After blowing a 22-10 second-half lead in the season opener, the Green Bay Packers are back on the road in Week 2 to face the New York Jets.
The Packers were headed toward a 1-0 start until they allowed the Minnesota Vikings to score 29 unanswered points. The Vikings blitzed on over 70 percent of dropbacks, generating 18 quarterback hits against Jordan Love.
Meanwhile, the Jets beat the Tennessee Titans 23-10 and are looking to open the year 2-0 for the first time since 2015.
New York finished 3-14 last season, but brought back quarterback Geno Smith, a former second-round pick for the Jets in 2013. Smith had an efficient outing, completing 19 of 24 passes for 215 yards, while leaning on a strong run game. Defensively, New York registered three
sacks against Cam Ward and held the Titans to just 68 rushing yards.
Green Bay has lost six straight games dating back to last season. If they don’t want to make it seven, it could come down to these three key matchups:
Packers run defense vs. Jets RB Breece Hall
Despite allowing four touchdowns in a little over a quarter, Green Bay’s defense kept the Vikings' offense in check, particularly the run game. Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason both found the end zone and combined for 99 rushing yards, but were held to just 3.7 yards per carry. This week poses a tough challenge with Hall, who carried the ball 22 times for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Titans. The Jets tied for the most rushing attempts last week with 39, and they’re calling for rain on Sunday. The Packers can expect a heavy dose of Hall, but they can’t let him carry New York to its best start in over 10 years.
Packers LT Jordan Morgan vs. Jets Edge Will McDonald IV
Morgan had a rough showing in what was just his second career start at left tackle. The team’s 2024 first-round pick allowed a team-high five pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, and was also called for a false start. The Packers are counting on Morgan to protect Love’s blindside, but he’ll have his hands full once again. Primarily lining up against the left tackle, McDonald registered five pressures and a sack in the win over Tennessee. McDonald popped up on Thursday’s injury report with an ankle injury, but if he does play, Morgan will be mostly responsible for making sure the Jets’ top edge rusher doesn’t wreak havoc yet again.
QB hunter @WILL_JUN1OR
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 13, 2026
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Packers WR Christian Watson vs. Jets CB Azareye’h Thomas
Coming off a strong second half of last season, Watson picked up where he left off in Week 1. The 6-foot-4 receiver with elite speed totaled six catches for 147 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Could Watson be in store for another big game? Of New York’s top three corners, Thomas struggled the most in the season opener, allowing seven receptions on eight targets for 46 yards and a touchdown, per PFF. Thomas surrendered a 130.2 passer rating, but never got beat for more than 12 yards. Watson is a big play waiting to happen, so it will be interesting to see if he can make something downfield against Thomas whenever they are matched up one-on-one.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers vs. Jets: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 2
