The New York Jets lost their fourth straight game in a listless performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday
The New York Jets lost again on Sunday. It was the sixth Jets loss in the last eight games. The loss came in a listless Jets performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the worst the Jets have played collectively since the 3rd week of the season. The mounting losses have surprisingly not killed the Jets’ playoff hopes, as almost every team the Jets are competing with for the final AFC wild card spot is also collapsing as the season draws to a close. There is one path, and one path only, left for the Jets to take the 7th and final AFC playoff spot. The Jets must win their final two games against the Seattle Seahawks and the Miami Dolphins, both on the road. And the New England Patriots must lose one of their final two games. If that happens the Jets are in the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season. If not, the Jets make it 12 straight seasons on the outside looking in.
How did the power rankings feel about the latest Jets loss? Let’s find out.
18. New York Jets
The Jets have one big question to answer in the offseason — who will be the Jets QB when the 2023 NFL season commences? It would be a complete shock if it was Zach Wilson at this point. They have a few short-term options in free agency, but they absolutely cannot waste this talented young defense.
They’re still technically in the playoff hunt, but they absolutely must win their final two games to have a chance. Unfortunately, that’s a difficult task against the Seattle Seahawks and Miami Dolphins remaining on their schedule.
21. New York Jets (17)
It felt like the end of the disastrous Zach Wilson Era when the No. 2 pick of the 2021 draft was booed through a rainstorm and benched for a second time this season — for practice-squad call-up Chris Streveler, no less — in a 19-3 loss to the Jaguars. Remarkably, after four straight losses, a reasonable path to the playoffs still exists.
16. New York Jets (7-8)
Week 16 ranking: 17
Defining moment: The 2022 draft.
The Jets landed three impact players — CB Sauce Gardner, WR Garrett Wilson and RB Breece Hall — providing a foundation for the future. Wilson and Gardner could become only the second pair of teammates in the past 50-plus years to earn Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in the same season. The rookies have highlighted a wild campaign, one that has included a four-game losing streak (current), a four-game winning streak and four different playing quarterbacks. The fall of QB Zach Wilson also could be considered a defining storyline.
15. Jets (15): QB Mike White will be back in the lineup Sunday at Seattle … and might just be the spark Gang Green needs to end its 12-year playoff absence – assuming New York can win out and New England drops a game.
Despite the mounting losses the Jets have not lost much ground in the power rankings, primarily because nearly every other wild card contender is also losing repeatedly. With the obvious proviso that power rankings are stupid, unless they praise the Jets, in which case they’re awesome, what do you think? Where should the Jets rank in the NFL power rankings?
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