Time's running out: Jets need win over Trevor Lawrence's Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) sets back to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack) Credit: AP/Phelan M. Ebenhack
The Jets are still very much alive in the AFC playoff race, but a loss Thursday night would bury them.
It is that dire for the Jets, who have put themselves in this must-win situation. They started 6-3. The Jets have gone 1-4 since then and have dropped three straight games.
The Jets have no margin for error when they host the rising Jaguars at MetLife Stadium in primetime.
“We got to win this week,” veteran left tackle Duane Brown said. “This is a must-win in our eyes. That’s how we look at it.”
Zach Wilson will get his second straight start at quarterback for the injured Mike White, who wasn’t cleared for contact due to fractured ribs he suffered two games ago in Buffalo.
This game pits last year’s top two draft picks against each other.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence was taken first overall, one pick ahead of Wilson. Lawrence is playing much better than Wilson, who was benched for three games in favor of White.
This could be Wilson’s last chance this season to prove he can lead this offense and team to a big win when the stakes are so high.
The Jets have missed the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons, the NFL’s longest current streak. They’re in ninth place – one-game behind Miami for the seventh and last playoff spot. If they lose to the Jaguars (6-8), the Jets would fall to 10th place with two games remaining.
The Jaguars, winners of three of their last four, are one game behind Tennessee for first place in the AFC South. This game has huge meaning for them as well.
The playoffs start now for the Jets.
“You could look at it that way for sure,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “If we go down again, it’s going to be a tough window. It’s going to close a little bit more.”
“We’re all trying to get in this playoff because once we get that ticket, we can really make something shake - and we believe that,” Mosley added. “None of that matters unless we take care of Thursday.”
Coming out of their bye last month in New England, the Jets were playing for first place in the AFC East. Now they’re fighting for their playoff lives. The offense, defense and special teams all have had major breakdowns during this meltdown.
The Jets’ 20-17 loss last week against Detroit epitomized their recently struggles.
They gave up a punt-turn touchdown in the first quarter, Wilson threw a costly pick and missed many open receivers, and the defense allowed a 51-yard touchdown on fourth down with under two minutes to go.
It was fifth straight game that the Jets lost by one score.
“We’ve got to go back and find a way to recapture what we were doing in the first half of the season over the next stretch of games and hopefully extend it,” Robert Saleh said. “It starts with Jacksonville.”
The Jets could get a boost from Quinnen Williams’ return.
Williams, the team leader with 11 sacks, missed the Lions' loss with a calf injury. The Jets didn't register a sack for the first time this season. Williams is listed as questionable, but Saleh sounded confident that he could play.
The Jets need to make Lawrence uncomfortable. He thrown for 24 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions – tied for the fewest among quarterbacks with at least 500 pass attempts.
Lawrence is on an impressive run of late. He’s thrown for 1,680 yards, 14 touchdown passes and one interception in his last six games.
Wilson has 1,596 yards passing, six touchdowns and six interceptions in eight games this season.
He looked good making plays off-script last week, but the simple throws and reads continue to be a concern. Saleh has shown Wilson support, saying he needs time to work through everything. The problem is this is a huge game for the Jets and they’re running out of time.
“We understand the last few losses have put us in a tough position,” Mosley said. “We just have to go out there and take care of this Thursday. It’s easy to look ahead and look at which other team lost and get all caught up in that moment. It won’t matter if we don’t win this week.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
