The Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets will be featured on Thursday Night Football as Week 16 gets underway in the NFL. Here’s what fans can expect in this crucial AFC matchup.

Jags Have Playoffs In Sight

Jacksonville has peaked at just the right time and is going for its third straight win tonight in East Rutherford, New Jersey. They’ve also won four of their previous six games and are now second in the AFC South behind the Tennessee Titans.

The Jaguars are coming off a dramatic 40-34 overtime win over the Dallas Cowboys at home on Sunday to improve their record to 6-8. They’re currently two games behind the Miami Dolphins for the final AFC Wild Card position. 

The Jaguars’ offense has produced well this season and is ranked sixth in the NFL with 367.9 yards per game. They are tenth in the league in both passing and rushing yards per game but are ranked 12th with 23.9 points per contest.

Unfortunately, they haven’t performed as well on defense and are 27th, giving up 370.7 yards per game. Jacksonville’s secondary is also near the bottom of the NFL, averaging 252.6 yards through the air. 

QB Trevor Lawrence is listed as questionable for tonight’s game with a toe injury but is expected to start. He’s ninth in the league with 3,520 passing yards and 24 touchdowns, which is tied for fifth in the NFL.

The Jaguars’ rushing attack averages 127.2 yards per game and is led by Travis Etienne Jr., who averages 5.0 yards per carry and has 917 yards on the season. Christian Kirk is the top target for Lawrence, with 73 receptions for 966 yards and seven touchdowns. 

Jets Hope To Avoid Fourth Consecutive Loss

The Jets had a great start to the season at 5-2, with four wins on the road. However, they have faltered against top competition and are dealing with three straight losses to the Vikings, Bills and Lions.

In addition, their offense has stalled in the last two games, averaging 14.5 points as the defense played well enough to win. Sunday’s loss to the Lions at home was their fifth defeat in the previous seven games. 

New York’s offense averages 336.9 yards per game, which ranks them 19th in the league, but they haven’t run the ball well this season and are 24th with 107.6 yards per game. However, defense is where this Jets team excels.

They rank third in the NFL, with 305.4 yards per game, and are the fourth-best passing defense. The Jets’ defense is also fourth in points allowed per game, at 18.8.  

Zach Wilson was benched more than a month ago in favor of Mike White but is now back as the starter while White deals with a rib injury. Wilson threw for 317 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit on Sunday but threw a crucial interception in the third quarter that ended up being the difference in the game.

The Jets also rushed for just 50 yards against the Lions, averaging 2.3 yards per carry. Wilson has thrown for 1,596 yards with just six touchdowns and six interceptions and has now lost three of his last four starts. 

The Jaguars will rebound for a close victory to end the streak.