New York Jets Week 16 Stock Report

The New York Jets could become just the second team in NFL history to finish with an 11-5 record and still miss the playoffs.

Even with the same record as the Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jets do not control their own destiny to get into the postseason; they need at least one of those two teams to lose one of its next two games in order to make the playoffs, and that's only assuming the Jets win the final two games of the regular season.

But after the Jets' 19-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16, it's easy to feel good about Gang Green's chances if they were to make the playoffs. Yes, the Cowboys are reeling from injuries and ineptitude, but the Jets won the kind of game they will need to win if they are to make a deep run into the playoffs.

They won a game in which they played poorly but overcame their own mistakes. They did it thanks to a few stellar individual efforts that helped balance out some of the bad performances that led to such a narrow outcome. 

Stock Up: Ryan Fitzpatrick

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The Jets are finally getting competent quarterback play. Over the past four games, Ryan Fitzpatrick has proved he can not only manage the game but also carry the burden for the offense.

It took him a few quarters to warm up on Saturday against the Cowboys, but once he did, Fitzpatrick didn't just warm up, he burst into flames. In the Jets' final two drives, the Amish Rifle went 10-of-12 passing and led the offense to a score on both drives, including a touchdown pass to Eric Decker.

If the Jets get into the playoffs for the first time since 2010, it will be largely because of Fitzpatrick's dominance and efficiency down the stretch. Those traits will also be a big part of what makes the Jets a scary opponent in the elimination round.

Stock Down: Chris Ivory

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To say this has been an up-and-down season for Jets running back Chris Ivory would be an understatement. The 27-year-old has been equal parts dominant (three games with more than 100 rushing yards, five with more than 90) and quiet (four games with fewer than 40 rushing yards, six games with fewer than 50).

On Saturday, he was the latter, with just 37 yards on 13 carries against the Cowboys.

Luckily for Ivory and the Jets, Fitzpatrick has been able to carry the offense while Ivory and the running game have struggled. That being said, we've seen throughout the season that the Jets are a much better team when they can run the ball effectively (7-1 with 90 rushing yards or more; 2-4 with 89 or fewer rushing yards).

The Jets need to get the running game going if they want to not only continue to win in the regular season but make a deep run if they get to the postseason.

Stock Up: Bilal Powell

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The Jets have two dominant wide receivers in Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, but running back Bilal Powell had more receptions and more yards than each of them against the Cowboys.

Powell finished the game with a team-high seven receptions for 54 yards and also tacked on six carries for 25 yards and a touchdown as a runner. The running game has struggled from time to time this season, including Saturday when it tallied just 73 rushing yards, the fourth-lowest rushing total by the Jets this season.

That being said, Powell has proved the Jets don't need to put up big rushing numbers to have a productive backfield. He has also silenced those who doubted his abilities as a third-down back, as he has plenty of skill in that area to be an effective weapon for Chan Gailey's offense in the passing game.

Stock Down: D'Brickashaw Ferguson

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The 2015 season has not been D'Brickashaw Ferguson's finest in the NFL, and his struggles continued against the Cowboys.

According to Pro Football Focus, Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy beat Ferguson six times, resulting in five hurries and one quarterback hit. This season, Ferguson has given up pressure 53 times, with 37 hurries, 11 hits and five sacks, which makes him one of the league's worst offensive tackles in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency category.

The Jets need better protection from the man responsible for Fitzpatrick's blind side. If they don't get what they need, the Jets may need to evaluate the left tackle position this offseason. 

Stock Up: Darrelle Revis

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Darrelle Revis is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. That's not exactly breaking news, but his performance against Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant showed that Revis is still at the top of his game.

According to Pro Football Focus, Bryant caught just two of the seven passes thrown his way while being covered by Revis. One of them was a touchdown, while one of them was intercepted (although to say that pass was intended for anyone but Revis might be misleading; Bryant was nowhere to be found in the area of the pass).

Revis has allowed just 44.6 percent completions into his coverage this year, with three touchdowns, four interceptions and three passes broken up for a total passer rating of 56.6 against him. Revis is among the top five in both completion percentage and passer rating into his coverage. In other words, he is the same Revis that Jets fans grew to love from 2007 to 2012.

If the Jets don't get into the postseason, it won't be because Revis didn't live up to the hype.