New York Jets Week 17 Stock Report

Knee-jerk reaction: Everyone's stock is up after the New York Jets' 26-20 overtime win against the New England Patriots.

Big-picture, level-headed reaction: The Jets are one step closer to the playoffs, but they still have a long way to go and improvements need to be made.

The Jets look like a playoff team. They smell like a playoff team. And after Sunday's big win, they feel like a playoff team. With one more win (or with a Pittsburgh Steelers loss), they will actually be a playoff team. But there are still some players whose stock is on the way up and others who need to turn things around before the games that really, really matter.

Stock Up: Ryan Fitzpatrick

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Week after week, Ryan Fitzpatrick has continued to prove that he can carry the Jets offense.

Over the past five games, Fitzpatrick has completed 131 of 203 passes (64.5 percent) for 1,525 yards with 13 touchdowns, one interception and a 106.5 passer rating.

His job has been made much easier by the dominant performances from wideouts Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall, who both continue to set receiving records, including becoming the first duo to each score a touchdown in eight separate games in a season.

At this point, it's easy to say that if the Jets are going to make a deep run in the playoffs, it's going to be because Fitzpatrick continues to play at a high level.

Stock Down: David Harris

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One of the Jets' biggest weaknesses on defense has been the coverage at the linebacker position.

On Sunday, David Harris was exposed eight times on nine targets, according to Pro Football Focus. He was also out of position on Patriots running back James White's touchdown reception that sent the game to overtime.

This season, Harris has been targeted 54 times in coverage and has allowed 42 receptions (77.8 percent) for 296 yards and two touchdowns, which adds up to a 101.9 passer rating. Those coverage numbers put him right in the middle of the pack among inside linebackers in coverage. 

Harris still has a place in the Jets defense, but that place might not be in coverage.

Stock Up: Sheldon Richardson

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The Jets' entire defensive line is incredibly talented, and it seems that they take turns dominating their opponents. On Sunday, the lead dog was third-year defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson, who tallied five quarterback hurries, one hit and one sack against the Patriots, according to Pro Football Focus.

Over the past two months, Richardson has really begun to hit stride. He has tallied no less than three total pressures in each of the past seven games, including no less then six total pressures in each of the past two games.

Richardson started off the season on the wrong foot with a drug-related suspension, but he seems to have taken it in stride and is still playing at an incredibly high level. The Jets are going to have to make a difficult decision on whether to sign Muhammad Wilkerson or let him walk; Richardson's performance could factor into that decision. 

Stock Down: Chris Ivory

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In his first four games of the season, running back Chris Ivory started off on pace to rush for 1,725 yards. So, the fact that he currently has 989 yards and is on pace for just 1,060 yards is a testament to the struggles he has endured in the second half of the season.

On Sunday against the Patriots, Ivory rushed 11 times for 38 yards at 3.5 yards per carry. The Jets tried to get him involved in the screen game, but his four receptions went for a total of four yards.

Ivory suffered a groin injury against the Patriots in Week 7, and has appeared to suffer the lingering effects of that injury throughout the rest of the season. Either way, the Jets will need more from Ivory if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Stock Up: Eric Decker

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Brandon Marshall has played the role of Batman perfectly this year, but Eric Decker has been the quintessential Robin to Marshall's Batman.

Yes, Marshall got the headlines Sunday with his whopping eight-reception, 115-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Patriots, but it was Decker—not Marshall—who caught the game-winning touchdown.

That play was a testament to Decker's mental toughness, as the former Denver Broncos wide receiver had been held out of the game almost entirely by Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler up to that point. Decker finished the game with three receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown. 

Decker has been a great fit with Marshall and Ryan Fitzpatrick, proving that the John Idzik era in New York wasn't completely absent of any positives.