Patriots playoff chances have improved despite 0-1 start
It's only week two, but there is a massive shift in playoff chances for the New England Patriots.
On the fourth play of his New York Jets debut, future hall-of-fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers suffered a complete tear of his left Achilles tendon. His season comes to an abrupt end.
What does this mean for the rest of the season for the New York Jets? How does this affect the Patriots?
For the Jets, it means quarterback Zach Wilson, their second overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft, is their starting quarterback. In the span of one night, the Jets went from top contenders in the AFC to now a team with an excellent defense and a questionable offense. The Jets have talent at the skill position but very little talent at the quarterback position.
Despite their dramatic victory against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night football, the Jets are less of a threat now in the AFC. With that being said, Aaron Rodgers' season-ending injury has opened the door for a possible playoff spot for the Patriots.
Zach Wilson has struggled against the Patriots. He's yet to beat New England in his four games against them. His stats are no better, either.
In four meetings, Wilson has two touchdowns, seven interceptions, 693 passing yards, completing 50.9 percent of his passes, and a passer rating of 50.6. Additionally, both of his touchdowns against the Patriots came in one game, so Wilson has been kept out of the endzone in three of the four games.
With all of that being said, the week three and season finale meetings between the Patriots and Jets now have different meanings. Initially, it looked like the defense would have their hands full with trying to handle Aaron Rodgers.
Now, with it being Zach Wilson, the defense could (and most likely will) have a field day against Wilson. If the Patriots defense slowed down Jalen Hurts, imagine what they could do to Zach Wilson.
As for the playoff picture, the Patriots now have an additional very winnable game.
If the Patriots take advantage of this situation, there's a possibility they could finish the season at ten wins, which puts them right in the thick of things for the playoffs. The Jets are no longer a threat.
The playoff race has taken a drastic turn, and the Patriots are in a great situation despite their 0-1 record. A sweep of the Jets is now more of a possibility, which is a gift, considering both Buffalo and Miami are once again threats within both the AFC East and the AFC as a whole.
With the Jets seemingly looking like they won't be a threat, that leaves teams like the Dolphins, Bills, Ravens, Bengals, and Chargers in the real thick of things for wild card spots in the AFC. Now, insert the New England Patriots as a legitimate threat to take a wild card spot.