3 things NY Jets fans can still cheer for in the final weeks of 2024

It's another season where the NY Jets find themselves playing meaningless December football with all eyes set on a crucial offseason. The Jets got December started by blowing a 14-point lead at home against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13, dropping to 3-9 on the season.

Sunday's loss against Seattle marked the franchise's ninth straight losing season, which is the sixth-longest streak in NFL history. Along with this, a loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday will officially eliminate them from playoff contention for the 14th straight season.

With five games remaining in this miserable season, let's take a look at what to watch for over the final month of the 2024 campaign.

1. Development of Olu Fashanu

Joe Douglas started his Jets GM tenure by drafting left tackle Mekhi Becton in the first round, and his final first-round pick was left tackle Olu Fashanu.

The early signs of the Olu Fashanu pick have been promising, and despite Douglas getting fired, he may have finally found the Jets their franchise left tackle that he was searching for from the moment he took over in 2019.

When Tyron Smith was placed on IR, likely ending his 2024 season, it opened the door for Fashanu to continue his development heading into 2025. In Week 13, Fashanu logged 42 pass-blocking snaps and did not allow a sack or pressure. Fashanu has also registered an excellent 77.5 Pro Football Focus Grade over the last three weeks.

In a season that has been so disappointing, Jets fans seeing Fashanu play well and continue that success over the next month should provide hope for 2025 and beyond.

With questions looming at quarterback in New York, seeing potential in your franchise left tackle is one-half of the quarterback/left tackle puzzle that the Jets haven't been able to solve in a long time.

2. Statistical Milestones

Over the next five games for the Jets, two players have a chance to end the 2024 campaign with career and team highs in multiple statistical categories. These key contributors are star wideout Garrett Wilson and second-year edge rusher Will McDonald.

Despite all the poor quarterback play Wilson had to deal with in his first two seasons, he was able to put up back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns. Entering 2024, the potential with Aaron Rodgers was off the charts for Wilson and even though Rodgers isn't anywhere close to the player he once was, Wilson is still finding ways to impress week in and week out.

The 24-year-old has hauled in 74 receptions for 763 yards and five touchdowns through 12 games. His five touchdowns are already a career-high, and over the next month, his receptions and yards could become career-highs too.

Wilson needs 22 receptions to surpass his previous high of 95 and 341 yards to reach a new receiving yards milestone. On top of this, Wilson will need 26 receptions if he wants to become the second Jets receiver in franchise history to surpass 100 receptions in a single season.

Another player to watch for over the next five games is Will McDonald. This season, McDonald has tallied ten sacks, which ranks tied for fourth in the NFL, and leads the Jets through 13 weeks.

With five games remaining, the 2023 15th overall pick finds himself just three sacks away from surpassing Quinnen Williams for the most sacks in a Jets season over the last decade.

McDonald is also just four sacks away from having the most sacks in a season by a second-year Jets player currently held by John Abraham, who had 13 in 2001.

3. Draft Position

One more loss for the New York Jets will officially mark another season of sitting home in January and February. The only silver lining to a miserable season like this is the possibility of getting a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

If the season were to end today, Gang Green would hold the sixth pick in the draft. With five games left, the Jets have a 2.3% chance of getting the first overall pick, a 34% of getting a pick inside the top five, and an 86.5% chance of receiving a pick inside the top 10.

With questions at quarterback looming, if these losing ways continue for the Jets, they could find themselves in prime position to select a quarterback in the first round. The Jets can finish at best 8-9 or at worst 3-14 on the season.

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