2016 was a terrible year for the New York Jets. Not only did they finish 5-11, but they did so in a year where they were supposed to be competitive. Instead of taking a step forward from their 10-6 finish in 2015, they took a massive step back. General Manager Mike Maccagnan has his work cut out for him in the offseason to improve this team drastically. He was able to do it after a 4-12 season in 2014 so anything can happen from now until the 2017 regular season.
This is a very early preview of the Jets schedule. The team that just finished the 2016 season will not be the same team in 2017. It is very possible that some of these difficult games now will look a lot less or more difficult come 2017.
Previewing the 2017 New York Jets Schedule
Home Games
Buffalo Bills
The Bills are going through their own tough times right now as well. They just fired Head Coach Rex Ryan and Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan. Even though the Bills finished better than the Jets in 2016 at 7-9, they were swept by the Jets. A win at home should be expected from the Jets regardless of how much they improve.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady has a career regular season record of 23-6 against the Jets in starts he has made since 2001. That includes an 11-4 away record against Gang Green. Maccagnan told the media at an after-season press conference that overtaking the Patriots is “not attainable” and also said “I have to find a new voodoo doll, I guess” in regards to dealing with Brady.
Miami Dolphins
From 2010-2014 the Jets have split the season series with the Dolphins. In 2015 the Jets swept the series and in 2016 the Dolphins swept the series. The Dolphins made the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and are clearly the better team right now. Things can change, but if the Dolphins follow 2016 up with another solid season, this should be a win for them.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were just eliminated from the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nonetheless they had an excellent season and edged out the Oakland Raiders for the AFC West Division title after finishing 12-4. This season they demolished the Jets by a score of 24-3 after recovering two fumbles and having six interceptions of Ryan Fitzpatrick in Week Three. A win for the Chiefs in this matchup next season seems likely.
San Diego Chargers
The Chargers also had five wins in 2016. They may best be remembered for two things in 2016, coughing up fourth quarter leads and losing to the winless Cleveland Browns in Week 16. Even though the season is over, the Chargers are still being mocked as they will relocate to Los Angeles to a stadium that holds around 30,000 people which is the smallest in the NFL by far. There were also rumors that Phillip Rivers wants to be traded because of the move. While they have been denied, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Rivers try and chase his first ring with another team sooner or later. The team is in disarray currently. This will be one of the easier games for the Jets in 2017.
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons will be playing the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game for a spot in the Super Bowl. The Falcons are a great team and Matt Ryan is a favorite for MVP. This game will most likely result in a Jets loss as things look now.
Carolina Panthers
After a 2015 season that saw the Panthers make the Super Bowl, they fell down to earth after only winning six games in 2016. Cam Newton is still a good quarterback and the team is primed for a comeback. Anything can happen in this game as both teams futures are in question until after free agency and the draft.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Blake Bortles looked to be the franchise in Jacksonville after his 35 touchdown season in 2015. Of course Fitzpatrick looked to be the quarterback to bring the Jets to the playoffs after his 31-touchdown performance in 2015. Things can change drastically in a season. Regardless, this should still be a win for the Jets.
Away Games
Buffalo Bills
As mentioned before, the Jets swept the Bills this season and the Bills are going through trouble of their own. This will also be a winnable game for the Jets, but less guaranteed with the Bills at home.
New England Patriots
Brady has lost to the Jets at home four times in his career: a game he didn’t start in 2001, a playoff game during the 2010 season, and two regular season starts. Otherwise he has 12 regular season wins at home and one playoff win at home against the Jets. Expect a loss for the Jets here as well.
Miami Dolphins
Similarly to the other AFC opponents, the Dolphins at home will be a challenge for the Jets barring any big collapse.
Denver Broncos
The Broncos have been a Super Bowl contender every year since 2011. Even when they only won eight games in 2011, they still made noise in the playoffs with a win in the Wild Card round. Things changed this year when they finally missed the playoffs for the first time since 2010. With Peyton Manning retired, they don’t have a clear answer at quarterback. Trevor Siemian was decent in his 14 starts, but not unbeatable. The Broncos defense will still give the Jets fits so this won’t be an easy game whatsoever.
Oakland Raiders
The Raiders were Super Bowl contenders before Derek Carr‘s gruesome micd-up injury in Week 16. Carr may not be 100% come 2017, but the Raiders should still have an easy time facing the Jets in Oakland.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints are an interesting team. Drew Brees is still one of the best quarterbacks in the game. He led the NFL in passing yards this year with 5,208. Still, the defense gave up the second most points to opposing teams. The Jets will need a refurbished secondary if they have any chance of stopping Brees for this game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jameis Winston has had two 4,000+ passing seasons and a total of 50 touchdowns between the two years. He has become a top quarterback instantly on his arrival in the NFL. The Bucs as a team narrowly missed the playoffs at 10-6. This is another game that will be a challenge for the Jets.
Cleveland Browns
And then there are the Browns who nearly had a winless season. The Jets would really have to mess up to lose to the Browns. However, it almost happened this year as the Browns took a 20-7 lead into halftime before the Jets came back to defeat them 31-28. This is still considered an automatic win for now.
