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Week 18: NY Jets @ Buffalo Bills
Sunday, Jan. 9, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
It will take a while to get used to it, but the Jets close their regular season in "Week 18" against the Buffalo Bills. And in some respects, this game resembles the Bucs game.
In that, the Jets are facing two straight Super Bowl contenders to end their season. And like Tampa, there is a question of whether or not Buffalo will need this game by season's end.
A year ago, Buffalo had nothing to play for in the final week of the regular season. But that didn't stop them from crushing the playoff dreams and spirits of the Miami Dolphins. And the Bills did it with their backup players.
It will be interesting to see where the Jets stand by this point. The last time the Jets played a game this late in January, they won a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts on January 8th, 2011.
Final thoughts
The offseason brings a lot of hope for the future. However, the schedule can sometimes smack you with a dose of reality. Most oddsmakers have the Jets over-under on total victories this season at five.
Despite all the encouraging moves that the Jets have made this offseason, the question is, will they be ready to compete in 2021? The answer and expectation, and rightfully so, is that they won't.
The Jets have a very young roster and an entirely new coaching staff, with a rookie head coach, a rookie offensive coordinator, and a rookie quarterback.
No matter how good all three end up being, expect some bumps in the road during what will be a transitional period. In the past, the Jets have had success with a rookie coach/QB combo, but the 2009 version of Gang Green was ready-made for that to happen.
The Jets getting to December while still playing meaningful games would be a bonus, but the real value of the upcoming season is the team returning to relevancy and respectability.
It will take time for the Jets to turn things around, but if they can accomplish those two things, then the season can be a success, regardless of the record.