Dec 6, 2020; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets tight end Ryan Griffin (84) is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) in the second half of a NFL game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
NFLBy Sean Keeley on

The New York Jets came into Sunday with an o-11 record, in command of The Trevor Lawrence Sweepstakes for the 2021 NFL Draft. They leave Sunday with an 0-12 record, which isn’t surprising on paper. But when you consider how they ended up losing to the Las Vegas Raiders, you’ll realize it’s one of the most New York Jets things possible.

While the Cleveland Browns are busy rewriting their legacy as a basement dweller, the Jets put their tragic history on full display in the final moments of their 31-28 loss to the Raiders on Sunday.

Given the state of affairs for the Jets, it is in their best interest to go winless from here on out. That might sound like sacrilege, but let’s just be honest. You might as well tank the 2020 season and set yourself up for the potential of getting a franchise quarterback with the first pick in the draft. And with the Jacksonville Jaguars lurking at 1-10, it’s also in the Jets’ best interest to keep losing so there’s no doubt who gets the top pick.

So of course the Jets did the most Jets thing possible by playing the Raiders really well and trying their damndest to win the game.

The two teams traded touchdowns early on as New York refused to lay down, even though it was in the franchise’s best interest to lay down.

Still, the Raiders started to pull away and took a 24-13 lead into the fourth quarter. So far so good for the very bad Jets. But then, the very bad Jets started doing very good (bad?) things, like refusing to lay down. With 10 and a half minutes left they put together a strong touchdown drive and cut the lead to five.

Playing to win (for some reason), they went for the two-point conversion and got it. Three-point ballgame.

The Raiders, seemingly on the take from the Jaguars to ensure that the Jets win a game, fumbled the ball on the ensuing drive, setting up a long Jets drive and a touchdown to take the lead! My God, what are the Jets doing???

Time ticked off the clock and it seemed as though the Jets were going to do it. They were actually going to win a football game in 2020 and find themselves in a dead heat with the Jags for the top pick. The Jets were going to Jets their way out of a potential franchise-changing situation.

But then…the Jets actually ended up Jetsing their way back into winless-ness. With 12 seconds left on the clock, the Raiders needed a miracle. And the Jets gave them that miracle by putting single coverage on Henry Ruggs, who blew past the defender and caught a ball in the endzone for a game-winning touchdown. Raiders win, Jets lose.

And so, the Jets remain winless at 0-12. Meanwhile, the Jaguars are locked in an overtime battle with the Vikings and could potentially put two games between them and the Jets, giving New York more of a cushion in case they decide to be dumb and win a game down the road.

It’s rare to see the Jets Jet their way to victory. But it’s an extremely rare thing to see the Jets Jet their way towards victory only to Jets their way into a loss, inadvertently doing the best thing for the Jets franchise overall. It really is impressive when you think about it.

[Jets/NFL]

About Sean Keeley

Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Editorial Strategy Director for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.

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