The New York Jets have been eliminated from playoff contention following a 30-0 shutout loss to the Miami Dolphins in Week 15. After another disappointing loss, the Jets will take on the Washington Commanders in Week 15, who are another team that isn’t going to be in the playoffs.
The Jets could be starting their fourth different quarterback on Sunday as Zach Wilson remains in concussion protocol. With the postseason no longer a possibility, the Jets could use the final weeks of the season to give more snaps to some of their younger players to build momentum for next season.
Ahead of the upcoming matchup with the Commanders, here are six players from the Jets to watch in Week 16.
QB Trevor Siemian
Wilson exited last week’s lopsided loss to the Dolphins with a head injury and he wouldn’t return to the game. It was veteran Trevor Siemian who replaced Wilson and it appears that he could be starting under center against the Commanders. Siemian completed just 14 of his 26 passes for 110 yards and two interceptions in relief of Wilson in Week 15. The last start Siemian made was in Week 12 of last season when he was with the Chicago Bears.
RB Israel Abanikanda
Considering the Jets aren’t competing for a playoff spot, we could see them dial back the touches Breece Hall receives down the stretch. Hall is a key member of the offense moving forward, so there’s no reason to run him into the ground in the final weeks. Taking that into account, rookie Israel Abanikanda should get valuable reps against the Commanders. Abanikanda played on 22 snaps in the blowout loss last week, turning a season-high four attempts into only eight yards. With Dalvin Cook being underwhelming for the Jets, Abanikanda can do enough to earn the No. 2 role next season if he shows a few flashes in the last three weeks.
OT Mekhi Becton
Time is ticking for Mekhi Becton to figure things out with the Jets. The Jets declined Becton’s fifth-year option and he is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023 season concludes. Becton will set a career-high mark in starts in a season with 14 on Sunday, but he’s been far from consistent. As the starting left tackle for most of the season, Becton has surrendered 40 pressures (ninth-most among tackles) and 11 sacks (most among all offensive linemen). While his future with the Jets is in doubt, Becton could use a strong finish to the season to earn himself a chance to play somewhere in 2024.
DE Bryce Huff
Another player set to hit free agency for the Jets this offseason is Bryce Huff. Unlike Becton, Huff is a player the Jets would likely love to bring back next season. That being said, Huff plays a premium position and the Jets have used a first-round pick on an edge rusher in back-to-back drafts. Huff is 13th in the NFL in total pressures (42) despite seeing only 276 pass-rushing snaps thus far. If Huff continues to produce in a limited role against the Commanders and in the final weeks of the season, he’ll earn himself a decent-sized contract in free agency.
DT Solomon Thomas
The Jets placed Quinton Jefferson on season-ending injured reserve due to a hip injury he suffered in Week 15 versus the Dolphins. When Jefferson exited the game, Solomon Thomas and Jalyn Holmes saw increased snaps in the trenches. Thomas is also slated to become a free agent this offseason after reuniting with Robert Saleh for the last two seasons. The former first-round pick has recorded a career-best five sacks as a rotational interior defender for the Jets this season. Thomas should get an expanded role versus the Commanders in Week 16 with Jefferson sidelined.
CB D.J. Reed
D.J. Reed has long been an underrated piece in New York’s secondary, but he had his worst outing of the season in Week 15 against the Dolphins. After not allowing a touchdown in coverage this season, Reed surrendered five catches for a season-worst 102 yards and a touchdown in the defeat to the Dolphins. The Commanders will likely try to have Terry McLaurin matched up on Reed instead of having their big-play wideout lined up across Sauce Gardner often. Reed will look to have a bounce-back performance against a Commanders offense that has been inconsistent with Sam Howell at the helm.
