After the Jets’ loss to the Patriots on Sunday, Rex Ryan declared that his team wouldn’t win the division. After the Jets’ loss to the Broncos on Thursday, Ryan said that if they want to earn a wild-card berth, they can’t afford to lose another game.
“Our playoffs start next week,” Ryan said. “We’ve got to find a way to beat Buffalo.”
Ryan is right: For the Jets, the game against the Bills next Sunday is essentially a playoff game, because if they lose it they’re simply not going to make the postseason. The Jets are 5-5, meaning they’re in 10th place in the AFC -- eight teams in the conference have a better record, and now they’d lose a tiebreaker with Denver, the one team that has the same record.
It’s not unreasonable to think the Jets could run the table and go 11-5, with games remaining against the Bills, Redskins, Chiefs, Eagles, Giants and Dolphins. And that might be what they need to do to get to the postseason.
Which means it has to start next Sunday against Buffalo.