Green Bay Packers at New York Jets: 5 matchups to watch

4. Packers edge rushers vs Jets Tackles

In addition to being important to winning the game, this matchup is important for a pair of guys that will be looking to extend their tenures in Green Bay this offseason. Reggie Gilbert and Clay Matthews are both unrestricted free agents with very uncertain futures this offseason. Gilbert has shown flashes of potential in the preseason, but he never receivers consistent playing time. Matthews has been with the Packers his entire career. He wants to continue that, but do they?

They get a great matchup to make their case with a pair of the weaker tackles in the NFL. Kelvin Beachum and Brent Qvale have been everything but consistent this season. The team has only given up 31 sacks, but Qvale has been a brutal substitute for the injured Brandon Shell. Darnold is the future of the Jets franchise, and they need to keep him clean against a Packers team that generates sacks in a lot of ways.

Gilbert is 26 and heading towards the end of his prime. He needs to have a big finish to this season to prove to the Packers or another team that he deserves a contract to keep him in the league. Far removed from his All-Pro season in 2020, Matthews has stated publicly he wants to remain with the team for his entire career. The team is shallow at the position, but he needs to prove to them in these games that he still has something left in those old legs.