After the completion of Week 9 last night, every NFL team has played at least half of its season. Generally, that gives a pretty good indication of which teams are good and which are bad.
It’s fair to say that the Jets, at 1-8, are bad. They’re not alone, though. Gang Green is one of six teams with two wins or less, and there’s a great chance these franchises will be in “contention” for the 2015 draft’s top pick.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the Jets and the rest of the NFL’s bottom-feeders, along with predictions for how they will finish the season.
Raiders (0-8)
It’s easy to look at rookie passer Derek Carr and the winless Raiders and ask, “Will they win a game?” The Rams game in St. Louis is winnable, as is a rematch with the AFC West rival Chargers later this month. And hey, maybe the Broncos will rest their starters against them in Week 17.
Final record: 3-13Jets(1-8)
The way the Steelers are playing, they’ll be hard to beat even at home on Sunday. After the bye, it’s home games against the Dolphins and Patriots, plus visits to the Bills, Vikings, Titans and Dolphins again. All but the Vikings and Titans have winning records, so this could be a brutal finish.
Final record: 2-14Jaguars (1-8)
The Jags and the reeling Cowboys visit London this week, and the Giants, Texans and Titans have flights planned for Jacksonville the rest of the year. Each matchup is within the Jags’ wheelhouse, especially with promising rookie quarterback Blake Bortles at the helm.
Final record: 4-12Buccaneers (1-7)
That win in Pittsburgh looks more impressive every week. Three more division matchups in the weak NFC South all offer solid chances at victory, as do road games against the Bears and Redskins. They’ll steal a couple of those, but no more.
Final record: 3-13Titans (2-6)
Tennessee is on its third starting quarterback and has one of the NFL’s worst offenses. They’ve also got a brutal schedule that appears to have just two evenly matched games left — against the Jets and Jaguars. They might win one of those, or a Week 17 matchup against the Colts — but only if they’re resting for the playoffs.
Final record: 3-13Falcons (2-6)
Like the Bucs, Atlanta has the benefit of playing in the NFL’s worst division. In truth, only matchups against the Cardinals, Steelers and Packers look too tough at this point. They’ll win a couple times, barring any crippling injuries to stars Matt Ryan or Julio Jones.
Final record: 4-12
