The Jets Are Banged Up Ahead Of Monday Night Football

The Jets are sort of a mess by design. Burdened with bad contracts, lousy players and a tight cap situation, they're conserving some cash this season and trying to make it happen with young players and a quality defense.

The results haven't been very pretty thus far, but they are 2-2 and they can play teams tough. As the Falcons limp and gasp into their Monday Night Football game against New York, though, there's further complications for the Jets: Injuries.

Rex not saying that Hill and Holmes are out for sure. Says Kerley and Gates would start if they are out. #nyj

— Brian Costello (@BrianCoz) October 2, 2013

The single most depressing thing for the Jets? They'll likely be starting Jeremy Kerley and Clyde Gates at wide receiver Monday night. Kerley is at least decent, but Gates is a player who hasn't developed in any noticeable way since he came into the NFL as an all-speed, no-catch rookie. The Jets simply won't have much for Smith to throw to, which is good news for the Falcons' secondary.

And really, that's the team in a nutshell. They're down Chris Ivory and have no tangible option to replace Geno Smith if he scuffles, not that they should anyways. Both of their top receivers are out. Their line has had its up and downs. The force here is the D, which is good but has to be excellent to make up for the offense.

This is, on paper, the easiest matchup the Falcons will face all year. They're catching a struggling team at exactly the right moment, so they must take advantage. If you're the Jets, you pound Bilal Powell and hope the defense can do enough to get you the win.

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