We’ve officially reached the halfway point in the NFL’s 18-week regular season! The Super Bowl favorites went down to a divisional rival, Tom Brady looked like his old self in a game-winning drive and Patrick Mahomes got all he could handle from the Titans' defense this week. But who made the biggest inroads in the playoff race during Week 9? We answer that question using insights from SI Tickets’ postseason reservation system.
J-E-T-S Win, Win, Win
Last week’s Jets loss to the Patriots felt like a missed opportunity and a potential sign that these were the same old Jets, destined to fall out of the playoff picture. But after Sunday’s huge win over the Bills, it’s evident that this team is here to stay in the playoff conversation.
The Jets defense held Josh Allen and the high-flying Bills offense to a season-low 17 points, holding Buffalo to just three second-half points to rally from a 14–3 deficit and win 20–17. Sauce Gardner’s interception on Buffalo’s first drive of the second half set up the Jets with a short field to take the lead midway through the third quarter, and the Jets defense bent but didn’t break the rest of the way to give Zach Wilson and the offense ample opportunities to win the game.
The 20–17 victory changes things in a big way in the AFC East race, where the Jets are now just a half-game behind the Bills. Jets Divisional Round ticket reservation prices on SI Tickets rose by 29% after the win. And if you’re daring to dream, Super Bowl reservation prices for the Jets jumped 92%.
Blown Leads Continue to Plague Raiders
The Raiders have now blown three 17-point leads in eight games after their collapse Sunday against the Jaguars. Those blown leads are the biggest reason Josh McDaniels’ team has slumped to a 2–6 mark this season and last place in the hyper-competitive AFC West.
Las Vegas came out of the gates incredibly strong in the first half, scoring on four of five first-half possessions behind a massive day from Davante Adams. But the Jacksonville defense completely stymied the Raider offense in the second, limiting Vegas to just 65 total yards in the second half while the Jags offense stormed back.
At this point, it would take a major turnaround for this team to be in the playoff mix down the stretch. Raiders Divisional Round ticket reservation prices on SI Tickets went down another 33% with the loss, as well as wins by the Chargers and Chiefs above them in the division.
No, Pack, No
A disastrous season for Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay hit a new low Sunday when the Packers mustered just nine points against the lowly Lions defense in a 15–9 loss. The Packers have now lost five straight games, the team’s longest losing streak since 2006. Rodgers threw three interceptions in the red zone (including two in the end zone) to waste scoring opportunities and wasn’t on the same page with receivers in a few critical moments. That was enough to lose the game despite Green Bay outgaining Detroit 389–254.
Green Bay is now 3–6 on the season and 4.5 games behind the Vikings in the NFC North. They’re also 1.5 games out of a Wild Card spot if the season ended today. A turnaround is always possible for a team with Rodgers leading the way, but these continued struggles make a playoff berth less likely be the week. Divisional Round ticket reservation prices for Green Bay dropped nearly 55% after the loss.
Seahawks Dream Season Continues
Seattle’s strong start to the season looks more and more sustainable by the week. The latest test passed? A 31–21 road win over the Cardinals that gives Pete Carroll’s club a season sweep of a division rival and a little breathing room atop the NFC West. It’s the Seahawks’ fourth consecutive win, and notably, all four have come by double digits.
This week’s recipe included a late offensive explosion after being stuck on 10 points until late in the fourth quarter. Geno Smith threw a disastrous interception early in the quarter that was returned by Zaven Collins for a touchdown and a 14–10 Arizona lead but then responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive that ate up more than 6:30 before scoring twice more in the fourth quarter to seal a 31–21 victory.
In an NFC without a dominant team outside of the undefeated Eagles, could Seattle be a Super Bowl contender? Beating Arizona led to a 77% increase in Super Bowl ticket reservation prices on SI Tickets for the Seahawks.
NFC South’s Struggles Continue
Yes, Tom Brady and the Bucs pulled off quite the late-game comeback to get a big win. But it was yet another dreadful week for the NFC South, with the Falcons blowing an early two-possession lead against the Chargers, the Panthers getting blown away by the Bengals to blow two weeks of positive momentum and the Saints falling on ‘Monday Night Football.’
At the season’s halfway point, no team in the division is at or over .500, the only such division in the NFL. The Saints and Buccaneers’ Divisional Round reservation prices are nearly identical at the top of the division, and Tampa won the teams’ first meeting of the season back in September.
