Terrible Win: Jets Fans Upset at Upset that Costs Franchise Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence

Things are so bad for the New York Jets that the fans got all over the punter for making a game-saving tackle on a punt return by the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday.

Braden Mann responded to the criticism from Jets faithful wanting to go winless with a reminder that he's literally paid to help his team win. But Jets Nation doesn't want to hear that after their team pulled off its first victory of the season, which proved especially costly.

The 23-20 win removed the Jets, who are still quarterbacked by first-round selection Sam Darnold, from the top spot in the 2021 NFL Draft, which means the hope of having Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence save the franchise is all but dead. The Jacksonville Jaguars will have to lose one of their next two games against motivated foes Chicago and Indianapolis while the Jets would have to avoid another upset.

So many folks associated with the Jets have gotten their hopes up, even legendary QB Joe Namath.

"This guy from Clemson, Lawrence, he’s special. He’s very special," Namath said on Showtime's "Inside the NFL." "I think I saw him out-run the secondary of Notre Dame last week. He’s got speed. He’s got touch on his pass. He’s smart. He goes everywhere. He hasn’t shown a negative that I’ve seen in the last few years, and when you get a chance to get an animal like that on your team with those qualities, I don’t know how you can say no.”

That's exactly what the Jaguars have to be saying to themselves right now. Both teams are 1-13, but New York's strength of schedule is a tad higher, pushing Jacksonville, which still plays the Browns and Patriots, ahead in the draft order.

Another fledgling organization in need of a star, marketable quarterback seems ready to tank and pounce on Lawrence. Jags QB Gardner Minshew, in his second season with the franchise, doesn't appear quite good enough to be the franchise. Lawrence is too good to pass up, and the Jags have two first-round picks and five in the first three rounds in 2021.

There's a huge opportunity to not only get the most highly-regarded college QB since Andrew Luck but to build young pieces around him. It seems like a great match for Lawrence, too. He'll try to help a franchise that was last in the NFL playoffs in 2017 instead of a Jets team that hasn't made the postseason in a decade.

Plus, Jacksonville is much closer to his Cartersville, Ga., home, and dealing with the media and fan base's expectations won't be nearly as daunting. Maybe the Jags will even draft his backfield buddy Travis Etienne in the first round as well. You never know.

Regardless, Lawrence might want to send the Jets punter a nice thank you gift after that $20 million-plus signing bonus hits the bank account.