The New York Jets enter their eighth game of the season still searching for their first victory, holding a dismal 0‑7 mark and standing alone as the only winless team in the league. A starting quarterback change this week, from Justin Fields to Tyrod Taylor, was meant to be a spark, but rather served as a reminder of how deep this mess goes.
Fields, signed in the offseason with high hopes, was benched after a particularly ineffective first half that saw him complete just six passes and take multiple sacks. Taylor would enter and throw two crucial interceptions, effectively extinguishing any chance of a comeback. The offense has shown no real signs of life. Meanwhile the defense has improved recently, holding opponents to just 13 points in each of the last two weeks, but without any consistent production on offense, even a competent defense can’t carry a team to wins.
The New York Jets Off to a Horrendous Start
More Than Just Quarterback Woes
The quarterback carousel in New York is emblematic of the broader dysfunction. If you have two quarterbacks, you have none and the Jets are indeed in that limbo. The coaching staff has not committed to either Fields or Taylor going into the next week, leaving the signal‑caller role in suspense while the season continues to slip away. Off the field it’s not just about who is under center: discipline has been a recurring problem, with penalties and self‑inflicted wounds piling up on offense and defense alike. The offense stalls, the line fails to protect, decisions are inconsistent and the cumulative result is a team that, beyond the 0‑7 record, looks like it lacks identity, cohesion and belief.
Two “Best Chances” for a Win – Then the Schedule Gets Tougher
Looking ahead, the Jets’ next two games present their best opportunities to break the winless streak. They’ll face opponents that, on paper, seem beatable: one being the Cincinnati Bengals and the other the Cleveland Browns. Neither matchup guarantees a win but the Jets at least line up with a window. After those two games, however, the schedule tightens significantly. Tougher opponents loom and the margin for error grows thinner. If the Jets can’t win one of the next two, the pressure mounts, and the prospect of a winless season becomes increasingly plausible.
On the Path to NFL Infamy: Could They Go 0‑17?
Historically, winless seasons are extremely rare in the NFL. With the 2025 schedule added to 17 games, the Jets now face the possibility of becoming the first team in league history to finish 0‑17. While that lifeless milestone still requires a lot to go wrong (and one win would immediately end that possibility), the way things are trending makes it a tangible risk. The Jets’ record through seven games places them among the worst starts in franchise history. The combination of an inert offense, quarterback uncertainty, coaching questions and lack of discipline adds up to something more than just a losing streak: it suggests structural issues.
Silver Lining: Draft Position & Long‑Term Build
If there is a brighter side to this mess, it lies in the draft. With each loss, the Jets inch closer to securing a top selection. The franchise has had the first overall pick only once in its history and the second overall pick only three times. At this juncture, a top‑five pick looks increasingly likely, and even a top‑three selection might be in play if the losing continues. That draft capital could be critical for snapping the quarterback cycle and rebooting the roster. For a team teetering on the edge of its worst season ever, planning for the long term may be the only practical path forward.
Main Image: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
