The Green Bay Packers will look to right the ship following a rough loss to the Minnesota Vikings last week, as they travel to MetLife Stadium to take on the New York Jets in what has suddenly become a big Week 2 game.
For the Packers, they'll look to win their first regular season game since last December. Following a game against the Vikings in which they led for most of the game and yet again imploded in the fourth quarter, all eyes will be on the Packers bounce back and avoid their first 0-2 start since 2006. As for the Jets, they'll take a 1-0 record into their first home game of the season, and look to stunt the league yet again and move to 2-0.
As we head into the second week of the 2026 regular season, let's take a look at some of the biggest things to watch for in the game, who might be the team's x-factors, and how the team can score a big win.
What to watch for in Packers vs. Jets Week 2 game
- Will the Packers offensive line show up?: Last week, the Packers offensive line played well for maybe a couple of snaps in total. While Jordan Love performed well for three quarters, the Vikings eventually blitzed the Packers enough to completely overwhelm them. While it's unlikely the Jets will blitz them 80% of the time, they are no slouches up front. The Jets boast an impressive edge group in Will McDonald IV, top pick rookie David Bailey, and more. Add in the expected weather, and the Packers' offensive line will have a lot cut out for them to prove they can get the job done this year.
- The Packers defense has to step up: Despite the gaudy score of last week's game, the Packers defense actually played well against the Vikings. They'll need to continue that trend this week against a Jets team that has more weapons than one might think. Although Geno Smith is the quarterback of the offense, he knows how to ball when necessary. The Jets are also coming off of a big win in Week 1, and feature some big stars in the form of Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson, offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, and more. The Packers will need to contain these stars, and do so on the road if they want to win.
- A rainy, sloppy affair: As of now, MetLife Stadium is expected to get a heavy dose of rain throughout Sunday, making for what will likely be a pretty sloppy game. Not only will it be harder to get an offense going in the weather, but mistakes will have to happen way less due to the inclement weather. The Packers have already had issues staying synced up in ideal conditions, so this will be a real test for them.
Biggest X-factors for Packers in Week 2
- Aaron Banks: Will he play? Who knows, but if he does, he will be one of, if not the biggest X-factors for the team on Sunday. We all know the Packers' offensive line was rough, and while Banks' 2025 season wasn't still, he still is a whole lot better than his replacement, Donovan Jennings. The weather won't be ideal for the Packers or Jets on Sunday, so getting the team's starting guard back would be huge. Banks playing like the nearly $100 million man they projected him to be would also go a long way into securing a Packers win.
- Trey Smack: As noted above, the weather for the Packers-Jets game isn't going to be great. There might not be a ton of offensive chances for Green Bay, and they'll need their rookie kicker to help whenever he's called upon. Last week, Smack had a great debut, hitting a massive 59-yard field goal against the Vikings. However, that was inside of a dome, with ideal conditions. Smack has had issues kicking in the tricky weather of Green Bay's practice facility, and with the added expectation of rain, he'll have to be on his 'A' game this week to make sure he comes through when called upon.
- MarShawn Lloyd: Last week, the Packers' running back room did basically nothing in terms of statistical output. That can't happen this week, especially due to the aforementioned weather. Rain often calls for a run game, and the Packers will need to lean on their de facto starter in ways they didn't have to last week. While guys like Chris Brooks or Kaleb Johnson could also play a role, Lloyd is the starter, and this is his moment to show the team why their decision to trust in him all these years was the right one.
Packers' keys to winning against the Jets
- Establish a run game: As noted above, but the Packers are going to need to run the ball well to win this game. Last week, they ran for a total of 66 yards, and averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, with Lloyd totaling 2.8 himself in an abysmal effort. The Packers, for better or worse, are usually at their best when LaFleur can run a bunch, so look for the team to try and do so here.
- Force Geno Smith into mistakes: Last week, Geno Smith was stellar in his first game back with the Jets. Despite only throwing for 215 yards and no touchdowns, Smith was an impressive 19-24, and made no mistakes, which helped the Jets sustain drives and lean on Breece Hall and Jason Sanders to get the win. This might be the script going forward for the Jets, which is why it'll be especially important to force him into making any type of mistake he can. The Jets would love a game script like last week, and it's on the Packers' defense to make sure that doesn't happen.
- Make the most of the red zone: A big reason the Packers walked out of Minnesota with a loss last week was its performance in the red zone. The team had four trips in what the team used to call the "gold zone," and only scored once. That's simply not enough in today's NFL, and it was also a problem for the team last year. In order to flip the script from last week, they'll need to maximize their chances inside the 20, preferably by finding the end zone.
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