Raiders may have shown Jets perfect blueprint to building a winner in 2027

Thanks to some percentage points in a schedule-of-strength tiebreaker, the New York Jets missed out on a potential franchise quarterback in Fernando Mendoza while the Las Vegas Raiders benefited. Even though Mendoza and No. 2 pick David Bailey didn't play in the Jets' 38-33 loss to the Silver and Black, the Jets can walk away with some encouraging lessons.

The Raiders have shown they have a pulse in 2026, and with the AFC West looking weaker as the Los Angeles Chargers implode and the Kansas City Chiefs no longer have the same allure as before, Klint Kubiak and John Spytek are building something that could be worth shouting about soon.

The Jets have already done much of the heavy lifting that Las Vegas has failed to check off so far, mostly as it pertains to getting the offensive infrastructure in place around the eventual young quarterback. For everything else, the Jets should look to the Raiders as a franchise they could copy.

New York Jets should follow Raiders' building strategy after Week 8 loss

Geno Smith has put together a season that has been way better than anyone could have expected, so much so that it would be foolish for the team to discard him ahead of the 2027 season. The Raiders are committed to letting Mendoza learn on the job under Kirk Cousins, and the Jets should follow that example.

In a year where fans may be expecting wins, the Jets can try to be a competitive squad with Smith at the helm before eventually turning things over to the young gun. After both Sam Darnold and Zach Wilson were messed up, partially due to being thrown into a meat grinder, Smith has given them the consistency they have searched years for.

The Raiders' defense is far from a finished product, but they invested a ton of money on that side of the ball with some big-name additions. While results haven't been perfect (Nakobe Dean is a hit, Kwity Paye a miss), the Jets have no excuse not to start splashing the cash in 2027.

The New York Jets could spend a ton of money on defense in free agency

The Jets not only have three first-round picks they could use to acquire some blue-chip talents, but Darren Mougey will have oodles of cap space at his disposal. The Jets could use that space to nab a new No. 1 cornerback, pass rushers next to David Bailey, and a defensive tackle who could replace Harrison Phillips.

What could tie a bow on this collection of talent is a younger, offensive coach in the Kubiak model, preferably one with either championship or play-calling experience. After Glenn and Robert Saleh both failed, hiring a first-time defensive-minded coach may not be the right move for this particular team.

The Jets have the ingredients needed to finally turn it around, and they need to follow a blueprint that teams like Las Vegas have laid out in front of them to turn things around fairly soon.

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