We already know why it’s important for the Giants to beat the Detroit Lions at MetLife Stadium this Sunday. But let’s dive deeper into what a win or a loss could mean for the Jets as they prepare to play the New England Patriots in Foxboro.
With the Buffalo Bills losing two in a row and the Miami Dolphins on a bye in Week 11, Gang Green could be in first place in the AFC East (with tiebreakers). That’s exciting enough as it is. But is there a big difference in playoff chances between having a 6-4 record and having a 7-3 record? Turns out there is.
Eric Allen of Jets 360 Productions broke it down for us:
Since 1990, @NFL teams that have started 7-3 have made the postseason 84.6% of the time (110 of 130).
Teams that have started 6-4 have made the playoffs 59.1% of the time (94 of 159).
— Eric Allen (@eallenjets) November 17, 2022
Both scenarios are ones Jets fans would’ve gladly taken back in July. But after watching this team build a 6-3 record and beat the Bills at home in Week 9, everyone is looking for Option A.
As we all know, there’s more at stake than just a chance at moving into first place for the Jets. It’s a chance for New York to finally break a 13-game losing streak against the Patriots and to announce that they’re for real. Finding a way to beat New England — on the road — would be just another huge confidence boost for this team heading into the stretch run.
It’s not as if the remainder of New York’s regular season schedule gets much easier, either. According to Tankathon, the collective .539 winning percentage of the Jets’ upcoming opponents is the 10th-hardest in football. It’s a lot better than the Giants (their .633 opponent winning percentage is the hardest), but this still won’t be a walk in the park.
Outside of Sunday’s game against the Patriots, New York also has one game left with the Bills and Dolphins, both of which are on the road. A win on Sunday won’t really secure anything, but it obviously allows them to have more control of their own destiny moving forward than a loss does. In this case, it’s better to do things yourself instead of needing to depend on others.
Matt Musico can be reached at matt.musico@xlmedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
