The Jets (2-6) will hit the midway point of their regular season on Sunday in Kansas City with an emerging offensive attack ready to challenge the Chiefs (5-2). The Chiefs boast one of the NFL's most decorated players in two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes, but Geno Smith knows his success will be measured by how effective his unit is against the Kansas City defense.

"I'm going up against their defense and he'll be facing ours," Smith said. "My job is, again, every time we get the ball, we want to score points. I'm not watching their offense at all - I'm watching their defense. We know that Pat is a historically great player and he's always been doing it at a high level since he's gotten into this league. Again, I have to go out there and execute against the defense and not worry about what they're doing. Trust our guys on defense to get it done."

Our Work Cut Out for Us
Smith is on a tear and the Jets offense has set scoring highs in successive weeks with 25 points against the Dolphins in Week 7 and then 33 points last Sunday against the Raiders. While the Jets have lost three consecutive one-possession games, overall, the offense has taken significant strides across the board.

In their 38-33 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Jets became the first NFL team this season to score on each of its first six possessions while accomplishing that feat for the first time since 2008. They averaged 7.1 yards per play against the Dolphins and 7.2 yards per play against the Raiders, becoming one of seven teams this season to average 7.0-yards per play in multiple games.

But the Chiefs defense, led by coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, will provide a stern test in a frenetic environment. The Chiefs have the NFL's No. 12-ranked defense (319.1 yds/g) and they rank No. 9 in terms of yards per play (5.04).

"Man, just from going up against him a few times and then obviously we were together on the Giants for one year, he's a guy who's going to present multiple looks," Smith said of Spganuolo, who remains the only coordinator in NFL history to win four Super Bowls. "He's one of the best defensive coordinators this game has seen. He has those guys flying around and playing well. They have great guys on every level and he uses them well, so it's going to be another tremendous opportunity for us really to go out there and showcase who we are and going up against a veteran defensive coordinator and a lot of veteran players on that defense. We know that we're going to have our work cut out for us, but we look forward to it."

Play-Action Production
Over the past four previous seasons (2022-25), the Chiefs led the NFL in defensive points allowed, limiting opponents to just 18.9 points per game. Through seven games, the Chiefs are where you'd expect – No. 4 in points allowed at 18.7 points per contest. But Smith is playing at an elite level, ranking No. 4 in completion percentage (69%), No. 5 in TD-INT ratio (12-3) and No. 6 in passer rating (104.5). Taking it a step further, there have been 32 seasons in which a Jets QB has attempted 200 passes eight games into the season. Among those 32, Smith ranks No. 1 in passer rating, No. 2 in completion percentage and No. 3 in passing yards (1,913).

While Smith is getting it done through the air, the Jets have found their sea legs on the ground.  Braelon Allen, who has filled in admirably for Breece Hall as the bell cow back, has amassed 504 yards rushing since Week 4, the second-most in the league. Allen, who had a career-high 147 rush yards vs. the Raiders, has recorded 100-plus scrimmage yards in four consecutive games. The offensive line, bolstered by return of LG Dylan Parham in Week 8, has opened holes and the ground gains have set up Smith with play-action production.

"I think the protection's gotten better and better, particularly in our play action stuff," said OC Frank Reich. "Then it really comes with the guy pulling the trigger and that's Geno. He's really good. He's really good at the play-action stuff. He's good at pushing the ball down the field. He's patient to check it down when the ball needs to be checked down. Then we have the receivers that can go deep and they're good in the intermediate."

Smith continues to be accurate at all three levels. He is one of the league's most effective long-ball throwers, ranking No. 3 in passing yards (565), No. 4 in completion percentage over expected (+19) and tied for No. 4 in TDs (4) among 47 quarterbacks with at least 10 attempts of 20-plus air yards.

"A lot of our efficiency and play-action game, we think when you say play action, we just think chunk," Reich said. "We have our share of those, but I think we've been really efficient in the intermediate chunk stuff for a lack or a better way to say it. We want to continue to hit on all three levels when we do play action. Go deep, hit the intermediate stuff and then be alert to get it to our [running] backs or tight ends in the check down when that's available and let them do run after catch and make some explosive plays."

Killer Instinct
While the status of wideout Garrett Wilson (concussion protocol) remains in doubt against the Chiefs, all signs point to a return of RB Breece Hall to the lineup. The Jets have skill position talent everywhere and are the only team in the NFL that has had six players record 100-yard games to date. Reich has options and Smith has a hot hand.

"It's better when they've got to fear more guys, and so we said we were going to try to do that from the start and we've got to keep producing," Reich said. " We've got to keep showing up and doing that and then be able to finish drives, have a killer instinct, and get in the end zone."