There is no team in the NFL who needs a win on Sunday more than the New York Jets. There was never much hope for a playoff berth in 2025, even among the most ardent of Gang Green faithful, but after an 0-7 start, even finishing the season around .500 would take a Herculean effort.
It’s not impossible, though we’ve seen similar midseason turnarounds before. The Detroit Lions famously began the 2022 season with a 1-6 record before eight of their final ten games, and Jets’ head coach Aaron Glenn was their defensive coordinator during that run. He knows what it takes to pull that off and will likely be trying to do it again.
It all starts on Sunday. A convincing win against the Cincinnati Bengals could be exactly what starts turning the ship back around. While the Bengals have been playing better since their trade for Joe Flacco, they are still vulnerable. This is a game the Jets can win, especially if they hit these three keys.
Mere competence from Justin Fields
I guess we’ll never know who Aaron Glenn intended to start at quarterback this week because his hand has been forced. With Tyrod Taylor ruled out, Justin Fields will start in Week 8. This is devastating news for a team that’s desperate for a win. Fields offers more big-play upside, but Taylor provides a much higher floor.
All Jets fans can do now is pray that Justin Fields can give the team merely competent quarterbacking for 60 minutes. He doesn’t even need to be great, just don’t be as bad as he’s been over the past month and guide the team to a win.
But even if he accomplishes this, the Jets signing Justin Fields to a two-year, $40 million contract still ended up being a huge mistake. It was a reasonable bet on his upside, but it’s clear now that they’re left with an expensive backup for the remainder of the season.
Double up on Trey Hendrickson
The Bengals defense may be weak overall, but defensive end Trey Hendrickson remains a menace. He’s been nursing an injury but is expected to play on Sunday, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Bengals defensive and Trey Hendrickson (questionable, hip) is expected to play Sunday versus Jets, per source.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) October 25, 2025
That means the Jets need to have a plan to not let him take over this game. On passing downs, keep a running back in to chip block, or put a tight end on whatever side Hendrickson’s on. And don’t run the ball at him if it can at all be avoided. This won’t solve all of New York’s offensive problems, but it will keep a potential monkey wrench out of the works.
Let Ja’Marr Chase do his damage
With Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner ruled out for Sunday’s game, New York’s secondary in for a bad day against Ja’Marr Chase, but Aaron Glenn shouldn’t let this derail his defense. The Bengals are still without Joe Burrow or a reliable run game, which is averaging a putrid 68.9 rushing yards per game, dead-last in the NFL.
Coach Glenn says Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson are among the player who will be OUT for #NYJvsCIN
Full injury update: pic.twitter.com/GpT1bMHqYx
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 24, 2025
The goal then shouldn’t be to shut down Chase. He’s a fantastic receiver and is going to do damage. However, one receiver can’t win a game alone and the rest of that unit is weak. If Glenn’s defense can shut down all other aspects of the Bengals’ offense, then they will put themselves in position to win.
Final prediction: Jets lose 10-16
If there’s going to be a game where the Jets finally get a win, this feels like the one. The Bengals might be getting a bit too big for their britches after a narrow loss to Green Bay followed by a prime time win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, setting them up for a classic trap game.
But I still won’t pick them to win. As I said in my Week 7 keys to victory, as long as they remain winless, I will continue to pick them to lose, especially with Justin Fields getting the start.
