One win.

The New York Jets are one win away from an invitation into what promises to be one of the wildest post-seasons in NFL history.  All that stands in their way is an Oakland Raiders team looking to end the season and fly back home to ring in the New Year.

This game shouldn’t be close.  The Raiders rank near the bottom in almost every offensive category and have been running on fumes since the middle of the season.  The offensive line is a mess, the running back situation is in disarray and Aaron Brooks is proving that he isn’t the answer at quarterback.  In addition, the Raiders are looking to score the number 1 pick in next year’s draft.  The Jets couldn’t have hand-picked a better opponent to play this week.

The only ray of light this year for Oakland has been the defense.  It boasts two of the leading sack artists in the NFL this season in Warren Sapp (9 sacks) and Derrick Burgess (11 sacks) and it has kept the Raiders in games for the majority of the year.

The key to the game is simple – take the early lead and squash any hope of an upset for Oakland.  Nothing crushes the spirit of a bad team with nothing to play for more than a quick 14-0 lead.  The longer the Jets allow the Raiders to keep the game close, the more they will smell an opportunity for an upset.

It would also be nice to see the Jets deliver a big win for the home fans.  They hold a disappointing 3-4 record at the Meadowlands this season and played poorly in their last home game against Buffalo.  The fans have embraced this team and would love the chance to celebrate the New Year a few hours earlier on Sunday afternoon.

In fairness, if disaster strikes, here are the other ways the Jets could get in:

1. A Cincinnati loss or tie AND a Jacksonville loss or tie OR
2. A Cincinnati loss or tie AND a Tennessee win OR
3. A Denver loss AND a Jacksonville loss

All this, as they say, is bookkeeping because the Jets control their destiny.

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