ORCHARD PARK, NY – The Jets have entered a two-game road trip needing to win at least one game against the Vikings and Bills.
But Gang Green came away empty-handed on his trips to Minneapolis and Orchard Park.
The Jets’ latest loss came to the Bills as they avenged last month’s loss to Gang Green as Buffalo won 20-12 at home. The loss dropped the Jets to 7-6 this season as they cling to seventh place in the AFC.
Gang Green is in a funk for the last month of the season. The Jets have lost four of their last six games and two in a row.
Despite this, Jets coach Robert Saleh is confident not only that his team will make the playoffs, but that they could face the Bills a third time.
“Obviously I like our guys and they fight,” Saleh said. “I think I speak for everyone when I say…we’re going to see these guys again. I just think we are.
“I think our team is quite good. Obviously it’s from week to week, but we have a good football team.
This confidence from the Jets is nothing new as the team took on Saleh’s persona. Before training camp, Jets linebacker CJ Mosley said it was “playoff or bust” for the team.
Then, after a season-opening loss to the Ravens, Saleh told reporters he was getting all the Jets doubters. Gang Green started the year without quarterback Zach Wilson, left tackle Duane Brown, but they continued to fight through adversity.
The Jets won four straight games in October to resume the playoff conversation. In the team’s bye week and a 20-17 home win over the Bills, the Jets were 6-3 and looking not only to challenge for the playoffs, but also for a dividing crown.
But since their bye week, the Jets have won only once against the Bears, who were without their starting quarterback. Despite this, the team never faltered as they still believe that Jets players also get Saleh’s message. Especially after giving arguably the best team in the AFC everything they could manage.
“I know the guys we have here,” Jets catcher Garrett Wilson said. “We run our business the right way and we left it on the pitch today and we failed.
“We feel like we have a great team, a great team and we’re going to be able to win games, but we have to finish. We’re going to go out there this week and put in the work and start finishing the games like we should and start the games we should as well.
The Jets’ road through the final four weeks of the season doesn’t get any easier. Gang Green will host a scorching Lions team that has won five of its last six games, including a 34-23 win over a Vikings team the Jets lost to a week ago. Then, over a short week, the Jets host the Jaguars in their final home game of the season on December 22.
The Jets will end the regular season in Seattle and Miami, two teams that are also in the hunt for playoff berths. The team is also dealing with injuries to Mike White and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
What should give the Jets confidence is that the team’s offense is much better with White under center after benching Wilson as he threw for 952 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in his three departures. However, the Jets have won just two of their last six games since rookie running back Breece Hall tore his ACL against the Broncos on Oct. 23.
“It’s a championship week every week,” cornerback DJ Reed said of the Jets’ remaining schedule. “Obviously we lost, we’re going to watch the tape, we’re going to learn from it and we have to move on.
“The one thing you can’t dwell on is that we let Minnesota slip away, we let Buffalo slip away and let this go into the week of going to Detroit. We just have to watch the movie, learn from it, be a student of the game, and you have to focus on who you play next.
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