The New York Jets faced down unbearable heat and mugginess in their opening day game against the Tennessee Titans, triumphing decisively even with the heat index soaring well into triple digits.
But their home opener on Sept. 20 against the Green Bay Packers should bring a welcome change in weather, and a potential Jets advantage.
The AccuWeather portal for the East Rutherford, New Jersey area, home of the Jets’ MetLife Stadium, calls for rainy conditions with a high of 74°F and a low of 58°F on Sept. 20. Intermittent showers are in the forecast, with an 80% chance of rain during the game.
That forecast would be a favorable one for the Jets, less so for the pass-happy Green Bay Packers. The Jets have running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen to eat yardage, while the Packers are missing Josh Jacobs, their leading ball carrier from 2025 who rushed for close to 1,000 yards.
Jacobs is currently on the Commissioner’s Exempt list and can’t practice or play. He pled no contest to two misdemeanor counts after being accused of physically attacking his former girlfriend in May.
Without Jacobs, the Packers use a running back by committee, and that was really ineffective in their opener against the Minnesota Vikings. The Green team had just 66 yards on the ground.
Adding to the woe is the Packers will also be without edge Micah Parsons, the heart of their defense. While Parsons is most known for his pass rushing, the rest of the Green Bay defense keys around his disruptions.
Without him, they yielded 28.8 points in the games he missed in 2025, and continued on that path in their opener, giving the Minnesota Vikings 39 points.
Thus, the Jets can follow the same game plan they used to beat down the Tennessee Titans: short passes, keep the ball on the ground and out of the hands of Packers quarterback Jordan Love, and rely on the rain to suppress Love’s ability to throw down the field.
The Jets also love to blitz, and the Pack had trouble stopping Minnesota from deploying that tactic against them. The blitz and the effect of the elements will be a bother to a big chunk of Green Bay’s downfield passing strength.
Add in a frenzied crowd for the Jets home opener, and we have the formula for a Jets upset.
