When the schedule got here out, these two video games on the Jets schedule appeared like bunnies:
— Dec. 18 in opposition to the Lions at MetLife Stadium. The Lions entered the season with an 11-36-2 file within the earlier three seasons, together with 3-13-1 final season.
— Dec. 22 in opposition to the Jaguars at MetLife. The Jaguars entered the season with a 10-39 file within the earlier three seasons, together with 3-14 final season.
These video games, to be performed in a span of 4 days, appeared like two layups for the Jets.
Now, as these video games sit in entrance of the Jets within the subsequent week, they tackle a very completely different which means and stage of strain, as a result of the Jets are a stunning 7-6 and within the thick of a wild-card playoff race.
And, if the Jets consider they’re the workforce their head coach Robert Saleh professed they're together with his daring assertion within the aftermath of Sunday’s 20-12 loss in Buffalo — a playoff-bound workforce — they should win these subsequent two video games.
As a result of, with 4 video games remaining, the Jets stand because the No. 9 seed within the AFC, which grants admission into the playoff event to the primary seven seeds. The Jets are tied in general file with the Patriots and Chargers, however the Patriots, who’ve crushed them twice this season, and the Chargers, who've a greater convention file, are forward of them in tiebreakers.
The Jets’ closing two regular-season video games are on the street — at Seattle in opposition to the 7-6 Seahawks and at Miami in opposition to the 8-4 Dolphins. They’ll probably should win a kind of two video games.
This brings us to the Lions and Jaguars.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell has the Lions believing and so they’ve received 5 of their previous six video games after a 1-6 begin.
The Jaguars, led by second-year quarterback Trevor Lawrence, have received two of their previous three video games, together with an upset victory over the Titans on Sunday. Curiously, the Jags’ loss in that stretch was a 40-14 blowout by the Lions.
These video games the Jets could have checked out as gimmes again in September at the moment are video games they in all probability should win in the event that they’re going to finish their drought and not using a playoff look for the reason that 2010 season.
If the Jets are the playoff workforce they suppose they're, they should handle enterprise and beat the Lions and Jaguars at dwelling in December.
Determining who these Jets are is an interesting train.
Sure, they’ve misplaced their previous two video games. However these losses got here in opposition to the 10-3 Vikings on the street and the 10-3 Payments on the street this previous Sunday. Each had been one-possession video games.
Two of the Jets’ different losses got here in opposition to the Ravens and Bengals, who're tied atop the AFC North with 9-4 data. So, 4 of the Jets’ six losses have come in opposition to groups with a mixed 38-14 file.
“The encouraging factor is we are able to go toe-to-toe with anybody,” Saleh mentioned. “I believe that anybody who watches soccer can watch our video games and say, ‘God, this workforce can play with anyone.’ ’’
The first space the place that is true is on protection.
The Jets are ranked sixth general in scoring protection, permitting a median of 18.69 factors per sport. They’re ranked third in fewest yards allowed. Their passing protection is ranked fourth within the league. They’ve allowed the second-fewest TD passes within the league (12) and the second-worst passer ranking to opposing quarterbacks (78.1). Solely 4 groups have extra sacks than the 39 the Jets have produced.
Sure, the NFL is a league dominated by offense, however good protection travels in December and January, and the Jets’ protection is nearly as good as any within the league. It could be a disgrace in the event that they aren’t capable of get that protection into the playoffs and see what sort of harm they will do, as a result of these AFC playoffs determine to be as huge open as any in recent times.
Who, apart from perhaps the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, is taken into account even near a certain factor within the AFC?
Should you ballot AFC groups, you’re not going to seek out so much (if any) of them who’ll join a playoff sport in opposition to the younger, gifted and brash Jets, as a result of the Jets are harmful.
But, to ensure that them to get there to be a postseason menace, the Jets are going to want to handle enterprise in these subsequent two video games in what is perhaps a season-defining span of 4 days.
That, if nothing else, is a vital begin.
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