The New York Jets are preparing to host the Green Bay Packers in their home opener at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, aiming to replicate the energetic atmosphere that fueled recent successes both on the road and at home for their rivals, the New York Giants.
The Jets’ 23-10 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on Sunday drew a significant turnout of traveling Jets fans, whose enthusiasm helped spark the team’s 1-0 start to the season. Meanwhile, the Giants opened their season at MetLife Stadium the same night before a standing-room-only crowd, marking one of the most electric home atmospheres in recent years. Traffic near the stadium was heavily congested several hours before kickoff, a phenomenon not commonly seen in recent seasons.
The Jets are eager to generate similar excitement for their first home game. Receiver Garrett Wilson praised the fanbase’s unwavering loyalty despite the team’s struggles in recent years, acknowledging the responsibility the players feel to give supporters a reason to celebrate.
"We owe it to them," Wilson said Wednesday after practice. He also noted the team’s 12-22 home record during his four seasons in New York, describing the importance of “protecting [their] home turf” and anticipating a lively crowd fueled by the presence of the Packers, a historically strong franchise.
Head coach Aaron Glenn, who led the Jets to a 2-7 record at MetLife last year in his first season, expressed optimism about the upcoming home game. “I expect the crowd to be exactly who Jets fans are, and that’s the fuel we need,” Glenn said Wednesday. “We want to make this place hard to play in.”
The Jets have long struggled to establish a dominant home-field advantage. New York has not posted a winning season since 2015 and missed the playoffs since 2010. Their last winning home record was in 2019, when the team went 5-3 at MetLife but finished the season 7-9 overall. Since 2020, the Jets have amassed a combined 16-35 record at home, enduring six straight losing seasons at their stadium.
The franchise’s recent history weighs heavily on the team’s mindset. “We all know our history, and we’re trying to change it,” Glenn said.
Several players echo the sentiment that the Jets can harness their fanbase to help turn the tide. Tight end Jeremy Ruckert predicted a “rocking” stadium Sunday. Safety Andre Cisco, a Long Island native in his second season with the Jets, called the occasion “a huge deal” and emphasized the importance of the fans’ continued support following the team’s road win.
“[Jets fans] are looking for any reason to believe,” Cisco said. “When they see wins stacking up… they’re not going to hesitate to keep showing up for us.”
Green Bay center Josh Myers, a former Packers player, expressed hopes for a home-field energy at MetLife akin to what he experienced in Green Bay. “The Jets fanbase is fantastic,” Myers said. “I expect a full stadium. I think we’ll pack it out, and when they’re there, it’s loud.”
Linebacker Jamien Sherwood, the team’s second-longest-tenured player, praised the fans’ enduring loyalty despite years of losing and called the traveling fans who attended the opener in Nashville a sign of faith in the team’s direction.
“As long as we keep doing our job, I think it’ll look like that the rest of the way,” Sherwood said. “We have to do our job against Green Bay, and that passion and those packed stands will follow.”