1 Will the Jets have to play catch-up again?
The Jets have fallen behind early in each of their last three games. They’ve won two of those dramatic fashion, while the Texans have dropped three straight.
“It’s hard to put my finger on it,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said. “I think if we can get that buzz going early, our fans can give us a boost.”
Ryan has asked the fans to show up early, calling for a “Loud Out” to light a fire under the offense. One way the offense can get going is by getting the ball to Dustin Keller in the red zone. The tight end hasn’t caught a touchdown since Week 4, but he has a favorable matchup against a defense that has given up three touchdowns to tight ends in their last three games.
2 How much balance will we see on offense?
The Jets rushing attack was relentless last week, pounding the ball 45 times against the Browns. It was a strange statistic for a team that had carried the ball just 59 times combined in the previous two games. The balance of the offense kept the Browns’ defense from keying in too much on the explosive Jets passing game.
“[Ninety-one] plays on offense, I think that’s a first,” Ryan said. “That’s an all-time record [since] I’ve been around. It was a great combination.”
The Jets might end up with another balanced attack against Houston, but expect a flurry of passes to come early in the game with runs late if the game turns into a route. After all, Houston ranks last in the league in pass defense.
3 What’s the role of Brad Smith?
Rumor has it Mr. Versatility is also a backup member of the Flight Crew should one of the cheerleaders suffer a split-end. We’re not surprised, considering he could be playing just about every other position on Sunday.
With Jerricho Cotchery nursing a slight groin tear, Smith will most likely see some extra snaps at wide receiver in addition to his usual kickoff return duties. You could see him under center in the wildcat, too, with Mark Sanchez still a little gimpy from last week’s calf injury.
