The New York Jets open Week 9 of the NFL slate tonight versus the Houston Texans. At 2-6, Aaron Rodgers and Co. are in desperate need of a victory to keep their slim postseason chances afloat. But their chances of beating Houston (6-2) and picking up wins over the next month took a big hit ahead of TNF’s kickoff.
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According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, New York placed wide receiver Allen Lazard (chest) on injured reserve earlier this afternoon. Lazard sat out the Jets’ Week 8 loss to the New England Patriots with the ailment, which he suffered against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7.
When discussing New York’s precarious position on The Insiders, NFL Network’s Judy Battista labeled tonight’s contest as a must-win, especially for Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson. Battista believes a defeat at the hands of the Texans would make it almost impossible for the Jets to save their season,
“This is a do-or-die situation… if they drop to 2-7… they would have to win out to get to 10 wins. That is a very tall order.”
Rapoport added Lazard’s IR stint – which requires him to miss a minimum of four games – has led New York to take wideout Mike Williams off the trade block.
A win tonight could kickstart a Jets winning streak
New York enters tonight’s matchup as losers of five straight games. They’ve fallen to four teams with a winning record – the Denver Broncos (5-3), Minnesota Vikings (5-2), Buffalo Bills (6-2) and Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) – in that stretch. Individually, those losses are understandable. But strung together, with Week 8’s defeat functioning as the cherry on top, is simply unacceptable.
Despite the rough showings, the Jets’ 2024 campaign is far from over. If they’re able to come out on top tonight, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo wouldn’t be surprised if they began climbing out of the AFC’s lower tier.
“If you win this game: at Cardinals, home against the Colts. Bye week to get right. Home against the Seahawks… there are winnable games here… [but] they’ve gotta play with an edge.”
New York clearly overlooked New England in Week 8. They can’t afford such lapses moving forward. They have to make a statement tonight. Otherwise, they won’t have to wait long to be on the clock in the 2025 NFL Draft.
