Most experts agree that whichever team “wins” the top pick in the 2021 draft by virtue of posting the worst record in 2020 will select Trevor Lawrence, currently the quarterback at Clemson University. The New York Jets currently “lead” with an 0-13 record. They had come close to victory the week before, until defensive coordinator Gregg Williams made the last decision of his Jets career, sending eight pass rushers in a “Cover 0” alignment that allowed Las Vegas quarterback Derek Carr to find a wide-open Henry Ruggs III for a bomb that delivered a last-second victory. Williams is now on the job market, and after a 40-7 loss this week to Seattle, the Jets are now 0-13.
Can they really go without a win this year? Check out our NFL betting thoughts.
NFL News: Update in the Race for the Top Draft Pick
The Jets need to keep losing in order to clinch the right to draft Trevor Lawrence. After all, the Jacksonville Jaguars are right behind them, with a 1-12 record after they lost to Tennessee. The Jaguars won in Week 1, somehow taking down the Indianapolis Colts. Since then, they have almost beaten Green Bay and Cleveland, two other teams with postseason aspirations, but they have a dozen losses in a row. They’ve gone through a few quarterbacks, too, as Gardner Minshew II and Jake Luton have given way to Mike Glennon.
The “good” news for the Jets is that they will have one of the top three selections in the draft. Dallas, Philadelphia and the Chargers all picked up their fourth wins on Sunday. Here are the bottom three teams as of this writing:
N.Y. Jets (0-13)
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-12)
Cincinnati Bengals (2-10-1)
It would be hard for the Bengals to get the top slot, thanks to that tie they picked up against Philadelphia earlier this season. However, the Bengals could do it. After all, they got rolled 30-7 by Dallas last week — and Dallas doesn’t have an offensive line. The Bengals fumbled twice in their first three possessions, and the Cowboys took one of those loose balls to the house. Brandon Allen’s right foot started to look injured against Dallas, and he could not set up on that foot to throw late in the game. Ryan Finley, the other Cincinnati quarterback left now that Joe Burrow is in knee rehab, does not have much in terms of accuracy or arm strength. So they could lose out, but then the Jets would have to win out for the Bengals to slide up to #1.
Down the stretch, here are the opponents for the top two “contenders”:
N.Y. Jets: at L.A. Rams, vs Cleveland, at New England
Jacksonville: at Baltimore, vs Chicago, at Inadianapolis
The Rams need to stack up wins to secure an NFC West title. The Browns need all the wins they can, either to catch Pittsburgh or to snag a wild card in a very competitive AFC. The Patriots might be vulnerable, and Week 17 saw the Patriots lose a shocker at home to Miami a year ago. Even so, it’s hard to see the Jets coming out with an 0-15 record looking to take on the world. So it’s certainly reasonable to predict an 0-3 finish for the Jets, even in a league with as much parity as the NFL.
The Ravens are taking on water fast; it would be easy to see the Ravens as that team that the Jaguars finally finish an upset over. Then comes a home game against the Bears, who have been trending downward ever since that 5-1 start. The Colts will need a win in Week 17 if they want to win the AFC South (and they also will want to avenge that Week 1 loss). However, I see the Jags finishing 1-2 down the stretch.
So I’m predicting that the Jets will stick it out and get that top draft pick. If the teams do end up tied with the worst record, the Jaguars would “win” because of comparative strength of schedule, but I have the Jets finishing 0-16, with the Jaguars coming in at 2-14.
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