On Sunday, the Jets missed the postseason for the 15th straight season after a 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. They also had their sixth straight season with a double-digit loss, and are 28-69 during that stretch. What will it take to turn around New York’s fortunes? Here’s my answer.
The Jets have four more games remaining until another forgettable season ends. They play the Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills; three of those four games will be on the road. It’s difficult to believe they are going to win any of them.
The Jets have three wins this season, so they are in a position to get the No. 1 pick. Here’s the problem: There are as many bad teams contending for this prize. There are the Raiders, Browns, Cardinals, Giants, Titans, and Saints. You figure the Giants and Titans won’t draft a quarterback because they have theirs. That said, they could be in a position to force the Jets to trade up and offer many draft picks to do that.
IU’s Mendoza (photo courtesy SI)
But whether that happens or not, the Raiders, Browns, and Cardinals will be a problem. Like the Jets, there’s a great chance they may not win any more games this year. If that happens, the two-win Raiders have to be the favorite to win the No. 1 pick and draft Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Lord, please no!
My take is that Mendoza is the best quarterback in the draft. He can throw, and he has toughness. He would be a good fit for the NY market. The Jets’ history would not faze him. He’s the type of quarterback the Jets need.
Ohio State’s defense put pressure on Mendoza during the Big Ten Championship game. Yet the kid did not flinch and put the Hoosiers in a position to win. In my mind, he erased any doubt about who should be the No. 1 pick.
What about other possibilities? Among them, Ty Simpson, LaNorris Sellers, Garrett Nussmeier, and Carson Beck did not elevate their teams as Mendoza did with Indiana. That’s a red flag, and it also leads me to my following observation, and it’s a whopper. If the Jets don’t get the No. 1 pick, they may be better off not drafting a quarterback in the coming draft.
What?! Yeah, I know. The problem is that the Jets can’t move forward unless the right guy steps under center. Justin Fields isn’t that guy, and he’s likely to be released at season’s end anyway. Tyrod Taylor is injury-prone. The market doesn’t look good either. Kyler Murray? No. Kirk Cousins? Hard pass. Perhaps the Jets could trade for Jacoby Brissett as a stopgap quarterback, but would that be a worthwhile deal? Naw.
There are no solutions for the Jets unless they somehow win the Mendoza sweepstakes. For that to happen, New York needs something outside of the realm of GM wizardry on Draft Day. They need luck, perhaps “miracle’ is a better word.
Despite the NFL’s desire for parity, the maker on the league’s Wheel of Fortune stops a lot at BAD TEAM. It means the Jets aren’t alone, and Mendoza can only go to one team.
Perhaps “good fortune” is what’s required now. Heck, the Jets may be due for it.
