Last season the New York Jets had the most wins the franchise has had since the 2015 season. You may now be thinking that the Jets had 11 or 12 wins a year ago. Nope, they had just seven wins and it was tied for the most the team has had since 2015. This upcoming season, Jets fans expect for a lot more wins and even a Super Bowl. Can it happen? Yes, absolutely, but we have to dig into how they can get there first.
The Jets Playoff Drought
The New York Jets haven’t made the playoffs in 12 years and now people are already talking about a Super Bowl this year. This franchise last won the Super Bowl in 1968 but will need to at least get to the playoffs before they can start thinking about that.
There is no doubt that they are on the right track to have a good season and even make the playoffs. After having one of the best defenses in the NFL last season (we are talking top three in pass defense and second in points allowed in 2022) they should be in a solid position this year to compete.
The biggest problem with last year’s team was the offense. The Jets had a solid run game before rookie Breece Hall got injured but could not get anything going in the pass game. Step in Aaron Rodgers the four-time league MVP and Super Bowl champion and things are already looking up.
Can this Team Even Make the Playoffs?
Last year gave Jets’ fans hope even though they still finished at the bottom of the AFC East. This is not an easy division they are in. The Buffalo Bills may be the best team in the league, leaving just a wild card spot to contend for.
Also in the AFC East is the high-powered Miami Dolphins offense that won nine games last year despite injuries to their starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, not to mention Bill Billeck and the New England Patriots as well.
With just three wild card spots in each division, it is most likely that the Jets need to come in at least second in the division to make the playoffs but it is not impossible to make the playoffs without doing so. That means they will likely have to be better than at least Miami.
The Jets also were not so lucky with their schedule as they will have to play both teams that were in the Super Bowl last year in Philadelphia and Kansas City as well as the Chargers and the Cowboys, just to name a couple more challenging non-divisional games. They’ll likely need at least 10 wins to get into the playoffs which will be challenging but again, not impossible.
Can this Team Win the Super Bowl?
If the Jets can get into the playoffs, and that is a big if, then they will need to win just four games in a row to win the Super Bowl. They will have to go through teams like the Chiefs, Bills, and Bengals to get there just to play the winner of the NFC.
With an elite defense and a four-time NFL MVP in Aaron Rodgers leading a young and talented offense, the upside is high and limitless. The Jets are not expected to be one of the top five teams competing for the Super Bowl this upcoming season but crazier things have happened.
By Jack Stradley, I’m a sports writer always looking for a gripping story and a hot take.