After winning two games in 2020 and four games in 2021, the New York Jets don’t necessarily have to make the playoffs in 2022. Significant improvement in the win column is absolutely necessary, but there isn’t a playoff mandate for this young, rebuilding team that is still trying to make up for years of poor drafting by the previous regime.
With that being said, the Jets need to surpass peoples’ expectations at some point. They’re never going to be seen as a team that is expected to make the playoffs until they take the league by surprise and make the playoffs in a season where they weren’t expected to.