AFC East Notebook: 11-5 may not be enough for Jets
The New York Jets are undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in football, having won their last four games. Ryan Fitzpatrick has played lights out since trimming his beard four weeks ago, playing a huge role in the team's win streak. Their latest victory, a 19-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys, wasn't exactly pretty, but it was enough to move their record to an impressive 9-5.
They've already won five more games than they did last year and have a decent shot at finishing 11-5. However, there's one huge roadblock standing in their way: the New England Patriots. If the Jets do get by the Patriots this week, they'll pay the Buffalo Bills a visit in Week 17, likely with a playoff berth on the line.
As crazy as it sounds, though, the Jets could win out and still miss the playoffs with an 11-5 record. In fact, they lost their playoff spot last week, despite beating the Cowboys on Saturday night. That's because the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs both won, and edge the Jets in a common-opponents tiebreaker.
Winning their final two games will be challenging enough, but getting help from the Chiefs and Steelers will be equally as tough. The Chiefs have remaining games against the Cleveland Browns and Oakland Raiders, while the Steelers face the Baltimore Ravens and Browns. Those aren't exactly the strongest opponents, which means all three teams -- the Jets included -- could conceivably win out. If the Jets finish with at 11-5 and miss the playoffs, they'll be just the third team ever to do so.
Dolphins' recent RB trend hints at a changing of the guard
Lamar Miller is currently fourth in the NFL among running backs in yards per carry and is 219 yards away from posting his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. He's rushed for seven touchdowns -- one shy of last year's total -- but one particular statistic stands out when comparing his last two seasons: carries.
In 2014, Miller had 216 rush attempts. This season, he's only carried it 160 times -- or an average of 11.4 times per game. A year ago, he carried it an average of 13.5 times per game, a mark he's very unlikely to hit in 2015. The main reason for that is the fact that there's a solid No. 2 running back in Jay Ajayi. Miller didn't really have someone to challenge him for the job last season, but Ajayi has certainly done that this year and has given the Dolphins something to think about heading into 2016.
In Week 15, Ajayi received 31 offensive snaps to Miller's 18. That's a huge surprise, especially to Miller. He'll be a free agent in the offseason, and given the way the Dolphins are using him, it seems as though they'll be content moving forward with Ajayi, instead. Miller said the number of carries he gets will factor into his decision to remain in Miami, so the Dolphins' choice to limit his role could be a sign of things to come.
Bye clinched, home-field advantage next for Patriots
The New England Patriots have locked up a first-round bye, a huge relief for a team with several key injuries. Danny Amendola and Julian Edelman are both hurt and should return for the playoffs, but having that extra week to heal is huge for New England.
While it may seem like they should rest players and try to remain healthy, there's another step for the Patriots to take, and that's to lock up home-field advantage in the AFC. Obviously, that would be an important advantage to gain for any team, but especially for New England.
The Patriots are 16-4 at home in the playoffs, which is the second-best winning percentage of any team with at least 10 home postseason games. Playing in Foxborough is never easy for an opponent, specifically in January.
The Patriots have two games remaining against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, and barring a wild finish, they should seal up home-field advantage. They hold a one-game lead on the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 1 seed and own the tiebreaker over them, so it will likely take two losses by the Patriots to lose the top spot.
More likely than not, the road to the Super Bowl goes through Foxborough in the AFC.
