In just a few hours, New York Jets fans will be put out of their misery.

The 2025 season has been one of the most miserable of all time for a franchise that is known for putting its fans through hard times. Entering their Week 18 finale against the Buffalo Bills, the 2025 Jets currently have the second-worst schedule-adjusted point differential (-12.1) in franchise history, beating only the 1976 Jets.

It’s been a grueling ride. However, there should be light at the end of the tunnel. In an effort to facilitate parity, the NFL is designed to reward failure with a glowing pile of team-building assets.

That brings us to our Week 18 tank rooting guide, intended for Jets fans who would like to be rewarded with as much long-term hope as possible in exchange for their short-term sadness.

Jets’ Week 18 tank rooting guide

After weeks of complex scenarios, things are pretty simple now for the Jets.

Here is how the draft order stands entering Sunday of Week 18:

  1. Las Vegas Raiders (2-14, .542 SOS)
  2. New York Giants (3-13, .529 SOS)
  3. New York Jets (3-13, .549 SOS)
  4. Tennessee Titans (3-13, .573 SOS)
  5. Arizona Cardinals (3-13, .576 SOS)
  6. Cleveland Browns (4-12, .489 SOS)
  7. Washington Commanders (4-12, .511 SOS)
  8. New Orleans Saints (6-10, .493 SOS)
  9. Kansas City Chiefs (6-10, .509 SOS)
  10. Cincinnati Bengals (6-10, .517 SOS)

The Jets are currently situated in the No. 3 spot. They are eliminated from contention for the No. 1 pick, which can only be possessed by the Las Vegas Raiders or the New York Giants. This is due to the Raiders and Giants both clinching the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker over the Jets.

With a loss in Buffalo, the Jets will ensure that they pick no lower than No. 3. With a loss and a Giants win (vs. Dallas), the Jets would jump the Giants into the No. 2 slot, while the Raiders would clinch the first overall pick.

If the Jets and Giants both lose, the Jets will remain at No. 3. In this event, a Raiders win (vs. Kansas City) would yield the first pick to the Giants, while the Raiders can hold onto the first pick with a loss.

Jets fans are in an interesting spot going into today’s games. While the scenario of climbing as high as possible in the draft order would seem like the most appealing at first glance, the Jets’ situation is a little complex. Leapfrogging the Giants into the No. 2 pick would ensure that the Raiders, a fellow quarterback-needy team, would hold the first overall pick. Most likely, this would force the Jets to settle for the second quarterback off the board.

However, if the Jets remain at No. 3, while the Giants leapfrog the Raiders to steal back the No. 1 pick, it would open the door for the Jets to trade up and take their quarterback of choice, as the Giants do not need a quarterback and would be open to trading the pick.

What to root for today depends on how you view the 2026 quarterback class.

If there is one quarterback you’re dead set on as the best in the class, you shoot root for a Jets loss, Giants loss, and Raiders win, as it would open the door for the Jets to trade in front of the Raiders.

If there are at least two quarterbacks that you rate similarly in your top tier, you should root for a Jets loss and a Giants win to climb into the No. 2 pick, guaranteeing that the Jets get one of your top quarterback prospects.

Simple Guide:

  • NYJ lose, NYG lose, LV lose = 1. LV, 2. NYG, 3. NYJ
  • NYJ lose, NYG lose, LV win = 1. NYG, 2. LV, 3. NYJ
  • NYJ lose, NYG win, LV win = 1. LV, 2. NYJ, 3. TEN/ARI/CLE/NYG
  • NYJ lose, NYG win, LV lose = 1. LV, 2. NYJ, 3. TEN/ARI/CLE/NYG

What if the Jets win?

Things could get ugly if the Jets manage to upset the Bills.

With a victory, the Jets could fall as low as No. 7.

In the event of a Jets win, losses by any of the following four teams in the order would drop the Jets by one spot on the board:

  • 4. Titans (3-13, .573): at Jaguars
  • 5. Cardinals (3-13, .576): at Rams
  • 6. Browns (4-12, .489): at Bengals
  • 7. Commanders (4-12, .511): at Eagles

If the Jets win to reach 4-13, then the Titans and Cardinals (who each have three wins) would have an outright worse record with a loss. Meanwhile, the Browns and Commanders (four wins apiece) have clinched the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker over the Jets, allowing either of them to leapfrog New York with a loss and a Jets win.

It’s possible for the Jets to stay at No. 3 with a win. They’d just need each of the four aforementioned teams to win as well.

It may seem extremely unlikely for the lowly Jets to walk into Buffalo and upset the Bills, who thrashed New York at MetLife Stadium back in Week 2, even with the Jets having much more talent on the field than they do now. However, the Bills are in an awkward spot, and it could crack the door open for the Jets.

The Bills don’t have much to play for going into today’s game. They are locked into a wild card spot. Currently the AFC’s seventh seed, they can still climb up to the fifth seed, but it remains to be seen how much of an effort the Bills will make to jump those two spots, especially with an opponent as weak as the Jets.

Buffalo will gain some valuable information before the 4:25 p.m. EST kickoff. The fifth-seeded Texans will host the Colts at 1 p.m. EST, while the AFC South-leading Jaguars will host the Titans simultaneously. If the Texans and Jaguars win, the Bills will be capped at the sixth seed. That would decrease their motivation to go all-out for a victory.

However, if the Texans lose, the Bills will have an opportunity to jump two spots into the fifth seed, which they can achieve with a win and a Chargers loss at the Broncos (also at 4:25 p.m. EST), who will be playing for the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

There is also the unique caveat of this potentially being the Bills’ last game at Highmark Stadium (previously known as Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium, New Era Field, and Bills Stadium), which has been the team’s home since 1973.

Regardless of playoff implications, the Bills probably don’t want their last game at the Ralph to be a loss against one of the worst Jets teams of all time. Not to mention, if they stay in the seventh seed, it will be guaranteed that today’s game will be their last in the 52-year-old building. If the Bills climb in the standings, there will at least be a slim chance of them returning home in a playoff game.

While today’s game does not carry much weight in the standings, there is a lot at stake for both sides.