The New York Jets needed overtime but were able to notch a win over the New York Giants in Week 8. The Giants were down Daniel Jones, Darren Waller and Tyrod Taylor, so while a win is great, it’s still concerning that they struggled to put this game away. The Jets move to 4-3 and find themselves in third place in the AFC East. Can they use this momentum to secure a trip to the playoffs?
The defense held the Giants to just 10 points, but again, it was against the team’s third-string quarterback, who finished 2-of-7 for -1 yards. They will be strongly testes in three of their next four games as the Jets play the Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins over the next month. The Dolphins and Bills games could be the most important of the season as they look to make a statement in the division. The Jets already beat Buffalo in Week 1 after Aaron Rodgers got hurt, but that game will be on the road.
The end of the season doesn’t look so bad. After that stretch, the Jets have the Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, another game against Miami, the Washington Commanders, Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots the rest of the way.
If they can go 2-2 in their next four, they would be 6-5 heading into Week 14. Given the opponents, it isn’t crazy to think they can finish 5-1 over the final six games for a final record of 11-6. Miami and Buffalo stand in their way in the division, but they could make the playoffs as a Wild Card team. Will they? Probably not. They need a better quarterback, and head coach Robert Saleh says they are committed to Wilson. We saw a video of Rodgers getting some throws in before Sunday’s game, but even if he is able to have a historically fast return to the field, it will likely be too late for the Jets to sneak into the playoffs.