I'm a die hard Jets fan and have seen every snap the past several years. Typically when I bet on Jets games, I bet in situations where I think they will cover the spread, and I can't remember the last time I bet against them, since I hate cheering against my team, but in this situation I can't pass up the free money. Texans are going to roll and roll huge. I've never been so sure about anything my entire life. Even from a Jets fans perspective, I can't think of a single angle of this game to be optimistic about.
Defensively the Jets stink. They are mildly effective against a big downhill runner because the strength of the defense is right up the middle. They are god awful against any running back that can shift or run the ball outside especially against an athletic offensive line. Foster is going to have a huge game. They can't cover tight ends and slot recievers even with Kyle Wilson playing the slot. Now that they have some combination Joe McKnight and Ellis Lankster in the slot and they will be even worse. The Jets get SHREDDED beyond ten yard between the hash marks which is right where Shaub and Texans offense love to operate. Look for Daniels and Lester Jean to have big games. The Jets also can't handle RB's that can catch the ball as they are too slow to the flats and short outs. Bryan Thomas, Calvin Pace, and Bart Scott tryign to tackle foster in space is going to be laughable. If they bring Bell and Landry up to cover the short routes, Shaub will burn them over the top. The Jets simply can't match up. Cromartie is going to be OK against Johnson, but he will still have an average game for him, and that leaves Walter up against Wilson on the other side. Despite being a former first round pick, Wilson hasn't progressed at all in the Ryan defense. He gets beat off the line EVERY single play. There were 3 pass plays last week against San Fran where various SF recievers had 3 steps on Wilson by the time they were 15 yards past the line of scrimmage and Smith missed the throw (leading to Wilson celebrations as though he did something well). Shaub doesn't miss those throws.
Offensively, I don't know where to start or end with the Jets. They O-line forgot how to run block and Green can't break a tackle. I think he has something like 91 yards on his last 44 carries and that include a game against Miami and Pittsburgh before they got Harrison and Polomolu back and Houston is the best run defense they have faced yet. If they even want a chance to break a big play here or there they will have to go with a lot of Powell and Mcknight in the backfield mixed in with a lot of Tebow. A lot of misdirection, trick plays, options, and reverses are the only chance. They won't be able to move the ball with a traditional offense, and I'm sure Houston knowns this and will be ready for all the gadgets.
The passing game is non existant. The only (kind of) consistant weapon was Holmes. In this game they will be down Hill, Holmes, and Keller, their top 3 options. Moving into the starting lineup are the likes of Jeff Cumberland who is slow and can't catch at TE (also can't block) and Kerley and Chillens at WR, both of whom see limited reps. It also take Kerley away from being a slot threat where is he actually effective, and puts him on the outside against a #1 or #2 corner taking away any chance he has of having a decent game. These guys have no timing with Sanchez.
That brings me to Sanchez. I might be the last Sanchez supporter in the world, and I think they kid has talent and potential to be a top QB in the league. He can step up for big games when things are going well like he did winning 4 road playoff games in his first two years, but he isn't the kind of guy to 'stop the bleeding'. When things go bad, they go worse with him. That leads me to the Jets as a whole. Despite all the Ryan bravado, this team over the past 3 years hasn't been the, 'the whole world is against us, now lets show em what we got' kind of team. They had about 5 games at the end of last season to regain the ability to control their own destiny and didn't do it. They had the chance to come out and dominate Miami after losing to Pittsburgh and would have lost that game WITH Revis and Holmes if Bush hadn't gotten hurt in the 3rd quarter. They don't have the fighter mentallity.
Jets will get steamrolled here and stop putting up a fight in the early second quarter as soon as they go down 14-0. The fans will turn on them rapidly the first time Sanchez overthrows Clyde Gates on a 3rd and 10, or gets a completion for 3 yards to cumberland on a 3rd and 9 making the latter part of the game a nightmare the Jets will just want to go home from. I don't expect any fight, intensity, momementum, or anything, and this is coming from a Jets fan.
My prediction for final score is somewhere around 31-3 to 45-6 depending on when Houston wants to take their foot of the gas.