It is no secret that the New York Jets have been struggling of late. They have made headlines lately by benching Zach Wilson and getting people curious as to whether he will ever start another NFL game. Now, they sit with a 4-6 record.
However, this has bigger implications than just the New York Jets. It could impact the Monday Night Football schedule in the NFL. How is this possible? Let’s take a look.
Monday Night Football Flex
We are approaching the point of the season where Monday Night Football (MNF) games can be flexed out. From Weeks 12-17, the NFL can flex a game out of that slot at their discretion. The only rule with this is there has to be at least 12 days’ notice.
Right now, the NFL has decided to keep the current MNF games for Weeks 12 and 13 in their place. Considering the next one is the Chicago Bears against the Minnesota Vikings, this is not always a popular decision. This is where the New York Jets come into play.
You see, the NFL has arguably their worst MNF game remaining in Week 14. It takes place between the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Most football fans know that the Giants and Jets share MetLife Stadium as their home.
The problem is that the Jets also have a scheduled home game in Week 14. They host the Houston Texans that week Sunday at 1 p.m. Right now, the Giants are slated to play the next night on MNF.
New York Jets’ Poor Play
After the New York Jets defeated the New York Giants in Week 8, many thought that the Giants’ season was over. At the time, the Jets were 4-3 and the Giants were 2-6. So, it created the possibility of the Jets being the better MNF team for Week 14.
It also helped that the Houston Texans started to play better during this stretch. They are now 6-4. As for the Green Bay Packers, they are still just 4-6 despite their win in Week 11.
However, the Jets are simply not holding up their end of the bargain. They have lost their last three games and have fallen to 4-6. Their offense has scored just nine touchdowns in 10 games. Now, they have Tim Boyle as their starting quarterback on top of this.
What does this mean? It means that the Jets are losing their national appeal. Due to their poor performance recently and uncertainty at quarterback, it is becoming more and more unlikely that they will get flexed into MNF.
Because both teams have home games that week, the Jets are the only logical game to swap out for the Giants. Now, the NFL is likely stuck with two bad teams playing for a national audience. This is especially the case considering that the New York Jets are 10-point home underdogs against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12.
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