Examine the Jets' chances of making the playoffs after their Week 9 win over the Texans

After five straight losses, the New York Jets finally got back on track with a 21-13 victory over the Houston Texans on Halloween night. Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdowns, Garrett Wilson scored one Catch of the year and even Davante Adams got in on the action with his first touchdown as a Jet. New York is now 3-6. What happens next?

Maybe this win over Houston could be a turning point for New York. There is still a lot of football to be played. The season is just half over. It's clear that the Jets haven't lived up to their potential, but perhaps that will change in the future.

Below, we'll break down the Jets' chances of making the postseason. The Jets are the No. 10 seed in the AFC this weekend. The seeds 5-7 form the wild cards – the positions are currently held by the Denver Broncos (5-3), the Baltimore Ravens (5-3) and the Los Angeles Chargers (4-3). Before we dive into some simulations, here's the Jets' remaining schedule.

The Jets' remaining schedule

The Jets' remaining schedule isn't necessarily daunting, but Tankathon actually believes it's one of the easiest remaining schedules in the NFL. For them it is the fifth easiest game in the league. Regardless of whether New York's upcoming opponent has a good record at this point or not, the Jets will have to take it one game at a time. That’s what interim coach Jeff Ulbrich is focused on.

“I know it's coaching talk, but I'm just focused on Arizona,” Ulbrich told reporters Friday. “The world could end after this Cardinal game. You know, the only thing I’m worried about is this game.”

Jets playoff chances

According to simulations from SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh, the Jets are expected to win more games than they lose over the remainder of the season. But they still need to do more. Oh, the Jets finished the 2024 regular season with 7.2 wins. That means a losing record, which means no postseason football.

This weekend, the Jets have a 12.1% chance of making the playoffs. There are only six teams in the AFC with worse odds of reaching the postseason.

This data isn't great for Jets fans, but there's still reason for optimism. Thursday night was the Jets' first win this season against a team hitting .500 or better. The offense scored touchdowns on all three drives in the second half (except knee downs), while the defense recorded eight sacks – the most in a game for New York since 2013.

Rodgers may not be racking up any MVP votes this season, but he's already had some impressive success in recent years. The Jets will need one of these runs to hang on.