The New York Jets are entering Week 11 on some of the rarest of terms in 2019.
They’re coming off a win.
MetLife Stadium is green for the next four years after the Jets took down the Giants behind a banner day from the offense.
In a 34-27 victory, the Jets offense contributed a season-high 27 points to the effort, including two touchdowns on their first two possessions of the game.
It was a rare display of offensive affluence for a unit that scored just eight touchdowns over their first eight games while averaging a measly 12 points per outing.
The victory was featured by second-year quarterback Sam Darnold’s clean game — a much-needed result for a young quarterback who had thrown nine interceptions in his previous four games.
For the embattled head coach, Adam Gase, it relieved some of the pressure that came from the incessant screams for those wanting him run out of town.
Not only did Jets owner Christopher Johnson state that he will practice patience with Gase before the Giants game, he told the media on Wednesday that the head coach will be back in 2020.
Amidst a 2-7 season where the young franchise quarterback largely regressed over the first half of the season under a proclaimed offensive guru of a head coach — making such a call has been deemed by many as an immature vote of confidence.
But it seems as though Jets ownership is waiting to see how Gase can navigate his first full offseason alongside new general manager Joe Douglas rather than make final judgments while working with a team largely put together by former general manager Mike Maccagnan.
Now, the Jets and Gase have an opportunity to do something the organization hasn’t done since Weeks 5 and 6 of the 2018 season: win two games in a row.
Another NFC East minnow awaits in the Washington Redskins on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET, FOX) as the Jets travel to Landover, Maryland in an attempt to win their first road game of the 2019 campaign.
They have just the kind of defense that the Jets could take advantage of to keep the winning ways going.
Washington is 1-8 this season and is coming off a bye week following three-straight losses. The league’s 21st-ranked defense is susceptible to the running game, ranking fifth-worst in the league, which might have fared well for the struggling Le’Veon Bell.
New York’s All-Pro running back has failed to hit the 100-all-purpose-yard mark in seven of nine games this season. However, he’s coming into Week 11 hampered by injures — dealing with an illness along with knee and rib issues.
While the Jets offense has been a hot topic of conversation, Washington’s offense has struggled mightily — scoring just 18 points over their last 12 quarters of action.
It prompted interim head coach Bill Callahan to give rookie quarterback Dwayne Haskins the starting job over veteran Case Keenum this week.
In three games this season, the 2019 first-round pick has struggled, completing 61.4 percent of his passes for 284 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions.
The Jets defense showed flashes of waking up against the Giants, holding Saquon Barkley to just a single yard rushing while sacking Daniel Jones six times.
However, they allowed the Giants rookie quarterback to throw for over 300 yards with four touchdowns.
With a week-plus to prepare Haskins for the start, the Redskins will be hoping that the Ohio State product can take his first steps in becoming the franchise’s quarterback of the future.
