The New York Jets (5-9) host the Washington Commanders (4-10) on Sunday in a game that has more meaning for the 2024 NFL draft than the current playoff race.
New York and Washington were officially eliminated from playoff contention last week. Both teams were unofficially done long before last week, and the Jets’ season essentially ended in Week 1 when quarterback Aaron Rodgers was lost for the year with an Achilles injury. While Rodgers hinted at a comeback this season, that was never feasible.
The Commanders began the season 2-0 and have lost 10 of their last 12 games. They stink and are entering the last three weeks of Ron Rivera’s tenure as GM and head coach.
As we look ahead to Sunday’s game, here are some stats and facts to know for Week 16.
The Commanders have the better offensive line
1. Eagles
32. JetsRanking all 32 offensive lines this seasonhttps://t.co/wvGGi4cG21
— PFF (@PFF) December 21, 2023
Believe it or not, Washington enters this week’s game with the better offensive line. Pro Football Focus has the Jets ranked last in the NFL. New York’s offensive line was a concern when it acquired Aaron Rodgers. While the Commanders offensive line has received a lot of criticism — much of it deserved — many of the sacks allowed have been due to QB Sam Howell holding the ball too long.
Another metric ranks Washington in the middle of the pack in pass protection.
Pass protection composites through week 15 pic.twitter.com/iTQMqDZs1c
— Computer Cowboy (@benbbaldwin) December 20, 2023
Jets RB Breece Hall will be a problem for the Commanders
Breece Hall: 25 missed tackles forced on receptions this season
1st in the NFL 👑 pic.twitter.com/KdNpOJ3zkS
— PFF NY Jets (@PFF_Jets) December 20, 2023
Breece Hall leads the Jets in rushing and is second on the team in receptions. He is a true dual-threat back. With Washington’s propensity to allow big plays, keep an eye on Hall in the passing game. Considering how New York’s quarterbacks struggle to throw downfield, throwing the ball short to Hall and allowing him to force the Commanders to miss tackles could be a recipe for success.
The Commanders have been good on Christmas Eve
Washington is 6-3 on Christmas Eve in franchise history. The Commanders played on Christmas Eve last season and were blown out by the 49ers.
Washington leads the all-time series
Washington holds an 8-4 edge over the Jets in this series. However, New York has won the past three meetings, all by double digits, including a 34-17 win in 2019 when Bill Callahan was Washington’s interim coach. Washington’s last win over the Jets came in 2007.
A big achievement for Terry McLaurin last week
WR Terry McLaurin has eclipsed 5,000 career receiving yards: pic.twitter.com/tMzswjvAvT
— Washington Commanders PR (@Wash_PR) December 17, 2023
Terry McLaurin went over 5,000 receiving yards for his career in last week’s loss to the Rams. McLaurin, who is having a down year, through no fault of his own, had 141 receiving yards last week and becomes the first receiver since the great Gary Clark to reach 5,000 receiving yards in his first five seasons. Can you imagine how many yards McLaurin would have if he had stable quarterback play over the first five years of his career?
Sam Cosmi is playing some dominant football
Samuel Cosmi has earned a 91.6 PFF grade over the past five weeks
He's the second-highest graded guard in the NFL over that span 📈 pic.twitter.com/5GxCISR3oK
— PFF Commanders (@PFF_Washington) December 20, 2023
There haven’t been a lot of positives for Washington this season. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. has been a standout. Howell has had several impressive moments. On the offensive line, right guard Sam Cosmi is quietly having a terrific season in his first year at guard. Check out what Cosmi has done over the past several weeks. Cosmi is big and athletic and has always excelled as a run blocker. As he becomes more comfortable at right guard, he becomes one of the few Commanders whom the new regime could be looking to extend.
