The Gang Green had their chances to finally end the losing streak against New England, but penalties and horrendous performance by QB Zach Wilson led to yet another painful defeat against their AFC East nemesis. As a result, the Jets fell out of the top 10 in all power rankings. ProFootballTalk rated them the highest at #11, while USA Today had them at #15. Four of seven websites placed Robert Saleh’s team at #14. Another AFC East rival, the Buffalo Bills (6-1), is next. The Bills, who won last four games against the Jets, are 11.5-point favorites.
Here’s what different power rankings websites had to say about the Jets:
ESPN: The Jets have held opponents under 23 points in five straight games, and their defense is good enough to keep them in the playoff conversation. Led by DT Quinnen Williams and cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, the Jets are strong on the front and back ends. Gardner is a strong candidate for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Williams’ six sacks already is one shy of his career high. The Jets have feasted on a handful of backup QBs, a factor in their No. 6 ranking in total yards allowed, but it’s still a quality defense.
The Sporting News: The Jets cannot win games when not running the ball, stopping the run and depending on Zach Wilson too much. That’s exactly what happened to them against the Patriots. Will they need to pivot to Joe Flacco for their playoff chances minus Breece Hall?
CBS Sports: The winning streak is over after they lost to the Patriots last week. The offense just didn’t do enough in that game, the first without Breece Hall.
ProFootballTalk: Zach Wilson could be running out of time to prove he’s the guy.
Yahoo Sports: The Jets can’t let their good start become a bad thing. Let’s explain. The Jets are still in a long-term rebuild. A 5-2 start didn’t really change that, though it was a fun streak. Hearing rumors that they’re considering trading a first-round pick for Broncos pass rusher Bradley Chubb is a bit alarming (though maybe inaccurate), because that’s a short-term move for a team that should be thinking about the next few seasons. Robert Saleh saying Zach Wilson will start at quarterback all season no matter what aligns a lot better with the overall vision, even if people are impatient with Wilson.
NFL.com: The Jets had a huge opportunity on Sunday, a chance to finally gain an upper hand over the vulnerable Patriots and show the football world, their fans and themselves that New England’s two-decade run of dominance in this rivalry was a thing of the past. It was an opportunity lost. The Jets’ four-game winning streak was unceremoniously halted by the Belichicks, and the fan base woke up Monday morning wondering if it’s trapped rooting for another high-profile young QB who’s in over his head. “We’ve got faith in Z,” said Robert Saleh after Zach Wilson’s three-interception crumble. The coach is putting on a brave face — but a flop on that stage can allow doubt to creep into a locker room.
USA Today: A team that’s now dropped 13 in a row to the Patriots seems a long shot to avoid a five-game losing streak to its next opponent, Buffalo.
| Preseason | W1 | W2 | W3 | W4 | W5 | W6 | W7 | W8 | W9 | W10 | W11 | W12 | W13 | W14 | W15 | W16 | W17 | W18 | |
| ESPN | 30 | 32 | 29 | 31 | 23 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 13 | ||||||||||
| Sporting News | 24 | 32 | 28 | 28 | 22 | 16 | 14 | 8 | 14 | ||||||||||
| CBS Sports | 29 | 31 | 23 | 27 | 26 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | ||||||||||
| PFT | 31 | 32 | 19 | 24 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 11 | ||||||||||
| Yahoo Sports | 27 | 31 | 28 | 32 | 27 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 14 | ||||||||||
| NFL.com | 26 | 32 | 25 | 31 | 26 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 14 | ||||||||||
| USA Today | 27 | 32 | 23 | 28 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 15 | ||||||||||
| 27.7 | 31.7 | 25 | 28.7 | 23.1 | 16.6 | 10.6 | 9 | 13.6 |
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