Current Jets aware of high stakes entering franchise's most meaningful game in years
Quinnen Williams, right, is congratulated by teammates after forcing a fumble against Jaguars last Thursday night at MetLife Stadium. Credit: AP/Seth Wenig
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The number is staggering in its immensity.
Two thousand five hundred fifty-five.
When the Jets play Sunday, that will be the number of days since they last played a truly meaningful game.
On that day, Jan. 3, 2016, the Jets were in Buffalo, readying to play a mediocre Bills squad in the regular-season finale for both teams. The Bills had failed to qualify for the playoffs and were getting ready for another offseason. The Jets? A win, and they would clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2010.
With everything to play for, the Jets lost, 22-17. Game over. Season over. Playoff drought fully intact.
Almost exactly seven years later, a new group of Jets will find themselves playing a significant game Sunday. The scene will be different — Seattle this time — but the stakes will be just as high. To end the franchise’s playoff-less streak at 11 seasons, the Jets (7-8) need to win both of their last two games and need the Patriots to lose one of their last two.
“Being a part of this team for four years now and [we’ve] been losing a long time,” Quinnen Williams said Friday before the team flew to Seattle. “It’s definitely important to look at the aspect and opportunity we have.”
And while a playoff berth is important, leaving Lumen Field with a win over the Seahawks (7-8) in the first step.
The Jets enter Sunday’s game having lost four straight by an average of 8.0 points. In their seven wins, their margin of victory has been 10.9 points.
“All the games we were winning in the beginning of the year, our point differential, I think we had the biggest margin in the fourth quarter,” D.J. Reed said. “We were always winning in the fourth quarter. That hasn’t been the same the last four games.”
There is a fine line between winning and losing. The results matter. So does the process. Over the course of 15 games this season, the Jets have shown that the foundation is being laid in place for what they believe will be sustainable success.
“I think there’s a lot of confidence in the locker room,” coach Robert Saleh said. “There’s a lot of transparency in the building, a lot of people speaking the same language and a lot of really good communication happening. And I think we’ve made really, really nice strides this year. We’d love to finish it. So obviously we [have to] take care of this one, but I feel like we’re definitely going in the right direction.”
Notes & quotes: Williams was named the 2022 Curtis Martin team MVP winner before practice. Williams, the third overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, set a career high with 12 sacks in 14 games. The award was voted on by his teammates. “For those guys to vote me MVP is a definite honor,” he said . . . Saleh said wide receivers coach Miles Austin “has been away from the team” while appealing his league-imposed one-year suspension for gambling. “Miles is a non-malicious person,” said Saleh, who noted that offensive assistant Mack Brown has been filling in for Austin as the receivers coach.
