The Jets are in prime position this season to break their 13-year playoff drought, tied for the most in any North American sport.
What is considered by many to be an "all-in" season for the Jets and their staff, the outlook for the 2024 Jets should not just be breaking their playoff drought, but making a run for their second Super Bowl appearance since their stunning victory over the Colts in 1969.
Based on a 2023 season that kicked off Week 1 with future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers tearing his Achilles and a disappointing 7-10 record, the question of how far this team can go looms over the 2024 Jets.
They'll open the season on Monday Night Football against the Super Bowl runner-up 49ers and play in seven total primetime games in the first 11 weeks of the season. It's a daunting task, but at least one NFL analyst believes the Jets can break their drought and make the postseason in 2024.
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NFL analyst predicts Jets break 13-year playoff drought
As the Jets hope to witness their team win its second championship in team history, NFL.com's Judy Battista pumped the breaks on potential Super Bowl aspirations. Her bold prediction for the Jets is that they finally immerse themselves into the playoff picture, but not advance to the Super Bowl.
With the NFL having expanded their playoff format back in 2020 to seven teams making it from each conference, this favors what is a talented Jets squad. Unfortunately, according to Battista, the Jets' run doesn't last long as she has them getting eliminated in the Divisional Round.
On the bright side, Aaron Rodgers stays healthy and gets the Jets to the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season, ending the longest playoff drought in the four major North American sports leagues. The problem is the Jets play in the AFC, which is flush with high-level teams, including the defending Super Bowl champions. Even if they win the AFC East -- I'm not ruling that out -- the Jets are unlikely to have the best record in the conference to get the first-round bye because their schedule does them no favors, with four short-week games, a trip to London and a bye that doesn't come until Week 12. Plus, they play some of the league's best defenses -- including in the opener against San Francisco. Could the Jets make a run to the Super Bowl? Yes. But they would need some breaks along the way, and probably some help knocking out some of their elite AFC competition.
Her depiction of the AFC as a whole is spot on. To describe the conference in a few words, it will be a gauntlet. Not only are the 2023 Super Bowl champion Chiefs looking to three-peat, but star-studded teams were ravaged by injury this past year like the Bengals with Joe Burrow and the Browns having lost four key offensive starters. Even a 10-7 record in the AFC this year may not guarantee a playoff spot, even with the playoff format in place.
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How the Jets can break their 13-year playoff drought
Key Additions
The Jets have their work cut out for them, but on paper, they are a part of that AFC gauntlet. Additions in free agency such as Tyron Smith, John Simpson and Morgan Moses (via trade), will be vital for an offensive line that ranked in the bottom half of the league last year.
Another reason to be confident is because Aaron Rodgers is officially back. With Rodgers starting OTAs with "no restrictions", according to head coach Robert Saleh, he immediately becomes a spark plug and significant boost to a quarterback position that produced 11 total touchdown passes combined this past year with Zach Wilson, Tim Boyle, and Trevor Siemian.
Potential for a hot start
The Jets' schedule isn't as daunting as it has been made out to be. Even with the number of primetime games, short weeks and a London game, they face five teams that finished under .500 in 2023 in their first eight games this season. Not to mention that the one game versus the Bills in that eight-game span is at MetLife. If the Jets potentially end up heading into the trade deadline looking at a 5-3 record, there could be more opportunities to improve the team before the tough stretch of games at the end of the season.
Odds makers currently have the Jets favored in a team record 14 games this season and with this talent surrounding Rodgers, this should bring on a fascinating season.
