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THE GAME
The Jets (1-0) vs. the Miami Dolphins (1-0) at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, Sept. 16, at 1 p.m. ET.
THE WEATHER
Sunny and 80 degrees. ... See, even Mother Nature wouldn't dare rain on the Jets' parade.
WHAT IT MEANS
It might just be the happiest home opener in years for the Jets. It might even be a sellout. And why not? Who wouldn't want to see Sam Darnold, the future, after what he and the rest of the Jets did to the Lions last Monday night. Darnold playing well wasn't a surprise. The Jets pounding Detroit, 48-17, was a pretty big shock, though. Maybe it was a fluke, but don't tell that to the players. If they can do anything close to that again, their bandwagon may be full.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Sam Darnold
I promise I won't say Darnold every week, but it's the home fans' first time to see him in person. And yes, everyone will be watching him. He was really good in the opener -- 16 of 21 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Sure, he threw that pick-six on the first play of the game. He had some really nice throws overall, even though the Jeremy Bates offense was mostly conservative. They'll open it up a little more over time, but for now they're going to do what they can to protect the rookie.
His job is mostly not to make the big mistake. With that one notable exception, he didn't on Monday night, and in turn the rest of the team took advantage. It won't always be like that, of course, but it would be wonderful if he could do it again at home to keep hope alive.
THE PICK
Against a better team, this would be a good spot to project that the Jets will come crashing back to Earth. And maybe they will. It's hard to imagine that a defense without much of a pass rush will consistently be as good as it was on Monday night. The offensive line played far above what it showed most of the summer. But the good news is the Dolphins aren't built to expose them. Their quarterback, Ryan Tannehill, certainly has his own issues and could have trouble with the Jets' secondary. (Remember, his former top receiver, Jarvis Landry, now plays for the Browns.) And they don't have a dominant run game, either.
They do have Cameron Wake, but they didn't have a sack in the opener. Maybe most importantly, though, the Jets are riding a bit of a wave, and the home crowd could be electric on Sunday -- and when's the last time that happened at the Meadowlands for the Jets? Darnold will eventually struggle and the Jets' bubble will almost certainly burst. But not yet. This may not be the rousing rout they experienced in the opener, but, as Darnold promised, it still should be fun. ... Jets 20, Dolphins 17
MY RECORD: 0-1
MY RECORD WHEN PICKING JETS TO WIN: 0-0
MY RECORD WHEN PICKING JETS TO LOSE: 0-1