As two-game losing streaks go, the New York Jets shouldn’t be too discouraged by their recent struggles. In the last two games alone, New York has played two teams with 10 wins on their ledger on the road in hostile environments.
A glass-half-full approach tells the story of a team in the second stage of a rebuild that is in one-score games with the NFL’s best. Head coach Robert Saleh even surmised as much when, after his team dropped a 20-12 contest to the Bills Sunday that “we’ll see them again.”
Of course, as positive a mindset, as one could have, the reality is that the last two losses have pushed the Jets on the outside looking in for the AFC playoffs.
Now at 7-6 and behind the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers, the Jets will not only need to win their remaining games but also get some help along the way.
It all starts in Week 15 against the Detroit Lions.
And it really comes down to who the signal-caller is for the Jets. Mike White enters this week day-to-day according to the Jets coaching staff. If he goes, the expectation is that New York’s offense will get back to being the explosive unit that took over when White first was given the reigns.
Of course, there are still ways that White’s offense needs to improve as well. Over the last two games, the Jets’ offense is just 2/8 in the red zone. While both Minnesota and Buffalo’s defenses are some of the stingiest when it comes to points allowed, the lack of success on money downs when it matters most could keep the Jets out of playoff contention.
The good news? As strong as the Lions are playing right now, their defense is still one of the worst in football with an inability to stop both the run and pass.
Detroit is battling for a playoff spot themselves. Nothing will come easy for the Jets who are in the middle of their first meaningful December in over seven years. As important as this moment is for their rebuild and to show they are on the right track, winning the games is what actually matters.
If the Jets are to continue to show their improvements as an overall franchise, it must come in an all-important Week 15 matchup against Detroit.
