It’s been the story way too often this season for the New York Jets. Another loss and another drop in Sports Illustrated‘s weekly power rankings as a result.
At least with the Jets already so close to the bottom, the drop was minor this week. Following their 30-0 road loss to Miami, New York fell one spot to No. 26 overall. Residing in between the No. 25 New York Giants (5-9) and the No. 27 Tennessee Titans (5-9), Jets (5-9) are one spot above their season-low ranking.
Having lost six of their last seven outings, the Jets have been officially removed from NFL Playoffs contention but that doesn’t mean the games will be meaningless from this point forward.
“As coaches, you’re putting your best game plan together, and everyone’s watching, and as players, 31 other teams are getting that tape, so it’s always your résumé,” said Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh. “If your brother’s going out there to sacrifice and play his tail off, the expectation is you do it for him and you do it for one another, but that’s the cool thing about this group. I do think they’ll continue to go out there and fight like they have all year.”
The Green & White rank third out of the four AFC East teams. The Miami Dolphins (10-4) lead the way at No. 7 overall followed by the No. 10 Buffalo Bills (8-6). The No. 31 New England Patriots (3-11) are one spot from the bottom.
The Jets’ next opponent, the Washington Commanders (4-10), sits at No. 29 overall on the 32-team list. The Commanders feature the NFL’s bottom-ranked defense (384.5) and Ron Rivera’s crew will look to snap a five-game losing streak when it visits MetLife Stadium for the December 24 non-conference matchup. Washington’s opponents are averaging more than 35 points per game during the team’s five-game slide.
Meanwhile, no matter the quarterback, the Jets have struggled mightily to put the ball into the end zone. New York’s offense has accounted for 13 touchdowns through 14 games. Their 255.1 yards per game is the lowest average in the NFL.
