ESNY has your final gameday for the New York Jets in the 2017 season. Can Gang Green play spoiler or will Tom Brady and the New England Patriots clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC side of the playoffs?
It’s a bittersweet moment for New York Jets fans.
On one hand, it’s the end of the season and we have to wait another 7-8 months for football. On the other hand, the Jets are in store for an exciting 2018 offseason that features a top-10 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, likely over $100 million in cap space, and the answer to a 50-year old question.
Will the Jets find their next franchise quarterback?
We’ll save that prognosticating for the offseason. Until then, the Jets still have a game to play. Here’s what’s on the line:
- If the Jets somehow find a way to upset the New England Patriots, they could fall all the way to the 11th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
- While if they lose and some certain things happen, the Jets could rise up to the fifth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
As we are all painfully aware, the Jets have already been eliminated from playoff contention for the seventh straight year. But the Jets could play spoiler and the potential victory could have huge ramifications on the NFL playoff picture.
Since 2003, the Patriots have held the No. 1 seed in the playoffs six times. In five out of those six instances, New England reached the Super Bowl. The No. 1 seed promises home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and a bye week.
This could be the difference in the Pittsburgh Steelers representing the AFC over the Patriots when these two teams inevitably meet in the AFC title game.
In other words, this Week 17 game is a win-win scenario for the Jets. They’ll either get to knock off the Patriots and get some momentum heading into the offseason. Or they’ll continue to embrace the tank and get the best pick they possibly can in the 2018 NFL Draft.
#NYJvsNE breakdown via the Jets Zone:
#NYJvsNE breakdown w/ @alecdshane of @patspulpit on @TheJets_Zone. Will the #Jets play spoiler? Can the #Pats clinch home field advantage? And more storylines #JetUp https://t.co/P37BWzkjWp
— Paul Andrew Esden Jr (@BoyGreen25) December 29, 2017
Here are some more notes on this game via the Jets official Twitter account:
Finale game notes. #NYJvsNE pic.twitter.com/PtgeyXXUjJ
— New York Jets (@nyjets) December 30, 2017
Top three things to watch out for in Foxborough:
- Start fast and finish this time:
- For those who remember, the last time these two teams played, the Jets quickly jumped out to a 14-0 lead but saw that squandered with another fourth-quarter collapse. The Jets must start fast, but also finish to have a chance.
- Overcome obstacles:
- Last time the Jets were royally screwed on one of the worst calls in NFL history. But this time around the Jets are unlikely to have Austin Seferian-Jenkins (doubtful) and the Jets are set to be without four other offensive starters. They’ll need to play like a team and hope for some serious luck.
- Force them turnovers:
- Easier said than done. But Tom Terrific aka Tom Brady has been having one of the worst months of his career. Brady has thrown at least one interception in five straight games. He has eight touchdowns and six interceptions over that stretch. The Jets best chance to win is to create some chaos and create short fields for their offense to work with.
Other Jets News, Stories:
- Matt Forte is placed on IR (Ethan Greenberg of NewYorkJets.com).
- A new deal means Todd Bowles can say goodbye to the hot seat … kind of (Rich Cimini of ESPN New York).
- Would Kirk Cousins be worth the price tag? (Darryl Slater of NJ.com).
