Geno Smith, Jets offense will avoid 2 key Lions defenders in Week 3 matchup

When the 2026 regular season schedule was released, the New York Jets were dealt a fairly rough hand to start the year. Sure, they kick the season off in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans, who were a bottom-five team last season, but their opponents in Weeks 2 to 4 are absolutely brutal.

They face the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears all in a row, with only the Packers tilt coming at home. All three NFC North opponents boasted winning records in 2025, and both Green Bay and Chicago were playoff teams.

It will be tough for the Jets to get off to a hot start, considering the talent level of all three teams. But luckily, they are going to catch a few breaks, particularly against the Packers and Lions.

When the Jets face Detroit in Week 3, they'll be missing two of the best chess pieces in their defensive secondary, and it should give quarterback Geno Smith and New York's passing offense an obvious advantage to exploit.

Lions will be missing DBs Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph in Week 3 vs. New York Jets

Two of Detroit's best defenders, safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, are starting the 2026 NFL season on the Physically Unable to Perform list, meaning both players will automatically miss the first four games of the season.

This knocks them out for their home matchup against the Jets in Week 3, giving Frank Reich an obvious area for the offense to game plan around.

Detroit was already a middle-of-the-pack defense in 2025, which means the Jets should have already had at least an easier time moving the ball against the Lions' defense. But this just made things a heck of a lot simpler.

Branch was one of the NFL's best defensive backs last season, recording a Pro Football Focus grade of 77.6, ranked 12th-best among NFL safeties. His versatility in both coverage and run defense will surely be missed by Detroit.

Joseph, on the other hand, is one of the league's best interception artists when healthy. The former third-round pick only appeared in six games last season, but in 2024, when he was voted a first-team All-Pro, Joseph hauled in nine interceptions and deflected 12 passes in coverage.

It should also be noted that Jets head coach Aaron Glenn played a key role in both players' development, as he was the Lions' defensive coordinator from 2021 to 2024.

Fortunately for Glenn's current team, both players will be watching on the sideline when Week 3 rolls around, and it should give the Jets' passing game an automatic boost.

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