Notes on the 2008 NFL Schedule.The Jets open the 2008 season with an intriguing three game stretch. They start at the Dolphins in former coach Bill Parcells's first game running that franchise and then come home for what's sure to be a game steeped in Spygate lore against the Patriots. The opening troika ends with a long trip to San Diego for a date with the Chargers.
It should be a tough stretch for a team that will still be getting to know itself at the season's opening. The AFC Championship Game participants and a Dolphin team eager to turn the page after a brutal season will test whoever is playing quarterback and an 0-3 start isn't likely to satiate a fan base hungry for a quick turnaround.
The slate doesn't get much easier going forward. While the Jets catch a break by drawing the fairly weak NFC West as their interconference opposition, it means two more trips for road games against Seattle and San Francisco. The easiest stretch comes from October 12 to November 9 when they play the Bengals, Raiders, Chiefs, Bills and Rams but even that comes with a caveat. The Raider game brings another trip to the West Coast, making four overall. Other than the Niners, all of them are pretty hostile venues as well.
The best thing about the schedule would appear to be the placement of the bye week. The Jets are off in Week Five and Eric Mangini's post-bye record is 9-6 over his first two seasons.
