NFL Week 17 Power Rankings: Jets Surging After Back-to-Back Victories

Through Week 14, it looked like the Jets were destined to go 0-16 and stay in the cellar of any NFL power rankings all year long.

Now. after taking down two playoff-caliber opponents in consecutive weeks, the Jets are surging. 

New York (2-13) was listed at No. 28 in Sports Illustrated's power rankings this week. That's after spending practically the entire season in the very last spot as their winless record ballooned during a 13-game losing streak.

The Jets are ranked above the Jacksonville Jaguars—the team that leapfrogged them into pole position for the first pick of next spring's draft—as well as the Detroit Lions (5–10), Houston Texans (4–11) and Cincinnati Bengals (4-10-1).

Other power rankings don't have the Jets quite as high. For instance, NFL.com has New York ranked 30th in their latest list while ESPN left the Jets in the 31st slot despite their upset over Cleveland.

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Even though New York is locked in to pick second in the 2021 NFL draft, they rank ahead of franchises better records and lower draft positioning. Makes you wonder what kind of season this team could have had if they put together some wins earlier in their campaign.

Gang Green closes out the season on Sunday on the road against the Patriots, a team they nearly beat back in Week 9. After New England's abysmal performance on Monday Night Football against Buffalo, the Patriots are down to No. 20 in SI's power rankings.

With another win this weekend to close out the season, taking a three-game winning streak into 2021, who knows how many more places the Jets can jump upward while still preparing to pick at No. 2 in the draft. 

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