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New York Jets 2019-20 NFL Postseason - Odds and Predictions

Written by: Mike Lukas

Updated October 14, 2022

6 min read

Don’t be fooled by the New York Jets’ pitiable 2018 record of 4-12 – this year’s model is new and improved on both sides of the ball thanks to an active offseason, and even the odds makers are predicting better things for this previously struggling New York franchise.

Quarterback Sam Darnold is in his second season now, so expect him to step up his contributions, especially given all his new targets, including arguably the best dual-threat running back in the league.

For the last two decades, the AFC East has been owned by the New England Patriots, but now the upgraded Jets are prepared to give Tom Brady’s crew a run for their money in that division, so we take a look at the postseason odds and predictions of the 2019-20 New York Jets and briefly analyze each.

The 2019 New York Jets are:

Owner: Christopher Johnson, co-owner with brother Woody Johnson
General Manager: Adam Gase, interim GM after Mike Maccagnan was fired
Head Coach: Adam Gase (Hired January 2019)
Offensive Coordinator: Dowell Loggains (Hired January 2019)
Defensive Coordinator: Gregg Williams (Hired January 2019)
Quarterback: Sam Darnold (2^nd NFL season, both with the Jets)
Offensive Stars: Running back Le’Veon Bell and tight end Chris Herndon
Defensive Stars: Linebacker Avery Williamson and free safety Jamal Adams

How did the New York Jets do in 2018?

You know your pro football franchise did NOT have a good season when, like the 2018 New York Jets, they did not make the postseason for the eighth year in a row, had a worse record than their previous two lousy seasons and fired their GM, head coach and both the offensive and defensive coordinators.

After starting the 2018 season with a 3-3 record, fans thought that maybe rookie quarterback Sam Darnold could get the job done, but then the team went on a 1-9 downslide for the rest of the season and Darnold took turns playing and sitting as his inexperience became too costly for the team at times.

Given that only one of the their four wins was against a team heading to the postseason, the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6, it was no surprise that Jets co-owners Christopher Johnson and brother Woody chose to rebuild instead of repair their obviously broken football team.

What major offseason moves happened in New York?

In terms of Jets leadership, the Johnson brothers fired head coach Todd Bowles after four postseason-less seasons and Adam Gase was brought in to save the day, the same head coach who had just been fired by the Miami Dolphins after leading them for three seasons and a 23-25 regular season record.

After general manager Mike Macagnan was fired (along with the offensive – Jeremy Bates – and defensive – Kacy Rodgers – coordinators), Gase, the interim GM, hired Dowell Loggains as the offensive coordinator and Gregg Williams to be in charge of the defense.

As far as new players go, the Jets signed middle linebacker C.J. Mosely, slot receiver Jamison Crowder, running back Ty Montgomery and drafted nose tackle Quinnen Williams in the first round (third pick overall).

And to the amazement of the entire football world, the Jets signed dual threat running back Le’Veon Bell, who had sat out the entire 2018 season over a contract dispute.

What are the pros & cons of Le’Veon Bell on the Jets roster?

Pros: Le’Veon Bell is much more than just a powerful and patient running back – he also catches the ball well and runs with it afterwards, which is difficult for opponents to defend against and to game plan around.

Having Bell in the backfield as a possible receiver gives Darnold extra options when he is forced to scramble, which is often for the young quarterback.

Bell has rested for an entire year and his body is fully recovered from the heavy work it endured in Pittsburgh and Bell has proven he can be a workhorse if he is healthy (and paid) enough to do so.

Cons: Bell has sat for a season, so who knows how effective he will be, and how long (if ever) it will take him to return to high-level form.

Bell was expensive – he cost the Jets $52.5 million with $27 million guaranteed – which might pay off if he stays healthy and productive, but who knows if a far less expensive back could do almost the same.

When you have a superstar like Bell on your roster, the drama that sometimes comes along with it can be difficult to manage, especially for a newly hired head coach like Gase, so it will be up to Bell to prove he wasn’t directly responsible for the drama that seemed to surround him back in Pittsburgh.

When was the last time the Jets made the playoffs?

The Jets haven’t played postseason football since 2010, when, under head coach Rex Ryan, they lost in the AFC Championship game to the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 19-24.

The Jets have been to the playoffs a total of fourteen times since the franchise began in 1963, with four losses in both the AFC Championship Games and the Divisional Playoffs and five losses in various Wild Card games.

The Jets won the only time they have ever been to the Super Bowl, which was in 1968 in Super Bowl III when, with Broadway Joe Namath under center predicting a win, they beat the Indianapolis Colts 16-7 and took home their only Lombardi Trophy, with the game and league MVP awards both going to Namath.

Why WILL the Jets make it to the postseason in 2019?

Darnold is talented, possibly even elite, and if he can prove to be even better in his second NFL season, the way Patrick Mahomes did for the Kansas City Chiefs and how Jared Goff did for his Los Angeles Rams, then he could lead this talented Jets team to a lot more wins than in his rookie season.

With the skills and playmaking ability he brings to the field, Bell makes this Jets team a threat to win at all times, something they have been lacking in the past.

The Jets have improved their defense this offseason as well as added some targets for Darnold, so all those one-score losses from a year ago could be a thing of the past, and winning those close ones could be what propels these Jets to enough wins to earn an AFC Wild Card spot.

Why WON’T the Jets make it to the postseason in 2019?

The chances of a team with all new leadership and a second-year quarterback doing any better than breaking even, especially after only winning four games the prior season, are slim to none.

That’s not to say they won’t be good, but it might take another season (and a better kicker) to be good enough to outshine the other AFC Wild Card contenders, namely the Indianapolis Colts, the Los Angeles Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers or (gasp) the newly talented Cleveland Browns.

You’ve got to learn to walk before you can run, and the Jets will need to learn to work as a cohesive team before they can begin to win, and they will most likely spend most of the 2018 season learning to do just that.

What are the current odds and predictions for the New York Jets’ 2019 NFL postseason?

From the looks of the odds listed below, it’s apparent that the odds makers see the 2019-20 New York Jets as a team on the rise, but not one that’s a sure bet just yet.

There are a lot of teams in a better position to win, but the way the Jets have gotten better makes them a dark horse in the race to the postseason.

On the bright side, there’s a battle every year to see which of the three New York football franchises will be better, and 2019-20 could very well be the Jets turn to finally outshine its New York based competition.