Getty The Monday Night Football panel for ESPN talking about an NFL game.
When the NFL schedule dropped back in May, the first thing New York Jets fans searched for was how many prime-time games were on the schedule.
To their dismay, only one game made the cut for Gang Green initially. However, an updated schedule has doubled their prime time opportunities. Well sort of.
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Beggars Can’t Be Choosers
On Tuesday, June 7 the NFL officially announced the six nationally televised games for the 2022 preseason slate.
The Jets’ Week 2 matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons on August 22 will be a Monday Night Football broadcast.
Preseason National TV games:
8/4: Jaguars vs. Raiders (Canton) 8 PM ET, NBC
8/18: Bears at Seahawks, 8 PM ET, ESPN
8/21: Ravens at Cardinals, 8 PM ET, FOX
8/22: Falcons at Jets, 8 PM ET, ESPN
8/25: 49ers at Texans, 8:15 PM ET, Prime Video
8/28: Lions at Steelers, 4:30 PM ET, CBS
Here is a full look at the Jets 2022 preseason schedule this year:
- Week 1: Jets at Philadelphia Eagles; Friday, August 12 at 7:30 pm ET
- Week 2: Jets vs Falcons; Monday, August 22 at 8:00 pm ET
- Week 3: Jets vs New York Giants; Sunday, August 28 at 1:00 pm ET
Now that 30 of the 32 NFL teams only have three preseason games (the only exception being the two teams that participate in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game), the second week will be the dress rehearsal for the regular season.
Last season in the inaugural three-week preseason slate, the Jets treated their second game as the dress rehearsal and then in the final preseason game didn’t play many of their starters including Zach Wilson.
So that prime time affair will be an interesting sneak peek of what is in store for the 2022 season.
The Only Path Is to Win
The extra prime time game for the Jets this year comes in the preseason which obviously doesn’t contain the same pizazz as the regular season, but beggars can’t be choosers.
Right now the only scheduled Jets regular season prime time game comes in Week 16 at home versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. That’ll be a Thursday Night Football game between the top two picks in the 2021 NFL draft with Wilson and Trevor Lawrence.
There is always the opportunity for a flex later depending on how the Jets perform, but that isn’t guaranteed.
The only legitimate path to more national exposure is winning games, plain and simple.
While there are some other questionable teams ahead of the Jets on the prime time currency in 2022 (Chicago Bears much?) The only way to change the narrative is to deliver in a results-oriented business.
Over the last 11 years, the Jets have had one winning season (10-6) and they didn’t even make the playoffs in 2015. They have no one to blame but themselves for the lack of these prime-time opportunities.
Really cool insight from the @NFL’s VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North on the thought process behind putting the #Jets in prime time games in 2022 & how they were this close to more: 🎥 @nyjets @eallenjets #TakeFlight #NFL
So instead of complaining about it on social media, the Jets should use it as motivation to prove everyone wrong. I’ll guarantee you this if Gang Green wins a bunch of games and is competitive in the other ones, they’ll have a dramatic increase in prime-time games.
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