Jordan Hayes: "Minnesota turned the ball over 4 times and still nearly won—that's not a moral victory, that's a referendum on a quarterback who threw 4 interceptions in a game his team had to have." Kayla James: "New York won a game it had no business winning—Breece Hall carried that offense like he was the only one awake, while Minnesota's defense couldn't close out a team that was essentially playing with its eyes shut."

The Jets beat Minnesota 30-28 in Week 17, and it came down to what it always does: turnovers. J.J. McCarthy threw 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions on 25 of 36 passing for 264 yards, but the Vikings gave it away 4 times to the Jets' 1, and that margin decided it. Breece Hall ran for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns on 12 carries, while Caleb Banks got 2 sacks for Minnesota. The Vikes outgained New York 345 to 321 and had the better passing game at 264 to 218, but couldn't overcome the mistakes.

Luca Santana: "Drake Maye threw 4 touchdown passes but also 3 interceptions, and New England's 3 giveaways against the Jets' 1 proved decisive in a 14-point loss that felt closer than the scoreboard because the Pats could move the ball through the air—they just couldn't protect it." Priya Sable: "New England's real problem isn't what Drake Maye did with the ball—it's what Breece Hall did with it. Hall ran for 225 yards and 4 touchdowns; the Pats' defense looked like it had somewhere else to be." Jordan Hayes: "New England's got to stop beating itself—3 turnovers against 1 is a luxury no 7-8 team can afford, especially when the other guy runs for 225 yards and you're giving up 0 sacks in return."

Jets won the turnover battle, and the turnover battle won the game. Drake Maye was steady for Patriots — 11/20, 276 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT — in a losing effort. Breece Hall ran it for Jets — 25 carries, 225 yards, 4 TD. Breece Hall's high-water mark for the year. On the ground: Jets 256, Patriots 66.

Caleb Brooks: "Jets won a shootout that should've belonged to Denver on the ground. Klubnik threw 6 touchdowns and Williams caught 3 of them — that's the margin in a 1-point game where the Broncos outgained them 499 to 447 and ran for 174 yards to their 92." Jordan Hayes: "Denver had RJ Harvey running for 173 yards and couldn't find the end zone enough—that's what happens when your best weapon is on the ground but you're still throwing 62% of the time in a game you needed to win."

The Jets beat Denver 42-41 in a one-point finish that looked inevitable once you saw the tape. Cade Klubnik threw for 355 yards and 6 touchdowns while Jameson Williams caught 5 passes for 155 yards and 3 of them, and that kind of air show was always going to win a shootout—even though Bo Nix and the Broncos put up 325 passing yards and 3 scores themselves. New York got outrushed 174 to 92 and still found the margin because they threw on 71 percent of their plays, and in a game where both teams coughed it up once and neither could generate pressure, that decision to live in the air paid off. At 10-3, the Jets are where they should be; Denver at 8-5 had the better ground game and the yardage, but not the answer.

The Jets dismantled Buffalo 59-34 behind Cade Klubnik's 5 touchdown passes and Kenyon Sadiq's 256 receiving yards and 3 scores, while the Bills' own 5 turnovers became the difference in a game where total yards barely separated the teams. Josh Allen matched Klubnik with 5 touchdowns on 23 of 39 for 399 yards, but those 5 giveaways proved fatal—New York turned none over and controlled the line of scrimmage on the ground with 106 yards to Buffalo's 65. The Bills have to eliminate self-inflicted damage if they're going to climb out of this hole; Allen showed he can move the ball, but his teammates have to protect it.

Nobody wanted to play defence. Jets won the shootout 49-30. Cade Klubnik did the damage for Jets — 25/40, 342 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT. Fernando Mendoza did the damage for Raiders — 13/28, 248 yards, 2 TD, 5 INT — in a losing effort. That is 5 straight games over 250 for Cade Klubnik. Total yards: Jets 516, Raiders 294.