Jet X brings its latest New York Jets-Trevor Lawrence rooting guide with the strength of schedule tiebreaker firmly in mind.
Each NFL game alters the universe most New York Jets fans are currently experiencing. It’s the universe that wants to see eye-popping development from the team’s youngsters, while also maintaining an edge over the Jacksonville Jaguars for the jaw-dropping prize on the other side.
Trevor Lawrence is his name, in case you haven’t yet been acquainted.
The Clemson stud righty remains the prize for the team that finishes with the worst record in the NFL this season—assuming he forgoes his senior season and enters the 2021 NFL draft. Now that Week 11 is officially in the books, it’s time to update the tank standings and Michael Nania’s strength of schedule tiebreaker rooting guide.
First, let’s look at the tank standings, per Tankathon.
The Jets maintain a full-game lead over the Jaguars but are just one loss away from losing the top spot. Remember, strength of schedule is the almighty tiebreaker when determining the NFL draft order.
Currently sporting a .588 strength of schedule (which includes all 13 opponents and 16 games, even future opponents) compared to the Jags’ .553 mark, the Jets still need things to bounce right if they are to capture the top spot if tied with the Jags in winning percentage.
As a Jets fan, who to root for is a critical factor when thinking about the NFL’s final six weeks.
Things have broken a bit right for New York over the last couple of weeks. The transparent logos signify team losses (such as Tom Brady‘s Tampa Bay Buccaneers falling to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football).
Critically, Romeo Crennel’s Houston Texans knocking off the New England Patriots this past Sunday helped the cause, as did the Tennessee Titans win in Baltimore. Nonetheless, the strength of schedule gap is still pretty significant.
Week 12 features a slate of need for the Jets. Victories from the following teams will help the Jets cut into that tiebreaker margin even further:
- Houston Texans
- Arizona Cardinals
- Minnesota Vikings
- Tennessee Titans
- Cincinnati Bengals
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Atlanta Falcons
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Philadelphia Eagles
Of course, the biggest factor in the race for Lawrence deals with the win-loss column. The Jets will welcome the Miami Dolphins to MetLife Stadium for a Sunday affair, while the Jags take on the Cleveland Browns at home.
A Jets win and Jags loss would automatically flip the two teams at the top of the race. That is, unless, the strength of schedule tiebreaker turns into a real barn burner—something that’s unlikely to happen unless a significant majority of the teams above win their Week 12 contests.