Biggest Takeaways from New York Jets' Week 16 Win

Sometimes, you just shouldn't ask questions.

Should the New England Patriots have kicked in overtime? Shouldn't they have kicked?

Does it matter?

The New York Jets pulled off the upset of the New England Patriots, 26-20, in overtime at MetLife Stadium. The Jets move to 10-5 with the latest victory, marking the first time since 2010 in which the team has posted double-digit wins.

The Mike Maccagnan-Todd Bowles era is off to a fine start. The Jets have immediately turned the roster around with smart, calculated splash moves and a level-headed approach to both building and coaching the team.

Now, with one game to go, the Jets hold their playoff fate in their own hands. Those are just a couple of the lasting impressions coming out of Sunday's win, but here are some of the other takeaways.

The Jets Could Be a Playoff Dark Horse

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

It took until overtime, and the Patriots were far from 100 percent, but the Jets earned a win over a playoff team. 

They did it with efficient play at the quarterback position. They did it with a hard-nosed running game that kept the offense on schedule. They did it with their stout defensive front, which kept the Patriots running game in check. They did it by playing quintessential Jets football.

How can that not make you feel good about their chances of winning at least one playoff game, if not more, come January—assuming they make it that far?

Ryan Fitzpatrick is not a dominant quarterback, but he has played like one recently. With Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker at his disposal, it's no wonder why. There aren't many defensive backfields in the NFL that can hold those two in check for 60 minutes.

The running game has admittedly been up-and-down this year, but when the team gets the ground game going, the offense is tough to stop. The Jets are 7-1 when they rush for 100 yards or more and 3-4 in games when they rush for less than 100 yards.

With the defense playing as well as it is currently playing—the Jets haven't allowed more than 20 points in a game since Week 11, before Thanksgiving—the offense only needs to manage the game. And over the past month-and-a-half, the offense has been capable of that and more.

It's cliche to say "[insert team] is the team no one wants to play in the playoffs," but it might just be true for the Jets.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Is Playing out of His Mind

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Over the past five games, Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing at a level he has never seen before. He has completed 131 of his 203 pass attempts (64.5 percent) for 1,525 yards, 13 touchdowns, one interception and a 106.5 passer rating.

Among quarterbacks with at least 50 pass attempts in the past five weeks, Fitzpatrick ranks eighth in passer rating and fourth in passing yards and passing touchdowns.

He's always been capable of playing the role of game manager. Over the past five weeks, though, he has proved capable of being so much more than that. With Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall on his side, Fitzpatrick has shown he can be a dominant passer.

The only question that remains is: Can he keep it up in the playoffs? He's never been there, so there's no evidence one way or the other, but the Jets will find out for better or worse if they make it that far.

Jets Defensive Front Dominates Once Again

Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Between Sheldon Richardson, Muhammad Wilkerson, Leonard Williams and Damon Harrison, the Jets have enough talent on the defensive line to take over a game.

The box score shows that Tom Brady was sacked only twice Sunday, but the advanced stats show much more than that. According to Pro Football Focus, Brady was under pressure on 16 of his 33 drawbacks—nearly 50 percent of the time. What's more, the Jets held the Patriots rushing attack to just 63 yards on 22 carries.

The Patriots clearly were short-handed, with Brandon Bolden and Steven Jackson leading the team in rush attempts. That being said, this Jets defensive front has played its part all season long and could be one of the reasons for a deep playoff run, assuming the Jets seize the opportunity to clinch a playoff spot. 

Brandon Marshall Is a Nightmare for Bill Belichick

Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

Only three times in Brandon Marshall's 10 appearances against the Patriots has the 6'4" wideout been held to fewer than five receptions or 50 yards. One of those times was in Marshall's rookie season. Another was in 2014, when the Patriots had Darrelle Revis.

Unfortunately for the Patriots, and fortunately for the Jets, Revis was wearing Gang Green Sunday, and Marshall went off on the Patriots with eight receptions for 115 yards and two touchdowns. That is the second time Marshall has caught two touchdowns against the Patriots, and he has earned all five of his touchdowns against them in three games.

Marshall has dominated everyone this year, so seeing him put up big numbers against the Patriots wasn't necessarily a surprise. He is now the Jets' all-time leader in receptions for a single season. He also ranks second in receiving touchdowns in a season in franchise history. Marshall is a weapon, and the Patriots found out the hard way just how important he can be for that offense.

Win and They're in

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Unbelievable.

The Jets control their playoff destiny. Win and they're in. Yes, multiple other situations could unfold that would help, or hurt, the Jets' chances of making the postseason.

But as it stands right now, the only thing that could happen to knock the Jets out of the playoffs would be if they lose to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17.

Thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers' loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Jets moved into the No. 6 spot in the playoff standings. Unless you're a team that clinched its division long ago, a play-in scenario is one of the best things you can hope for in Week 17. There is a lot of pressure to win this one game, but the Jets hold their fate in their own hands.