The long offseason is finally over and Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season is here. The New York Jets will open the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and it’s expected to be a close game. Aaron Rodgers, now Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback, will surely be out for vengeance against his former team. Remember, it’s been just six months since the Jets cut Rodgers for disappointing performances as a Jet, among other reasons.
This will be a pivotal game for Gang Green, the kind of season opener that can set the tone for the entire year. It’s winnable, but the Jets will need to hit on these three keys to make it happen.
The defensive line must pressure the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers
Fifteen years ago, Rodgers was a dangerous, dual-threat quarterback before dual-threat quarterbacks were popular. He wasn’t exactly Lamar Jackson, but he had an uncanny knack for scrambling away from pressure and delivering absolute darts on the run. But that version of Aaron Rodgers is long gone.
Pittsburgh’s offensive line remains mediocre. It’s not bad, but three-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams should have little trouble collapsing the pocket. This in turn creates opportunities for Jermaine Johnson and Will McDonald on the edges to get to Rodgers, who no longer has the legs to get away.
Tanner Engstrand must commit to running the ball
New offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand comes from Detroit, a team that takes pride in pounding the rock old-school style, and that’s exactly what the Jets need to do on Sunday. In no reality can quarterback Justin Fields beat Aaron Rodgers in a high-volume passing duel, and Engstrand surely knows this. Running the ball early and often must be the priority.
This should work especially well against the Steelers, who could be missing their top two defensive tackles for Week 1. First-round rookie Derrick Harmon is recovering from a knee injury during the preseason, and veteran Cam Heyward is questionable amid his ongoing contract standoff, though head coach Mike Tomlin expects him to play.
No turnovers
It’s Week 1 of the NFL season and the Jets and Steelers are both teams that are expected to lean heavily on the run game, so this one should be a low-scoring affair. With that in mind, the Jets cannot afford to give the ball away even once. This task falls largely on the shoulders of Fields, who has a history of throwing backbreaking interceptions in crunch time.
If Fields can take care of the ball and the rest of the team helps him out, then the Jets should be able to capitalize on most of their drives.
Final prediction: Jets lose 17-20
As I mentioned in my 4 bold predictions for the Jets’ season opener, I think this will be an exciting game with a heartbreaking ending for Jets fans. I would expect to see Fields light up MetLife with over 100 rushing yards, including a long touchdown run, and for the defense to frustrate the Steelers all day.
In the end, however, I see Fields throwing a game-ending interception as the Jets try to work their way into field goal range to tie the game in the closing moments. Rodgers come out for a victory formation and the Jets will start their season 0-1.
