It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Jets fans, even if it has come about a month earlier than usual.
But the divide between the team’s fans was already on display after Sunday’s improbable triumph over the Browns gave the Jets their second win in a row after an 0-7 start.
Yes, they showed a lot of grit after a ridiculously tumultuous week. But at 2-7 the Jets aren’t getting back into the playoff race. They’re not going to win the final eight games to finish the season on a 10-game winning streak and give themselves a shot at making the playoffs. They’ll be lucky to make it a competitive game against the new leader of the AFC East on Thursday night: the Patriots are 8-2 and waiting for them in Foxborough.
So, while a lot of fans were celebrating the win on Sunday, many were shaking their head and lamenting the cost of the victory, because it’s going to hurt their draft position.
So who is right and what should Jets fans be rooting for in the final eight games of the season?
We’re about to end the great debate right here. You’re welcome.
Logic says...
From a logical standpoint, it’s hard to argue with the people who want to see the Jets continue losing. Late-season runs rarely translate to the next year around here. Just ask the 2020 Jets. They started the season 0-13 – rendering all the signs of progress and momentum the Jets claimed to have back in 2019, when they started the season 1-7 but finished with six wins in their final eight games, meaningless.
Every win worsens the Jets draft position, and makes their picks less valuable in a future trade. And with the draft order being the only thing that really matters in the standings right now, it’s hard to argue with the fans who continually point out that logic.
Flawed logic
But here’s the flaw with that logic, aside from the fact that watchings sports is supposed to be fun: the best players – especially at quarterback – aren’t always picked first in the NFL Draft: The Bears took Mitchell Trubisky eight picks ahead of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes back in 2017. Former UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen is selling insurance but he was picked 22 spots ahead of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson back in 2018.
Jets fans lamented losing out on an all-time great quarterback in Trevor Lawrence when they won a few games late in 2020 to hand the No. 1 overall pick to the Jaguars – but Lawrence likely wouldn’t have made it much longer than Zach Wilson if he started his career with the Jets the way he did in Jacksonville.
And the 2026 quarterback class doesn’t even have a quarterback who stands above all the rest. So yes, it’s good to have a higher draft pick but history shows it’s not everything .
A different year
If the Jets hadn’t made the massive trades that sent Sauce Gardner to the Colts and Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys, we would almost understand the Jets fan who wanted to root against their team the rest of the way. Those players were the centerpieces of a team that has been one of the most disappointing and underachieving collections of NFL talent in recent history. The Jets had already proven they were completely incapable of winning a meaningful game under Saleh and under Glenn with that crew. And it would have been hard to take anything from them racking up meaningless wins for the rest of the season.
But the equation was changed when the trade was made last week, and the Jets suddenly find themselves as a scrappy underdog that can turn the page on the past. And the best way to do that is winning.
Ultimately, fans have earned their right to their own choice after being forced to watch this team for years. And we can’t begrudge any fan who would rather see their Jets lose the final eight games of the season. But they shouldn’t begrudge the fans who enjoy seeing because we all can agree the Jets haven’t seen enough of that in recent years.
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