Jets' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 9
The New York Jets come into Week 9 as a legitimate playoff contender in the AFC.
The Jets will either prove they are for real or face a reality check on Sunday when they host the Buffalo Bills.
Even if the Jets lose, they will still be in a decent spot in the AFC playoff picture, and they may not drop far in the standings if they receive help from elsewhere.
The hope for Jets fans in Week 9 is for the worst-case scenario of losing to Buffalo and having every team beneath them in the standings win to not appear.
The four-win teams underneath the Jets in the AFC standings need to lose so that a potential loss to Buffalo is not an earth-shattering one.
New York will be asking for help in some peculiar spots, but even though some results may seem unlikely, they could happen in favor of Robert Saleh's team.
Falcons over Chargers
Atlanta beating the Los Angeles Chargers is the most realistic result that could go in the Jets' favor in Week 9.
The Chargers traveled cross-country without Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Austin Ekeler appeared on the injury report earlier this week.
A weakened Chargers team could lose in Atlanta to the current NFC South leader, and in turn, help out the Jets' playoff prospects.
Los Angeles comes into Week 9 a half-game back of the Jets in the AFC standings. The Chargers are 4-3, while the Jets are 5-3 and have not had their bye week yet.
When healthy, the Chargers should be viewed as one of the biggest threats to the teams in the wild-card positions, but they go into Sunday without their two best wide receivers.
An Atlanta win would at least keep one four-win team at bay if the Jets lose to Buffalo. Help from elsewhere may not be as easy to receive.
Colts over Patriots
The Indianapolis Colts-New England Patriots matchup presents a conundrum for the Jets' playoff rooting interests.
Of course, the Jets would love to see the Patriots lose in any week of the NFL season, but the Colts are lurking at 3-4-1. A run by Indianapolis could put the Jets in danger because it has one fewer loss than every other team.
Entering Week 9, the Colts look like the less threatening team than the Patriots, which is why the former should have the Jets' rooting interest.
Indianapolis with Sam Ehlinger at quarterback and a banged-up Jonathan Taylor may not be made for the playoff haul in the second half of the season.
New England carries a wealth of playoff experience, and it already owns a win over the Jets from Week 8.
A Colts win would weaken the Patriots' playoff hopes while not adding another significant threat to the Jets in the form of Indianapolis with backups starting at two different positions.
Bears over Dolphins
The Chicago Bears winning at home over the Miami Dolphins is the most unlikely result that could affect the Jets.
Chicago has not shown much promise in terms of winning games it should not, and Miami is on a roll with Tua Tagovailoa back under center.
The hope here for the Jets is that the Bears secondary can somehow find a way to slow down Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but that seems unlikely after the Dolphins unleashed 382 passing yards on the Detroit Lions in Week 8.
New York is level on record with Miami at 5-3, and it owns the head-to-head tiebreaker from Week 5. The two sides do not meet again until Week 18.
As long as the Jets keep pace with the Dolphins, they will remain ahead of them in the standings.
However, that may not be the case after Week 9 because the Jets face the top dog in the AFC East and the Dolphins play their second straight easy opponent out of the NFC North.