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If New York Jets receivers Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell are ever going to break out, this is the week to do it.
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The wideouts face a battered Detroit Lions team that has played ragged defense in its first two games. The Lions gave up 30 points to the New Orleans Saints in Week 1, and then surrendered 41 points in Week 2’s debacle against the Buffalo Bills.
That’s a hefty 35.5 average points per game, or 457.5 yards, and you can’t win in the NFL by giving up that sort of tally each week.
The Jets offense has been respectable, but is not putting up pinball machine numbers through its first two games. The West Coast offense of offensive coordinator Frank Reich has played it safe, with few strikes down the field. The Jets prefer the short passing game augmenting the run, and so far, that’s resulted in a 1-1 record.
Quarterback Geno Smith has not been intercepted so far by playing conservatively. That’s a good thing for the Jets, but they’ll need to break out a bit to stop opponents from loading up to stop the short game. Both Wilson and Mitchell are speedy receivers that can stretch the field.
This may be the week for them to do it, as the Lions are hurting in their secondary.
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The Lions were already without starting safeties Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, both on the injured reserve list and scheduled to miss at least four games. Things got worse for the Lions when Avonte Maddox suffered a foot injury in the Buffalo Game. He will be gone for the year and has undergone surgery.
The Lions have turned to the practice squads of the NFL in search of reinforcements. They have signed safety Bishop Fitzgerald from the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. He will join the Lions’ active roster and will likely see some action in the game against the Jets.
Fitzgerald played for NC State and USC during his college career. He was a first-team All-Big Ten player in 2025. That big-time background should help him compete in the NFL.
The Lions still have safeties Chuck Clark and Thomas Harper, as well as defensive back Christian Izien available.
They also signed veteran safety Jalen Mills to the practice squad. He was originally a 2016 seventh-round pick out of LSU by the Philadelphia Eagles, and was brought aboard by Detroit at the end of the 2025 season, appearing in three games.
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This story was originally published September 23, 2026 at 12:42 PM.