The New York Jets have a daunting road to the 2024 Super Bowl and a talented roster that can bear that burden.
The Jets’ schedule will be a huge determinant in where they finish in the AFC East standings and in the favorable matchups they can attain come postseason time.
Evan Massey of Fan Nation’s Jets Country predicted the outcome for every game on the Jets’ schedule and had some glaring picks for them on both the win and loss columns for next season.
Jets projected to go 12-5 with three key losses to division rivals in 2024
Massey has New York finishing with a strong 12-5 record in 2024. He has the Jets losing five games to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1, the Buffalo Bills in Week 6 and Week 17, the Houston Texans in Week 9, and the Miami Dolphins in Week 14. Massey did not give Gang Green the benefit of the doubt against the reigning division champion Bills in either of their two division rivalry matchups and also has the Jets splitting the pair with the Dolphins.
The Jets have a few matchups on their schedule that could be toss-ups, even beyond the five losses listed. The Denver Broncos will not go down easy in Week 4, and star quarterback Kyler Murray may turn out to be a man on a mission to remind the NFL world of who he is, which could have the Jets run into trouble against his Arizona Cardinals on Week 10. The Los Angeles Rams will also be a sleeper team for the Jets not to sleep on down the stretch in Week 16.
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Jets have tremendous upside for next season despite a challenging schedule
The same way the Jets could drop those two matchups and be tested against L.A. is the same way they could come out on top once, or twice over against a Bills team that lost superstar wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans this summer. The Texans are also slated to be a formidable team in 2024, but if former four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is healthy and on his game, with his receiving and ball-carrying ensemble moving in lockstep with him once it’s time to take on C.J. Stroud and company in Week 9, the Jets’ veteran talent could get the better of the Texans’ youth.
All in all, New York appears poised for a successful winning season barring catastrophe. A 12-5 record would have won them the AFC East over the Bills and Dolphins who both finished at 11-6 in 2023. While things are a bit different entering next season, the same record could punch them a ticket into the playoffs next time around, though one or two more wins will likely be needed to earn them a first-round bye in the AFC as a whole.
