Jets have to run ball against Bengals
INJURY UPDATE
JETS: OUT: QB Zach Wilson (knee); QUESTIONABLE: LT George Fant (knee).
BENGALS: OUT: TE Drew Sample; DOUBTFUL: LB Germaine Pratt (knee); QUESTIONABLE: OT La’el Collins (back), TE Hayden Hurst (groin).
RUN THE BALL
The Jets want to establish the run, which they haven’t done the first two weeks. They’ve thrown a league-high 104 passes and run just 37 times, the third fewest. Down double figures in the second half both games played a big role.
When they’ve run, the Jets have run well: Rookie Breece Hall is averaging 5.6 yards per carry and Michael Carter 4.9.
“We need to put ourselves in more opportunities to run the ball,” Robert Saleh said. “If we can give ourselves a chance to run the ball for four quarters, we feel like it’d be pretty darn good.”
WILSON’S ENCORE
Garrett Wilson, coming off his eight-catch, 102-yard, two-touchdown game last week, is not “even close to satisfied.” He watches and tries to learn from Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson, among others. Wilson appreciated D.J. Reed and Tyler Conklin comparing him to Jefferson — and strives to live up to that.
“I want to be on that level and I want to be great,” Wilson said. “I’m nowhere near that yet, so I got to keep pushing.”
NUMBERS GAME
Last Sunday, the Jets won their first September game since Week 1 in 2018. If they win Sunday, they’ll be above .500 for the first time since they were 1-0 following Week 1 in 2018. The Jets haven’t won two straight since 2020.
RING OF HONOR
Former longtime center Nick Mangold will be inducted in the Jets’ Ring of Honor at halftime. It’s the first of three ceremonies this season: tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, of Freeport, will join the Ring on Oct. 30 and cornerback Darrelle Revis on Nov. 27.