Jets coming to Foxboro with 2-game winning streak
NEW YORK — The New York Jets are No. 2 — in the NFL draft in April — after two late-season victories. And, stunningly, in a row.
This little winning streak has the players feeling pretty good about how they’re ending things during a year when nothing seemed to go right for the first 13 games.
“I think that’s kind of human nature where you always kind of think, what if we could’ve put it together earlier?” wide receiver Jamison Crowder said. “There were some games early that I feel like we should’ve won, at least two or three. It’s just one of those years, man, where things didn’t really bounce our way.
“For some reason, these last two weeks, things have kind of gone our way. So, we’re just going to ride this wave and try to prepare for next week and hopefully get another victory.”
Some frustrated fans, however, would argue that things are worse now than when the Jets were 0-13.
That’s of course when New York was sitting at No. 1 in the draft and the frontrunners for Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, far and away the jewel of this year’s class. And a player many consider a generational-type talent.
Instead, the Jets squeaked out a 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams last week and then clinched the second spot in the draft — behind 1-14 Jacksonville — with a 23-16 victory over the Cleveland Browns.
“I’m happy for our guys,” coach Adam Gase said. “They put so much effort into this and have not allowed the outside noise to waver them.”
The Jets are preparing for their final game Sunday at New England, and it is also expected to be the last for Gase as coach. He’s 9-22 in his two seasons in New York and all indications point to the team moving on.
A coaching search will be on tap for general manager Joe Douglas and CEO Christopher Johnson, with what they do with the No. 2 pick a primary factor in who’ll come in to lead the team.
While taking Lawrence is out of the picture, the Jets will have options. They can keep Sam Darnold as their quarterback and take Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell to team with Mekhi Becton — and provide two big building blocks up front. New York could try to trade Darnold and use the second pick on Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields or BYU’s Zach Wilson. Or Douglas could trade down and collect more picks to build around Darnold, or another QB.
It will all add up to an intriguing offseason for the Jets, who’d like to get one more victory before heading home for the winter.