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The New York Jets lost to the previously winless Cincinnati Bengals, 22 - 6, on Sunday as the entire team looked like they were hung over from the long holiday weekend. The Jets snapped their modest three game winning streak, their record dropped to 4-8, and any faint playoff hopes were extinguished.
How far did the loss to the Bengals drop the Jets in the power rankings? Let’s find out.
25. Jets (Last week: 20)
The Jets came into Sunday’s game against the winless Bengals with a three-game winning streak in which they scored 34 points each time. So, this was going to be a laugher, right? Yes, but not in the way Adam Gase’s team intended. By losing 22-6, the Jets became the first team in NFL history to lose two games in the same season to teams that were 0-7 or worse (they also lost to the 0-7 Dolphins), and there was very little resemblance to the team that had shown fire in recent weeks. Incredibly, Gase’s offense didn’t have a single red-zone possession — Sam Darnold got to the Bengals’ 21-yard line at the end of one drive, but that was the end of it. Not a good look against one of the NFL’s worst defenses. The Jets punted six times, gave up a safety, and their last two possessions ended on downs. Darnold was unable to throw a touchdown pass on 48 attempts, and a defense that was supposed to be on an upswing made returning starter Andy Dalton look entirely credible. Were the Jets a better or more consistent team, this would be a “burn the tape” game as opposed to a fair representation of a below-average team at its worst.
24. New York Jets (4-8) | Last Week’s Rank: 19
Losing Sunday to the previously winless Bengals after losing last month to the then-winless Dolphins is such a Jets thing to do.
28. New York Jets (4-8) (Last Week’s Rank: 25)
Who’s under fire: Adam Gase, head coach
Gase received a vote of confidence from ownership, which said he will return in 2020, but the coach is under fire from the fan base. Sunday’s clunker in Cincinnati erased the feel-good vibe from the Jets’ three-game winning streak, angering the fans once again. Gase is the first Jets coach since Rich Kotite (1995) not to have a winning record in his first season. The franchise doesn’t have many positive trends, and now that one is busted.
What do you think? Where should the Jets rank in the NFL power rankings?