It’s no longer a matter of if, but rather when the New York Jets will be eliminated from the playoffs.
At 3-9, saying the chances of making it are slim would be a massive overstatement. While the team has turned things around, winning three of their last five, they no longer control their own destiny.
ESPN revealed the playoff elimination scenarios that the Jets face heading into their Week 14 matchup with the Miami Dolphins.
Lose… And You’re Out
We will start with the simplest path.
If the Jets lose to the Dolphins at home in Week 14, they will be officially out of the playoff mix at 3-10.
According to ESPNBET, Miami opened as a 2.5-point favorite and remains a 2.5-point favorite versus the Jets.
Since November of 2016, the Dolphins have dominated this rivalry with the Jets. Miami has won 15 of the last 19 matchups.
That includes the first matchup this season between these two teams in Week 4. Miami beat the Jets 27-21 on Monday Night Football.
Other Combos of Results Can Eliminate the Jets
If the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars come away with victories in Week 14, the Jets’ playoff chances will expire.
The Bills (8-4) will host the Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) in Week 14. Buffalo opened as a 6.5-point favorite, but the money has shifted slightly; they now sit as a 6-point favorite, according to ESPNBET.
The Jaguars (8-4) will host the Indianapolis Colts (8-4) on Sunday, December 7. Interestingly, the Colts opened up as a 2.5-point favorite on the road. The money has moved, but Indy remains a 1.5-point favorite over the Jags, per ESPNBET.
The Ultimate Motivation for the Jets in This Dolphins Game
Missing the playoffs stinks. The Jets have done that for 14 consecutive seasons, about to be 15. However, misery loves company. The Jets’ motivation on Sunday should be the thrill of potentially extinguishing the Dolphins’ flame.
“The Dolphins have less than a 1% chance to make the playoffs,” according to ESPN Analytics. With a loss on Sunday, those chances would only decrease.
The Jets’ 14-year playoff drought, the longest in the NFL, is embarrassing. The only thing even more embarrassing is Miami’s playoff win drought.
Miami hasn’t won a playoff game since December 30, 2000. It was a 23-17 overtime win versus the Colts.
That means there are 24-year-olds walking around on planet Earth who have never experienced a Dolphins playoff win. The Jets, on the other hand, have six playoff wins during Miami’s 25-year postseason drought.
Gang Green Has a Weather Advantage That Could Come Into Play
“The Dolphins have lost seven straight games (including playoffs) in sub-45-degree temperatures at kickoff, with their last win in those conditions on Dec. 19, 2019, at New England,” per ESPN research.
According to ESPN’s “game information”, the projected temperature at kickoff is expected to be 43 degrees — just below the cutoff.
While the Jets have that going in their favor, there is another alarming trend that they have been unable to conquer: Tua Tagovailoa.
Since Tagovailoa entered the league as the No. 5 overall pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft, he has never lost to the Jets.
He has a 7-0 record, a 10 touchdown to 5 interception ratio, has completed 72.9% of his passes, and has thrown for 1,453 passing yards, per Statemuse.
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