Putting the "Spotlight White" to the test.
The Jets had just a single primetime game in 2022, their league-mandated "Thursday Night Football" matchup vs. the Jaguars. It was wet, ugly and all but closed the door on the tumultuous Zach Wilson era.
This year, the Jets are under the spotlight a bit more, courtesy of the quarterback formerly known as No. 12. Aaron Rodgers making his way to New York has done more than just potentially solidify the quarterback spot for the Jets, but has painted a bullseye on New York's back. Entering 2023, the Jets aren't just a cute, upstart, feel-good story — they're legitimate playoff contenders in a loaded AFC.
The 2023 New York Jets are prepared to take flight. That is, as long as they don't crash and burn in the first season of the Rodgers era.
MORE: Watch the 2023 New York jets with Fubo (free trial)
Here's how to catch the 2023 New York Jets:
New York Jets schedule 2023
The Jets' full schedule, including dates, times and locations, was unveiled on Thursday, May 11. Here's the complete rundown including opponents, dates, times and TV channels for the 2023 season:
| Week | Date | Opponent | Kickoff (ET) | TV channel |
| 1 | Sept. 11 | vs. Bills (MNF) | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| 2 | Sept. 17 | at Cowboys | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 3 | Sept. 24 | vs. Patriots | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 4 | Oct. 1 | vs. Chiefs (SNF) | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 5 | Oct. 8 | at Broncos | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 6 | Oct. 15 | vs. Eagles | 4:25 p.m. | Fox |
| 7 | BYE | — | — | — |
| 8 | Oct. 29 | at Giants | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 9 | Nov. 6 | vs. Chargers (MNF) | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN |
| 10 | Nov. 12 | at Raiders (SNF) | 8:20 p.m. | NBC |
| 11 | Nov. 19 | at Bills | 4:25 p.m. | CBS |
| 12 | Nov. 24 | vs. Dolphins | 3 p.m. | Amazon Prime |
| 13 | Dec. 3 | vs. Falcons | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 14 | Dec. 10 | vs. Texans | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 15 | Dec. 17 | at Dolphins | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 16 | Dec. 24 | vs. Commanders | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 17 | Dec. 28 | at Browns (TNF) | 8:15 p.m. | Amazon Prime |
| 18 | Jan. 6/7 | at Patriots | TBD | TBD |
In addition to their divisional schedule, the Jets play the AFC West and the NFC East this season. Because they play the Giants at MetLife Stadium, they have something of an extra home game, making for 10 games total on their home field.
MORE: Which NFL teams have the easiest, hardest strength of schedule in 2023?
Jets strength of schedule
The Jets have the sixth-toughest schedule in the NFL in 2023. Jets opponents had a 0.545 winning percentage (155-123-9 record) last season.
Toughest tests: Can they finally break through the division? The Dolphins and Bills both present challenging opponents. They went 2-4 in the AFC East last year, and haven't beaten the Patriots since 2015. If the Jets wants to make life easy on themselves, then they'll have to build on a promising defense from 2022 and hope the offense is improved enough with Aaron Rodgers to make them contenders.
The Jets also face a pretty difficult pre-bye slate, facing both teams who played in Super Bowl 57, three Super Bowl hopefuls and a tough division foe in the Patriots.
Biggest breaks: Because they play the Giants this year — designated as an "away" game — the Jets are effectively playing 10 home games this season. That's a big benefit for a team trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
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Bottom line: Much ado is made about the Rodgers acquisition, but the AFC is a murderer's row of quarterbacks, and the Jets will be put to the test this year because of it. And, as Gang Green fans saw in 2023, it's not how you start, but how you finish; They're going to have to get off to an equally good start to buy themselves some slack if things go awry later in the season. At least they have the quarterback who may be able to right the ship if things go bad, and their defense is going to have to continue to build on a stellar 2022 season.
Record prediction: 10-7