If the season ended after Week 2, it would be a dream come true for New York Jets fans.
The Jets are projected to land two top-10 picks in the 2027 NFL draft from the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, even after their overtime loss to Green Bay, the Jets possessed the AFC’s seventh seed in the all-important Week 2 playoff picture.
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Still, the early goings have been relatively promising for Jets fans. The teams who owe first-round picks to New York are struggling, and the Jets, despite their heartbreaking collapse in Week 2, look more respectable than expected; their competitiveness will be put to a true test in Detroit this afternoon.
Here are the games for Jets fans to keep an eye on in Week 3 as they pursue ascension on both the draft board and the playoff picture.
Draft rooting guide
The Green Bay Packers (1-2) already suffered a 35-14 home defeat to the Atlanta Falcons (1-2) on Thursday Night Football, further amplifying optimism (for the Jets) that Green Bay might be in for a rough year.
While the Jets are battling with the Lions this afternoon, the Colts will be hosting the division-rival Houston Texans in a duel between 0-2 AFC South squads.
At 4:25 p.m. EST, the Dallas Cowboys (1-1) will host the Baltimore Ravens (1-1). The Jets will receive the higher first-round selection between Dallas and Green Bay.
Playoff race
The AFC-leading Buffalo Bills (2-0) will play host to a desperate Los Angeles Chargers team at 1 p.m. EST. New York is hoping to keep pace with Buffalo before getting a chance to close the gap in Week 10 when the Bills come to MetLife Stadium.
Meanwhile, the Patriots will be out in Jacksonville for a 1 p.m. clash with the Jaguars, which could have significant playoff implications at the end of the season.
New England and Buffalo will square off at Highmark Stadium next week.
It’s too early to identify the Jets’ top contenders in the wild card race, but it always helps when an AFC rival loses to an NFC team. Here are the other interconference matchups this week:
- Cleveland vs. Carolina (1 p.m. EST)
- Tennessee at NY Giants (1 p.m. EST)
- Baltimore at Dallas (4:25 p.m. EST)
- Las Vegas at New Orleans (4:25 p.m. EST)
- Denver vs. LA Rams (8:20 p.m. EST)
For those fascinated by the insanely detailed tiebreakers that go into the Week 2 playoff standings, the Ravens bumped the Jets out of the seventh seed with Green Bay’s loss on Thursday, as the Jets’ strength of schedule (the fifth tiebreaker in the two-team wild card tiebreaking procedure) dropped below Baltimore’s. That means New York is technically out of the playoff picture right now, although their 1-0 conference record puts them in a good spot to start.
Rooting for the Cowboys to beat the Ravens would contradict the Jets’ draft-positioning interest, although it seems fair at this point to expect that Green Bay has a better chance of having a losing record than Dallas, anyway. Still, it’s up to you, Jets fan, to decide what to root for.
