New York Jets win a game!
The New York Jets had low expectations coming into the 2020 National Football League campaign, but nobody was expecting them to be winless after 13 games. However, that was the situation New York found themselves in when they made the trip west to take on the Los Angeles Rams.
The Jets were by far the biggest underdogs in the league in week 15, with the Rams favoured by 17.5 points by the odds makers. That didn’t stop a determined New York side though, as the Jets pulled off the most shocking upset in the NFL since 1995 beating Los Angeles 23-20.
“I’ve had tough years and this has been a tough one,” said 37-year-old Jets’ veteran Frank Gore, via ESPN. “One thing I can say: I never went 0-16.”
Gore is the third-leading rusher in NFL history and had no plans of going down in the record books as playing for a team that went an entire season without a win. Sunday’s victory at SoFi Stadium was the Jets’ first in 358 days, but some have been quick to criticize the Jets suggesting a loss would have been better for the future of the franchise.
The victory now puts the Jets at 1-13 on the season, the same record as the Jacksonville Jaguars. But as it stands, the Jaguars hold the number one overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft – not the Jets. The Jaguars have had an easier strength of schedule and win the tiebreaker as a result. Had New York remained winless, they would have been guaranteed the first overall pick and the opportunity to draft potential superstar quarterback Trevor Lawrence out of Clemson.
“Hey, our job is to try to go out and win every week,” said coach Adam Gase following the victory and dismissing the idea that a loss would’ve been more beneficial in the long term.
“It’s been too long for us to even remember what a win feels like almost,” he continued.
The Jet still have two games to play before the end of the season and could yet pick up another win. The host the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon before concluding their campaign on the road in New England against the Patriots.
Current Jets’ quarterback Sam Darnold was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the organization and there has been speculation that New York would draft the aforementioned Lawrence if they had the opportunity. But Darnold claims he didn’t let the rumours or speculation impact him.
“It doesn’t affect us,” Darnold said of the gossip following the win, via ESPN.
Darnold like his teammates, had just been thinking of winning a football game. “The greatest feeling in sports to be able to ice the game out,” he said.
Darnold showed yesterday why the Jets drafted him so high in 2018, completing 22 of 31 passes with no turnovers and a touchdown. However, his future still remains uncertain. While New York may not be able to draft first overall, they will still sealed a top three pick which could also be used to select an elite quarterback.
