The New York Jets are back in action.
In Week 2 of the preseason, the Jets will travel to Pittsburgh to face off against the Steelers.
This is already the penultimate preseason game for the Jets. After this contest against Pittsburgh, the Jets will only have one preseason game remaining.
Here is how to watch tonight’s game:
- Who: New York Jets vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- What: Preseason Game 2
- Where: Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
- When: Friday, August 21, 7 p.m. EST
- TV: NFL Network
- Odds: Jets -1.5, Over/Under 36.5
- Weather: 77 degrees
If you don’t have access to NFL Network, our digital reporter Paul Andrew Esden Jr aka “Boy Green”, will be hosting a watch party and play-by-play coverage of the game on his YouTube channel at this link.
Return of QB1
The big question heading into this game was whether Geno Smith would suit up or not. Smith was dealing with some swelling in his ankle after the second joint practice against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.
About 30 hours before the game, the Jets decided to sit Smith for precautionary reasons. The former West Virginia product did return to practice this week.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini asked head coach Aaron Glenn if Smith’s ankle issues were limiting him in practice.
“You know what, I wouldn’t say that. I just think there’s soreness. I think any player at this point knows that something is going to hurt at some point. He’s a competitor and he wants to make sure he gets those reps in. The thing is that we want to be smart too about how we go about doing things when it comes to him and any of our players. It’s not to a point to where he can’t go out. Obviously, he’s out there practicing, but again, we want to make sure we’re doing the right things when it comes to him playing,” Glenn explained.
NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY confirmed that Smith would in fact start for the Jets on Friday, August 21.
It is to be determined exactly how long he plays, but any amount of time will prove beneficial. This could be Smith’s final chance to get some live-bullet reps before the regular season begins.
Last year, head coach Aaron Glenn did not play his starters in the preseason finale. Next week is the preseason finale for the Jets versus the New York Giants.
Jets-Steelers Storylines Preview
Insider Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot joined me on “Boy Green Daily” this week to talk about the key storylines for this contest.
No, there wasn’t an X’s-and-O’s breakdown or a prediction of the final score. Instead, we talked about the Steelers’ looming quarterback decision. Do they keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster? If they don’t, could the Jets swipe one of them?
Kozora told me that Aaron Rodgers and Drew Allar are roster locks, but it’s a toss-up between Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.
Rodgers will not be playing in this game. So no revenge angle to speak of from a Jets’ perspective. Before the season, Rodgers swore that this would be his final campaign. If that’s true, this is likely the Jets’ final opportunity to see him in person before he hangs up his cleats.
Jets Preseason Game: Opponent, Time & TV for Tonight’s Game