense was left to deal with the fallout of eight turnovers on Sunday, as they were unable to show their upside with the offense misfiring at nearly every turn. Look for things to be better this week. The line, with Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Leonard Williams, and Steve McLendon look to make life hard on the Seahawks, namely Christine Michael and Wilson. The pass-defense hasn't really been that great through three games, as they've allowed a lot of big plays. With Wilson more immobile and due to be more of a pocket-passer, they're going to need to be more on-point.
This is tough game to call. Both teams have been all over the place in terms of form. For Seattle, it's a long cross-conference road trip and they're dealing with some key injuries that could undermine their offensive effort. In addition, they're playing a defense that has potential unlike any team they've played this season. After scoring three in their only other road game, they'll have to do better than that. I see the Seattle defense rising to the occasion, with the Seahawks nudging the road win and cover.
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