The NFL season is long.
What is true in September is not usually true in December. That is why it is sometimes hard to evaluate wins and losses — and what they mean exactly — when it’s early in the season.
That is why I thought it would be a fun exercise to look back at the Jets’ first 13 games and how they look now that time has gone by. The loss to the Dolphins and win over the Commanders, which brought the Jets’ record to 6-9, still are so recent that nothing has changed there.
Here’s a look at the first 13 games with an evaluation of whether the result looks better, worse or the same now that some time has gone by:
Week 1: Jets 22, Bills 16 (OT)
This Monday Night Football game on the opening weekend forever will be remembered for the fourth play, when quarterback Aaron Rodgers fell to the MetLife Stadium turf with a torn left Achilles tendon, completely altering the expectations for this season.
But the Jets went on to win the game with a Xavier Gipson punt return touchdown in overtime.
At the time, this win felt huge because the Bills were seen as Super Bowl contenders. The Jets forced four turnovers from Josh Allen, who was viewed as an MVP candidate.
Now? Eh. The Bills did not have the season anyone expected. They are 9-6 and fighting for a playoff spot. Allen is second in the NFL with 15 interceptions, so turning him over has not been as difficult as it seemed that night.
How does it look? Worse
Week 2: Cowboys 30, Jets 10
The Jets got their doors blown off by a Dallas team that was rolling. Dak Prescott carved up the Jets for 255 yards and two touchdowns. Micah Parsons had two sacks and terrorized Zach Wilson.
The win improved the Cowboys to an impressive 2-0 after they beat the Giants, 40-0, in Week 1. Parsons looked as if he was going to run away with Defensive Player of the Year.
The Cowboys are still a good team, but they don’t look like the Super Bowl contenders they did in Week 2. They are 10-5, and have struggled against good teams. Parsons cooled off and is no longer viewed as a DPOY favorite.
It felt acceptable for the Jets to get blown out by the Cowboys in Dallas then, and though the Cowboys have not turned out to be as great as they looked that day, this is still an understandable loss.
How does it look? Same
Week 3: Patriots 15, Jets 10
This is the game the Jets will look back on during the offseason and wonder how the heck they lost it.
The Patriots stink. The Patriots have won four games this season, and one came against the Jets at MetLife.
At the time, we did not know just how bad the Patriots would be. They were 0-2 entering this game, but they had played the Eagles and Dolphins tough. Since this game, they have struggled enough to bench quarterback Mac Jones. Bill Belichick’s future is in doubt because of how poorly the season has gone.
This loss looks terrible.
How does it look? Worse
Week 4: Chiefs 23, Jets 20
If there is such thing as a good loss, this one was it. The Jets went toe-to-toe with the defending Super Bowl champions, and had a chance to win the game until a late fumble by Wilson and a questionable holding call against Sauce Gardner.
Since this game, we have seen that the 2023 Chiefs are not quite the team we were used to watching. The Chiefs are 9-6, and their offense looks nothing like past versions led by Patrick Mahomes.
This was still a strong performance by the Jets, but it is not quite as strong as it looked that night.
How does it look? Worse
Week 5: Jets 31, Broncos 21
Of all of the Jets’ wins, this one looks much better now than it did then.
Denver was 1-3 entering this game and had given up 70 points to the Dolphins two weeks earlier. The Jets got out of Denver with the win, and the Broncos have put things together since then.
The Broncos are 7-8 and still have an outside shot at the playoffs. Sean Payton and Russell Wilson look much better now than they did in early October.
How does it look? Better
Week 6: Jets 20, Eagles 14
This was a stunning result at the time and remains a stunning result.
For a while, the Jets were the only team with a win over the Eagles, who lost three straight games before beating the Giants on Christmas.
Despite losing a few, the Eagles are still one of the best teams in football, and it is amazing the Jets won this game.
How does it look? Same
Week 8: Jets 13, Giants 10 (OT)
This was a game to forget between the two locals. The Jets somehow pulled it out.
The Giants looked dead at the time. This loss sent them to 2-6 for the season, and backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor was injured during the game. Tommy DeVito saw his first action and was barely allowed to throw a pass.
Little did we know DeVito would become the biggest story in New York. The Giants won three games in a row and are now 5-10. They proved they are not as bad as they looked in this game.
How does it look? Better
Week 9: Chargers 27, Jets 6
This is another result that makes you scratch your head. The Chargers have lost six of their seven games since this meeting, and they fired coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco.
Losing a close game would be understandable, but getting blown out at home? This is a weird one. The Chargers have shown they are terrible and this loss keeps getting worse.
How does it look? Worse
Week 10: Raiders 16, Jets 12
The Raiders had just fired Josh McDaniels two weeks before, and Antonio Pierce was coaching his second game.
The Jets had a chance to win this game, but Wilson threw an interception on what could have been the game-winning drive. This was part of the worst stretch of the season for the Jets offense. If they could have mustered any offense, they would have won.
The Raiders have won two more games since this one, including a stunning result over the Chiefs on Christmas. They are a better team than we thought on the night the Jets played them.
How does it look? Better
Week 11: Bills 32, Jets 6
The Jets offense could not function at this point. This is what led to the brief Tim Boyle era at quarterback.
This loss looked bad the day it happened, and it still looks that way.
How does it look? Same
Week 12: Dolphins 34, Jets 13
Boyle’s first start came against Miami on Black Friday. It was clear then the Dolphins were a playoff team and the Jets were not, and it showed that day.
This game will be remembered for the Hell Mary before halftime. The Dolphins have continued to play well, and will be a contender in the AFC.
How does it look? Same
Week 13: Falcons 13, Jets 8
This was another ugly one the Jets will look back on and wonder what happened. Boyle’s second start did not go much better than his first, and that led to Trevor Siemian playing.
The Falcons have gone 1-2 since this game, and they look like a bad team.
How does it look? Worse
Week 14: Jets 30, Texans 6
The Jets put up 30 points in the second half of this one, an absolutely shocking total considering how the Jets had been playing in the previous weeks. Zach Wilson threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns in what may have been his last win as the Jets quarterback.
The Texans lost quarterback C.J. Stroud in this game. He has not returned, so their season is in jeopardy of falling apart. But this win still looks good for the Jets.
How does it look? Same
Game, Brissett, match?
There will be plenty of discussion during the offseason about what the Jets should do at backup quarterback after what happened this season.
The biggest criticism of GM Joe Douglas is he did not have a good plan at the position behind Aaron Rodgers. He can’t make that mistake again in 2024.
One name the Jets should consider is Jacoby Brissett, who put on a show against the Jets in the second half on Sunday. Brissett will be a free agent after playing on a one-year, $8 million deal in 2023 with Washington. He should be in line for a similar payday in 2024, and the Jets should pony up.
Brissett is a professional, and he performed well against the Jets defense. It is strange the Commanders still are starting Sam Howell over him.
Brissett may have impressed his future employers on Sunday.
Stat’s so
The Jets offense has been historically bad this season. It is one of the worst in franchise history.
Here are the worst Jets offenses by yards per play:
1. 1976: 4.03 yards per play (3-11 record)
2. 1995: 4.06 yards per play (3-13)
3. 1971: 4.16 yards per play (6-8)
4. 1963: 4.26 yards per play (5-8-1)
5. 2023: 4.29 yards per play (6-9)
6. 1977: 4.35 yards per play (3-11)
7. 2005: 4.38 yards per play (4-12)
8. 1961: 4.39 yards per play (7-7)
9. 1987: 4.45 yards per play (6-9)
10. 1970: 4.48 yards per play (4-10)
Source: Stathead
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