Last week the New York Jets had their 2026 home opener against the Green Bay Packers. It didn’t go well. Now the Jets try to get back on the winning track as they hit the road against the Detroit Lions. Kickoff is scheduled for shortly after 1 PM under the dome at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.
A lot went right for the Jets in the first 49 minutes of last week’s game. They played turnover free football for the second week in a row. They forced a Packer turnover. They led by double digits early in the fourth quarter. A 2-0 start to the season looks imminent. Then it all came crashing down. The Jets went down in the fourth quarter and overtime, allowing the Packers to score 13 unanswered points to close out a heartbreaking 20 – 17 Jets loss. Today the Jets try to bounce back against a tough Detroit Lions team.
The Lions opened the 2026 season with a 31 – 30 win over the New Orleans Saints before falling 41 – 31 to the Buffalo Bills last week. This game will likely be a tough challenge for the Jets. The Lions have a deadly array of weapons on offense, including a top-five running back in Jahmyr Gibbs, a top-five wide receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown, one of the fastest receivers in the NFL in Jameson Williams and a top 10 tight end in Sam LaPorta. Jared Goff was great under the dome in Detroit. Tracking the Lions offense under the dome will likely be a futile task for the Jets, who will simply be no match for the Lions firepower. If the Jets are going to win today, they will likely have to use a ground and pound offense and a stout defense. It won’t be easy, but if the Jets’ defense is as good as early press clippings suggest, maybe the Jets can pull off an upset in the Motor City.
It’s the Jets and the Lions in game 3 of the 2026 season. Enjoy the game everyone.