New York Jets

New York Jets vs Seattle Seahawks: Five Players to Watch

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 7:36 p.m. ET

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The New York Jets will be hosting the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Who are five players that we should keep an eye on during the matchup?

Sep 25, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) hands off to running back Matt Forte (22) during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 24-3. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets are coming off of an embarrassing loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3. This week, things don’t get any easier with the Seattle Seahawks coming to New York. This is part of the dreaded first six games of the schedule that many believed the Jets would struggle to get through.

So far, those people are right. Besides beating the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football in Week 2, the Jets have lost to two potential playoffs teams. While the Seahawks aren’t in the conference, they will also likely be playing playoff football.

The Jets do have the advantage of the Seahawks having to travel all the way from Seattle. Despite being a great team the past few seasons, the Seahawks have struggled on the East Coast. The Jets will certainly hope that trend continues, as they need a win.

On Sunday, the Jets will be without wide receiver, Eric Decker. On Friday, it was announced that Decker has a partially torn rotator cuff, and he is being listed as week-to-week. This is certainly a big blow to the Jets offense. Furthermore, they will need some of their young wide receivers to step up with Decker out.

Sunday is an important game for the Jets who can’t fall to 1-3 on the season. Here are five players to keep an eye on as they host the Seahawks.

Sep 25, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson (20) during the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

– Matt Forte

Jets running back Matt Forte has been an absolute workhorse for them so far this season. It was hard for any to predict the type of workload that Forte is currently having with the Jets. In three games, Forte has totaled 67 carries and 261 rushing yards.

When it was announced that Forte was going to be signing with the Jets, we expected to see him involved heavily in passing game. While Forte has totaled nine receptions this season, the amount of carries that he has totaled is staggering.

The Jets had a workhorse in Chris Ivory last season, and they appear to be using Forte similarly. Forte has a lot of mileage on his legs, and eventually the heavy workload is going to catch up with him. Until then, the Jets need to continue to feed him because he has been productive.

Like the Chiefs in Week 3, Forte will be challenged by a very good defense. The Seahawks pride themselves on stopping the run and Forte will certainly take a few big hits on Sunday. The Jets will likely be going to Forte more in the red zone on Sunday after they failed miserably trying to throw against the Chiefs.

Sep 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Eli Harold (58) during the third quarter at CenturyLink Field. Wilson was injured on the play. The Seahawks won 37-18. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

– Russell Wilson

Coming into the week, all eyes have been on the status of Russell Wilson. After suffering a strained MCL against the San Francisco 49ers, Wilson’s status for Week 4 was uncertain at the beginning of the week.

Shockingly, Wilson has been able to practice this week and appears to be ready to go against the Jets. Even though Wilson is playing, it is hard to imagine that he will be at 100%. Due to the strained MCL, Wilson’s greatest weapon of being able to scramble might be limited.

The Jets’ defensive line is going to be a very important part of this game. The talented group will have a favorable matchup against Wilson and the suspect Seahawks’ offensive line. If the Jets are able to pressure Wilson like they should, he might not be quick enough to get away. With a lot on the line for the Jets, they need to make sure they dominate in the trenches on defense this week.

Even though Wilson might be limited, he has improved greatly as a passer over the past few seasons. While many associate Wilson with being mostly a scrambler, he can hurt you down the field if you don’t respect his arm. The Jets are catching a break that he won’t be 100%, but that doesn’t mean they can go easy on him.

Sep 25, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson (11) catches a pass while defended by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Phillip Gaines (23) in the first half at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

– Robby Anderson

On Friday, the Jets announced that wide receiver Eric Decker would be out against the Seahawks due to a partially torn rotator cuff. Decker is being listed as week-to-week, as surgery is uncertain at this point. Decker has been a great weapon in the Jets’ passing offense and replacing him will not be easy.

Luckily, the Jets have one of the deepest wide receiver corps in the NFL. Due to wide receiver Jalin Marshall also being out on Sunday, it will be Robby Anderson as the next man up. Anderson played some wide receiver against the Chiefs, and he totaled two receptions and 34 receiving yards.

The Jets will likely slide Anderson into the slot where Decker was operating mostly. With Brandon Marshall and Quincy Enunwa playing on the outside, Anderson will have opportunities to make plays from the slot position. In the preseason, Anderson was a star for the Jets. Now, he will be called upon to succeed in the regular season.

While all of the attention will be on Marshall and Enunwa, Anderson will have to step up for Decker. If Anderson struggles, the Jets will likely move right down the depth chart to the next wide receiver.

– Christine Michael

The retirement of Marshawn Lynch left some uncertainty in the Seahawks’ backfield heading into this season. Out of the shadow of Lynch has emerged Christine Michael. Due to the injury to Thomas Rawls, Michael has been the running back that has taken the starting position and run with it.

This season, Michael has totaled 45 carries, 232 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. Against the 49ers last week, Michael had his best game of the season. In the win, Michael totaled 20 carries, 106 rushing yards, and his two touchdowns.

If Wilson is limited like we assume he will be, running the ball will be important for the Seahawks. The Jets’ defensive front is one of the best in the league, but the Seahawks have a run-first mentality even without Lynch.

Michael will be carrying a big workload like Forte for the Jets. The team that is able to run the ball more effectively might be the one that wins the game due to how good the defenses are. If Wilson is indeed limited, the Jets would be wise to stack the box to ensure that the Seahawks won’t do any damage on the ground with Michael.

Sep 25, 2016; Kansas City, MO, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) looks to pass during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. The Chiefs won 24-3. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

– Ryan Fitzpatrick

This is an extremely important game for Fitzpatrick after the disaster against the Chiefs. If not for all of the turnovers, the Jets could have won that game. The week prior to the disaster in Kansas City, Fitzpatrick was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. While Fitzpatrick won’t light up the Seahawks’ defense, the Jets just need him to be smart with the football.

Losing the turnover battle can result in a great team losing to anyone. For the Jets, they can’t afford to lose the turnover battle against a team that will capitalize on them. The Chiefs really let the Jets hang in the game despite having so many turnovers. The Seahawks won’t do the same, as Wilson and the offense like to strike for big plays off turnovers.

If Fitzpatrick struggles again, the Jets will have to do the unthinkable and consider benching him. To the surprise of many, Bowles stuck with Fitzpatrick even after he had thrown multiple interceptions in the game.

Against the Seahawks, the leash won’t be as long for Fitzpatrick. It will be interesting to see how Fitzpatrick responds after the worst game of his career. If Fitzpatrick plays poorly again, the Jets will be 1-3.