New York Jets: A miracle playoff appearance is still possible

The New York Jets have a chance to make the playoffs even with the poor start. Let’s take a look at the easiest road for Gang Green to make the postseason.

The New York Jets were 1-7 and coming off of a loss to the atrocious Miami Dolphins after Week 9 with no hopes of making a playoff run. Quarterback Sam Darnold came off a three-game stretch of eight interceptions, including a New England Patriots game where he claimed to “see ghosts.”

That was then, but times are changing in New York with the most recent 34-3 decimation of the Oakland Raiders.

Now people are refraining from complaining about the offense as much with Darnold clicking on all cylinders. Ths offensive line looks much better and believe it or not Gang Green has a path to the playoffs.

The Jets have to win out to make the playoffs. They have a record of 4-7 coming off of the three-game win streak, and another loss will be detrimental to there playoff hopes.

The first half of the schedule was one of the hardest in football, but the next two games are against the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins.

If New York wins both of these games, it will give them a five-game winning streak with momentum, and they would be only one game under .500 at 6-7.

This puts them in the situation where if they win the last three games and can finish with nine wins, then a playoff berth is very likely.

The Buffalo Bills are 9-3 and have the first wild card spot practically locked up, but the second spot is wide open with the Pittsburgh Steelers sitting there at 6-5. The Jets can cut the deficit between them and Pittsburgh with a victory over them Week 16.

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The biggest hurdle to jump over will be the Baltimore Ravens game. Baltimore is hungry for the one seed, so it will be even more difficult playing a motivated team with only two losses on their record right now.

If the Jets can play their best game of the season and beat them, they will have a path to the playoffs. It will end up with a bunch of tiebreakers, which the Jets can win by beating the teams left on their schedule.

One of the most significant issues will be the Cleveland Browns because they beat the Jets in Week 2. If Cleveland wins out or losses just one game, then the Jets cannot make the playoffs.

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It is vital that the Steelers beat the Browns this week to give the Jets more of a chance and to stop their momentum for the last couple of games.

All of the teams in the AFC South are in contention and the Jets need them to keep beating each other up. The Tennessee Titans play the Indianapolis Colts once and the Houston Texans twice within the last five weeks of the season.

If Tennessee beats the Colts and splits with the Texans, then Gang Green will be one game within all of these teams with the last week of the season to play.

If the Jets end up tied with any of the AFC South contenders, then it will go to record in conference as the tiebreaker. The Jets are 0-4 in the AFC East, but winning out would mean they would beat five straight teams in the AFC and have the edge over most teams.

The path for the Jets is as simple as a 4-7 team could ask for. Jets fans need a New York miracle to win out, but it is better than not having a chance at all.