The “Thursday Night Football” schedule has been packed with divisional matchups, but last week, we witnessed an exciting clash between NFC opponents. Week 9 presents an intriguing AFC showdown.
The Houston Texans will meet the New York Jets in Week 9 at MetLife Stadium.
Houston (6-2) is off to a terrific start and sits at the top of the AFC South standings, while the Jets (2-6) come into the game fighting to stay in contention. New York is amid another tumultuous season, but with the fourth easiest strength of schedule remaining, the window is not completely shut.
Here’s everything to know about the “Thursday Night Football” matchup for Week 9.
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The Texans head to the East Coast on Thursday night to take on the Jets.
“Thursday Night Football” will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video. Al Michaels (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color commentary), and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter) will be on the call for Amazon’s broadcast.
The Jets’ season has quickly taken a turn for the worse. “Gang Green” has dropped five consecutive games, including three since they fired head coach Robert Saleh. This “TNF” matchup is fitting for Halloween because the Jets’ situation is currently dark and spooky.
Conversely, the Texans have lived up to preseason expectations to this point. Houston comes into this clash off an important 23-20 win at home over the Indianapolis Colts. They find themselves in the driver’s seat in the AFC South as we near the regular season’s halfway point.Meanwhile, the Jets are coming into Week 9 after a brutal 25-22 loss against the New England Patriots. The Jets became the first team in NFL history to score at least 20 points, have no turnovers on offense, and allow fewer than 250 total yards in a game and lose. Previous teams in that scenario had gone 750-0.
The Jets defense returned multiple starters last week. Haason Reddick has ended his holdout, and Michael Carter II and D.J. Reed are back in the secondary. According to FTN, the Jets’ defense currently ranks 20th in defensive DVOA after finishing third in the NFL last season.
The Texans’ defense has been terrific, ranking eighth in defensive EPA per play and first in defensive success rate. Houston has held four of its last five opponents to 21 points or fewer and is second in defensive DVOA entering Week 9.
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The Texans’ running game, spearheaded by Joe Mixon, will look to continue producing on the ground. Mixon has played in four games without injury this season and has dominated in each. He is averaging a career-high 4.9 yards per carry. The 28-year-old running back has scored in all four healthy games. The Jets have allowed the 10th-most rushing yards to opponents.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will be without his top two receiving weapons: Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs. Collins has been on injured reserve since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 5, and Diggs went down with a non-contact knee injury on Sunday against the Colts.
The Jets will be hungry to return to the win column for the first time since Week 3.
This will be the third game since the Jets acquired Davante Adams in a trade with the Raiders and his first at home in front of the Jets’ flight crew. The Jets have supplied Aaron Rodgers with plenty of firepower and pushed all their chips in. The chemistry on the field between Rodgers and Adams is undeniable. They played eight seasons together with the Packers. In his last three healthy seasons with Rodgers in Green Bay, Adams finished with at least 100 receptions, 1,000 yards, and 11 touchdowns.
The Jets offense has young stars like running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Slowing down this unit will be a tough task for DeMeco Ryans and the Texans.
The Texans are in the midst of an excellent season, but the Jets are fighting for their season on Thursday night.
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