The Jets have cratered since their improbable early-season run, relegating coach Rex Ryan to the state where he’s less jokes and bluster and more straightly phrased reality.
While 5-6 New York is still in the mess of the AFC wild-card race, the Jets have little chance of catching the 8-3 Patriots, who perennially own the division. That didn’t keep Ryan from getting an AFC East question this week from reporters, though, as the Jets prepare to play another division opponent in the Miami Dolphins, who are also 5-6.
Ryan didn’t even toy with the idea that the Jets could make a late-season run and catch the Patriots.
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The Patriots emerged this week from their toughest gauntlet of the season, facing the Steelers, Panthers and Broncos (with a bye week mixed in, too). They went 2-1 in those contests and now have just the Texans, Browns, Dolphins, Ravens and Bills remaining on the season. While a couple of those games could cause problems for New England — especially if the Patriots show the shakiness they had at the beginning of the year — them dropping three games while the Jets win out is a bit of a stretch, even for Rex Ryan.
