The Jets’ brutal schedule does have glimmers of hope

We have now had a f🌼ew days to digest the💯 Jets’ 2020 regular-season schedule and find the pitfalls and soft spots (are there any?) that await Gang Green.

Here are some thoughts and observations on the Jets’ schedule:

1. We knew the Jets’ schedule was go𒆙ing to be hard. The reveal on Thursday night was not about who the Jets would play, but when. So, when you looked at facing the NFC West and also getting a road game at the Chiefs, that was enough to make this a rough slate.

I think the way the schedule falls is actually to the Jets’ bꦯenefit. Their toughest games are spread out. The 49ers, Chiefs and Seahawks are the best teams the Jets play. They get the 49ers early (Week 2), the Chiefs at midseason (Week 8) and the Seahawks late (Week 14).

Last year’s schedule was much easier overall, but the first two months of that schedule was brutal, and you knew th🎶ere was a good chance the Jets c💫ould start off slow and the season would be over by Halloween. That is what happened.

This year’s schedule has a rough start with a trip to Buffalo and then getting the 49ers at home, but I’m no🍨t sure about the Colts, Broncos, Cardinals or Chargers. The Jets should have a chance to gain their footing and some confidence in that stretch.

2. It seems like by every measure this is a brutal schedule. If you use tꦇhe 2019 win percentage, the Jets have the second-toughest schedule. That could be flawed because teams change from year to year. Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis looked at strength of schedule based on projected win totals from Vegas. The Jets still have the third-toughest schedule in those ratings.

3. The Jets will travel plenty of miles this season facing the N💦FC and AFC West, but they only get back-to-back road games🥀 once in the season. That comes in December with games at the Seahawks and Rams. The Jets are expected to stay in California between those games, minimizing the toll those trips will take on them.

4. Back-to-back games against the Dolphins (with a bye week wedged between) in November is going to be interesting. Think about this scenario: Ryan Fitzpatrick starts the year as the Miami starting quarterback and faces the Jets in the first gam𓂃e in Miami on Nov. 16. Do 🐈the Dolphins make the switch to Tua Tagovailoa during the bye week that immediately follows? Then, the Jets could face Fitzpatrick in one game and Tagovailoa two weeks later.

5. Opening against the Bills and finishing against the Patriots is familiar for the Jets. They have opened against Buffalo in two of the past three years, losing bo♎th games — in Orchard Park in 2017💞 and last year in East Rutherford.

The Jets have be🐽en stomped during their last few season-ending games in Foxborough. They lost 38-3 in 2018, Todd Bowles’ final game as coach, and 26-6 in 2017 with Bryce Petty at quarterback. Will it be different this year with Tom Brady gone? Could the Jets aꩲctually be playing for something?

6. The Jets face two teams that will be coming off short rest. The Chargers play on “Monday Night Football” at the Saints the week before they play the Jets. The Patriots pla🉐y the Bills on Monday night before the Week 17 finale with the Jets.

The Jets face only o🀅ne team coming off of a bye — thꦕe Dolphins — and it is the same week the Jets have their bye.

The Bills will have extra rest before the game at MetLife in October. They play the Chiefs on Thursday night the week before. The Rams play on Thursday night as we☂ll before facing the Jets in December.

Two teams from the West🐓 will face back-to-back trips East unless they stay somewhere for the week. The Cardinals play in Carolina before playing at the Jets. The Rai🌄ders play at the Falcons the week before coming to MetLife.