New York Jets

New York Jets at Kansas City Chiefs: Five Players to Watch

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:39 p.m. ET

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The New York Jets will be facing the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon in Week 3. Who are five players we should keep an eye on?

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

After two weeks, the New York Jets have a 1-1 in 2016. The Jets were finally able to get a win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2, and they now have some momentum. Against the Bills, the Jets’ offense looked really impressive. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was named the AFC Player of the Week because of his great game against his former team.

While beating the Bills was a good thing for the Jets, Week 3 will present them with a far more challenging opponent. The Kansas City Chiefs are also 1-1 this season and are coming off a loss to the Houston Texans. At home, the Chiefs have been nearly unbeatable, as they have one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL.

Like in Week 1 against the Bengals, the Chiefs are one of the teams that the Jets could be battling for a playoff spot. Due to the success once again of the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs may find themselves as a Wild Card contender. If the Jets want to make the playoff this season, these are the type of teams that they have to be. They already have one conference loss to the Bengals, losing to the Chiefs would not help them for possible tie-breakers down the road.

With Week 3 being an important game for the Jets, here are five players to watch.

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy (25) is tackled by New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson (91) and defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) during the second half at New Era Field. The Jets beat the Bills 37-31. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

– Sheldon Richardson

The Jets saw their defensive line return to full strength against the Bills in Week 2. The return of Richardson was certainly a welcomed sight, and he contributed to their win. On a big 4th down play, Richardson made a great individual effort to stop LeSean McCoy in his tracks, which helped seal the Jets win.

Against the Chiefs, the Jets will have an advantage in the trenches due to injuries to the offensive line. In Week 1, we saw what the Jets’ defensive line could do, and that was without Richardson. Due to the injuries, the Jets might be looking at another big game from their defensive line.

In Week 2, the Chiefs allowed four sacks to the Houston Texans. J.J. Watt was a big factor in the game, as he totaled 1.5 sacks. While the Jets don’t have Watt, they do have one of the most talented groups in the NFL on the defensive line. Richardson missed out on the sack party against the Bengals, and he might look to lead the charge against the Chiefs.

Creating pressure on Alex Smith will be very important for the Jets defense. In addition to attempting to get after Smith, stopping the Chiefs on the ground could cripple their offense. Richardson will be right in the middle of things for the Jets in Week 3.

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Quincy Enunwa (81) runs after a catch and breaks a tackle by Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) during the first quarter at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

– Quincy Enunwa

Week 2 was another great week for wide receiver Quincy Enunwa. As the third option behind Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, Enunwa has been killing defenses that forget about him. In the Week 2 win, Enunwa did leave early with a rib injury, but luckily it isn’t anything major.

So far this season, Enunwa has totaled 13 receptions, 146 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. The versatility that Enunwa brings to the offense continues to be very valuable for the Jets. Being able to line Enunwa up in the slot, outside, or even in the backfield has left defenses very confused so far.

In addition to being able to line up in multiple positions, Enunwa is also causing matchup problems because of his size. At 225lbs, Enunwa has been able to play a very physical game on the outside and use his body to create separation from cornerbacks.

Even though the Jets don’t receive much production from the tight end position, Enunwa continues to look like a tight end for the offense. Due to Decker and Marshall both being a little banged up, Enunwa might be even a bigger part of the offense in Week 3 than we have seen in the previous two.

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws a pass as Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Adolphus Washington (92) rushes during the second half at New Era Field. The Jets beat the Bills 37-31. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

– Ryan Fitzpatrick

Week 2 was a very important win for Ryan Fitzpatrick. The win against the Bills meant a lot to the Jets after what happened in 2015. Fitzpatrick took a lot of the blame for the Jets’ shortcomings against the Bills in 2015, but he got revenge on Thursday Night Football.

In the win over Buffalo, Fitzpatrick totaled 374 passing yards and one touchdown pass. It was a clinic all night for Fitzpatrick, as it was very clear that the Bills’ defense had no answer for the Jets’ passing attack. The great performance in Week 2 earned Fitzpatrick the AFC Player of the Week award, and it was well-deserved.

Now, Fitzpatrick has to turn his attentions to a talented Chiefs team on defense. Due to possible playoff implications later in the season, this is a very important game for the Jets. Fitzpatrick will have to be patient in his progressions and use all three of his talented wide receivers. Most importantly, turnovers could be back breakers for the Jets on the road in a loud environment.

If Fitzpatrick is able to avoid any mistakes, the Jets will be in a position to win the game. This has the makings of a defensive battle, and this could come down to who makes the first mistake.

– Matt Forte

Running back Matt Forte has been arguably the most impressive offensive player for the Jets so far in 2016. Despite being 30-years-old, Forte has been a workhorse in the first two weeks of the season. In the first two games, Forte has totaled a combined 59 carries and receptions. This is a trend that can’t continue for the entire season, but he could be used a lot again on the extra rest.

While Forte has had success in the first two weeks of the season, the Chiefs have a very good run defense. In Week 2, they were able to contain another very talented running back in Lamar Miller. The Texans running back totaled 83 rushing yards on 25 carries for a poor 3.3 yards per carry average.

Forte can hurt the Chiefs in the passing game, but don’t expect him to have a monster game on the ground in Week 3. It would be nice to see the Jets give Bilal Powell some more touches, but they appear to be confident in using Forte a lot. A balanced attack against the Chiefs will be important, but finding success on the ground could be a grind for the Jets. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see if Forte can keep up the amount of touches that he has thus far.

Sep 11, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets corner back Darrelle Revis (24) warms up wearing a special t-shirt commemorating 9/11 before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

– Darrelle Revis

Due to more struggles in Week 2, all eyes will once again be on Darrelle Revis in Week 3. While being burnt by A.J. Green in Week 1 is an understandable, what happened in Week 2 was not. Wide receiver Sammy Watkins was clearly nowhere near 100%, but that didn’t stop the Bills from targeting Revis.

Early on in the game, Marquise Goodwin torched Revis for a deep touchdown pass. The days of Revis Island might be coming to end if they haven’t already. However, the Jets will have to hope that he will be able to improve as the season goes on.

In Week 3, the Chiefs will likely be challenging Revis early and often. If Revis lines up against Jeremy Maclin, the Chiefs will have to try to continue to test Revis. Until he shows a sign that he isn’t washed up, teams are going to be going at him.

The Jets would be wise to avoid leaving Revis on single coverage against wide receivers until he regains some confidence. Anytime a receiver makes a catch, announcers will be quick to mention if it is against Revis. Luckily, the Chiefs don’t have a dynamic passing attack that can really hurt the Jets.