Jets' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 9

Fans of the New York Jets had a little something different in mind for the 2023 season. Another year of watching Zach Wilson lead the Jets offense was not the plan before Aaron Rodgers went down with a torn Achilles.

Despite that disappointing development, the 2023 Jets still have the opportunity to claim a playoff spot for the first time since 2010.

At 4-3, the Jets are squarely in the early wild card race. According to The New York Times, they have a 25 percent chance to make the playoffs despite having just a four percent chance to win the AFC East.

Of course maximizing those opportunities mostly comes down to continuing to find ways to win. The offense might not be reliable but the defense has more than held up their end of the bargain. They'll need to continue to do that to win the upcoming Monday Night Football matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers.

That's not the only game that can help them out, though. Jets fans should be watching these three games with a careful eye.

Cardinals over Browns

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Marquise Brown

If the season ended today, the Jets would miss out on the playoffs by one spot. They are tied with the Cleveland Browns, but tiebreakers would lead to the Browns claiming the final wild card spot.

It's a good thing for Gang Green that there are several opportunities in the coming weeks for them to overtake Cleveland.

If the Browns managed to lose to the 1-7 Cardinals would be a huge step in the right direction for New York. To be clear, it's not a likely outcome. The Cardinals traded away Josh Dobbs before the deadline and he was the starting quarterback with Kyler Murray on the injured reserve.

To make matters worse, the Browns will be getting Deshaun Watson back from his shoulder injury that has sidelined him for several weeks.

Murray is getting close to making a comeback, but the franchise has already laid the groundwork that rookie Clayton Tune will get the start.

That's not a great look going against one of the top defenses in the league. There will be other matchups where the Browns could slip up and give ground, but this isn't one of them.

Buccaneers over Texans

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Mike Evans

This is one of those games where it's easy to overlook. Neither team is in the Jets division and neither are considered contenders. However, a win for the Buccaneers would take the Texans from 3-4 to 3-5 and give the Jets an opportunity to get two games ahead of them.

The Texans have been surprisingly good at different points of the season. A 15-13 loss to the previously winless Carolina Panthers was a particular low point to the year, though. If they compound that with another loss they would be heading to Cincinnati in Week 10 looking to avoid a three-game losing streak.

DeMeco Ryans' club is young. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud has cooled after a strong start to the season, but if they can get some momentum they could be a surprise challenger for that last wild card spot in the AFC.

That wouldn't be a good development for the Jets. They need as many contenders to drop out of the race as possible right now. A loss for the Texans would be a significant step in that direction.

Unfortunately, the Bucs are going through their own identity crisis right now and are on a three-game losing streak of their own. Now they'll be going on the road to face the Texans.

Seahawks over Ravens

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Geno Smith

Here's another NFC-AFC matchup where it's easy to pick out a rooting interest for the Jets. The AFC North is one of the most competitive divisions in the league right now. All four teams have a winning record and a shot at the playoffs.

The Ravens sit atop the division at 6-2, but that could change quickly with the Bengals surging, the Browns getting Deshaun Watson back and the Steelers continuing to find ways to win.

The Jets faithful needs to hope that at least a few of those teams come back down to earth. As it stands, three of the seven AFC teams in the playoffs would come from the North.

The Ravens have one of the more difficult draws out of the four. The Bengals have the Bills on Sunday Night Football, but it isn't worth it for Jets fans to root for the Bills if they don't have to. Plus, it only makes things harder in the AFC East.

The Browns get the Cardinals, which has already been discussed, and the Steelers already beat the Titans on Thursday Night Football.

A Seahawks upset of the Ravens draws the AFC North race closer and keeps the competition for those wildcard spots close.