San Francisco 49ers vs New York Jets - NFL Week 2

Sunday
September 20, 2020
1:00 PM ET

East Rutherford, New Jersey
Met Life Stadium

About the 49ers

The 49ers lost a nail biter to the Arizona Cardinals and had no answer for the combination of QB Kyler Murray and WR DeAndre Hopkins. The 49ers have struggled with mobile QB’s as they have done with NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and QB Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. They should play much better against the Jets and their suspect offensive line as they gave up 3 sacks against the Bills. DL Kerry Hyder and D.J. Jones each had a sack apiece but couldn’t contain Murray and as he rushed for 91 yards. The 49ers are 3-5 in games against QB’s with 25-plus rushing yards since 2019 including the playoffs. Look for DE Nick Bosa to bring plenty of pressure off the edge. QB Jimmy Garropolo couldn’t find any consistency with his WR’s and Deebo Samuel’s presence was missed. It didn’t help their cause when All-Pro TE George Kittle was sidelined with a sprained knee just before halftime and his status against the Jets is still undecided. Offensively, the 49ers need to be more creative finding ways to get their WR’s the football and taking pressure off of RB Raheem Mostert. Mostert touched the ball a total of 19 times and WR Kendrick Bourne and RB Jerrick McKinnon must get involved so opposing defenses can’t focus solely on Mostert. Garropolo’s 76 yard TD pass to Mostert in the 1st quarter was the longest of his career.

About the Jets

The Jets had no answer for the Bills suffocating defense as QB Sam Darnold struggled early in the game. The Jets running game was a non-factor as RB Le’ Veon Bell was injured during the game and will miss some action within the coming weeks. Veteran RB Frank Gore and RB Josh Adams will split carries in the backfield but they were also stifled by the Bills defensive effort. WR Jamison Crowder tried to help the Jets cause with 7 catches for 115 yards and a TD and it was Crowder’s first 100-yard game since2017. Marcus Maye had a good game with 7 tackles, 2 sacks, and 2 tackles for loss.

Players to Watch

Kendrick Bourne (49ers): He must step up and play a bigger role in the 49ers offense at least until Deebo Samuel returns. Bourne is a run after the catch threat and can be deployed in the slot or on the outside.

Josh Adams (Jets): Not knowing how much Gore has left in the tank to give a struggling offense, Adams must take the initiative to jump-start an anemic offense.

Impact Rookies

Javon Kinlaw (49ers): Kinlaw was ineffective in his NFL debut but should help fortify the interior of the 49ers defensive line as a physical run stopper.

Ashtyn Davis (Jets): Davis has a rare blend of athleticism and instincts allow him to chase down passes from almost anywhere on the field.

Key Statistic

RB Frank Gore surpassed Emmitt Smith for the 3rd most games played by a RB in NFL history. The Jets are currently 31st in the NFL in rushing.

Prediction

Garoppolo and company pull off the victory in a low scoring game as both defenses go back and forth until the 49ers force a game-altering turnover and pull out a win on the road.

Final Score: 49ers 16 / Jets 7