Keidel: It May Not Be A Popular Belief, But Jets Can Make Playoffs
By Jason Keidel
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Who are the Jets?
Are they the club that came within 30 minutes of a playoff spot in 2015? Or the floundering franchise that came within 30 minutes of losing to the 0-8 Browns?
Are they the team with the sudden esprit de corps that went 10-6 last year? Or the team that staggered, stumbled, and collapsed out of the gate at 1-5 this year?
Are they the club that brought back the sizzling Ryan Fitzpatrick, who set team passing records in 2016? Or the one playing eternal musical chairs under center, with their starter recently asserting that management gave up on him?
As surreal as it sounds, the Jets aren't that far from the playoff mix, or mess, depending on your view. If they can forget their first six games and build on the last two, the Jets can remold this eyesore of a season. It will take much more than they showed in Cleveland. But it can be done.
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Of their next eight foes, the Jets are as good or better than six of them. Of course, the two they are not better than are actually one, their eternal tormentors, the New England Patriots, who, between Brady and Belichick, seem to take a special delight in grinding the boot in Gang Green's throat.
The Jets' biggest problem is the AFC West, which has three teams with two losses. The Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, and resurgent Oakland Raiders could see January football.
Winning at Miami will not be so facile, with Jay Ajayi morphing into Jim Brown the last few weeks, becoming only the fourth running back in NFL history with consecutive 200-yard games on the ground. (Actually, not even Brown cut that kind of swath during his transcendent career. Only O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell, and Ricky Williams have treaded those historic waters.)
The Jets will belch the weekly bromide, take it one game at a time. And they aren't good enough to view the world any other way. A win in Miami will indeed nudge the Jets north in the standings.
A recent article in the New York Post suggested that losing was the perfect prescription for the Jets, who aren't going anywhere this year, despite Fitzpatrick's recent assertion that they can sweep the schedule and bag that playoff spot that was so achingly close a year ago.
The Post said, just lose, baby. With each win the Jets inch farther back from a top-10 draft pick in 2017, and a chance to dial-up the rebuilding process spawned by Mike Maccagnan and Todd Bowles two years ago.
It's a fairly common mantra -- mediocrity is a foul cocktail for bad teams. NBA teams routinely tank for the best shot at the hottest college prospect. But the NFL draft isn't often as top-heavy as the NBA draft, which has fewer rounds and fewer gems entering the pros. The NFL is festooned with mid-round dynamite.
Just look at Dak Prescott, a fourth-round pick who's got the Dallas Cowboys (6-1) rolling and fans booking the local Red Robin for Tony Romo's retirement party. Look at New England -- something the Jets do often -- and see that sixth-ound pick play in six Super Bowls. The best wideout in the NFL, Antonio Brown, was also a sixth-round pick.
The Jets don't have the capital with fans to morph into the 76ers. And even if they did, they don't have the eyes to pick a franchise QB, assuming one were available.
The Bills (4-4) will likely lose at Seattle. The Ravens (3-4) should lose to the Steelers. Likewise, the Colts (3-5) will be underdogs at Green Bay. And the Titans (4-4) travel to San Diego. (The 3-4-1 Bengals have a bye this week.)
So if the Jets (3-5) topple the Dolphins (3-4), they will be in the thick of the AFC playoff sludge, with four wins.
While Fitzpatrick's recent bombast is a reach, it's the only way to think, to play, to live in the NFL. Only folks who cover the Jets think that winning could be a bad thing.
Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonKeidel
