Are New York Jets Hurting Themselves by Winning Late-Season Games?

The New York Jets have managed to anger their fans in just about every possible fashion this season—even winning.

Sunday's 16-11 victory over the Tennessee Titans may have left Rex Ryan's team elated, but those seeing the bigger picture outside of the locker room know that they likely cost themselves several precious spots in the draft order, putting them out of reach for a highly touted quarterback prospect like Oregon's Marcus Mariota or Florida State product Jameis Winston. 

Yes, one draft selection can certainly change the long-term fate of a franchise—just ask the Indianapolis Colts—but the idea that the Jets should do anything other than try to win the final games of the season at virtually all costs is asinine.

"Tanking" for star players in the draft may be customary in other sports, but the number of football players who have been able to single-handedly turn bottom-feeders into playoff teams in under a season can be counted on one hand.

Mariota and Winston have the potential to develop into franchise-caliber players, but both players have enough question marks on and off the field that would give the Jets pause before drafting them even if they wielded the almighty No. 1 pick. 

Brian Bahr/Getty Images

When it comes to the draft, starting quarterbacks are placed on the binary scale: either they can last as a franchise quarterback, or they cannot. If a team truly believes in a quarterback, it is nearly impossible to overpay for the right to draft one. 

In 2012, the Washington Redskins traded four draft picks for the right to take Robert Griffin III second overall. Had RGIII lived up to the billing for his entire career and become the franchise quarterback the Redskins needed, no one would question the move. 

If the Jets want Mariota or Winston bad enough, they can find a way to acquire them without resorting to a self-depreciating, loser mentality that embraces anything but winning games, even for a short time.

Finishing the season on a meaningless win streak does not even count out the Jets from the quarterback sweepstakes—just as finishing in the "top" two would not guarantee them landing the player of their choice.

After all, what would prevent a team from leapfrogging them, stealing their player of choice before they can act? If the Jets were picking second, they may be compelled to trade up one spot to ensure they get "their guy."

The only way the Jets would have 100 percent control over their draft destiny would be if they finished as the worst team in the NFL. As bad as they have been, they have not quite "earned" this title. 

If the season were to end today, the Jets would select sixth. Many of the teams selecting before would not be in the market for a quarterback anyway, giving the Jets fewer competitors and willing sellers to work with when trading up into the top of the draft. 

Pick	Team	Record	SOS	QB market?
1	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2-12	.466	Yes
2	Tennessee Titans	2-12	.503	Yes
3	Jacksonville Jaguars	2-12	.536	No
4	Oakland Raiders	2-12	.571	No
5	Washington Redskins	3-11	.469	Yes
6	New York Jets	3-11	.538	Yes

Sound confusing? It should—there are simply far too many factors in play to determine how the Jets can position themselves to draft one of the top quarterbacks.

That is, assuming they even want either of them. 

Wherever the Jets end up selecting in the first round of next year's draft, they will be accountable for the result of their draft class—not last year's team "overachieving" in the final weeks of the season. 

Do Mariota and/or Winston have a chance to change the fortunes of the Jets franchise? Absolutely—but there are ways to go about acquiring these players without ever having to change a culture from winning at all costs to winning selectively. 

Win games now. Ask questions later. That is how successful franchises operate. Counting losses and overthinking uncontrollable scenarios is a waste of invaluable time and brain space. Worrying about the 2014 record is about as productive as running off a double bacon cheeseburger with a half-mile jog.   

Instead of worrying about the other guys at the dance, the Jets have enough work to do to make sure their game is on point. Per Ryan's comments (via Newsday's Kimberley A. Martin), he believes fans' focus should be on winning: 

Rex Ryan and the rest of the Jets are not just going to try and win these final two games—you can bet they will use the fans rooting for draft position as a source of motivation, a scare resource at this point in the season. All the Jets can and should do is prepare to get the most out of whatever cards they are dealt.