For 15 weeks, the New York Jets appeared destined to end up with the first overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Even in the rare weeks that the Jets put up a fight and seemed primed for upset wins over the New England Patriots and the Las Vegas Raiders, they found a way to lose in the end.

Then, everything changed in Week 15.

On the heels of 13 straight losses, Sam Darnold led New York to a stunning 23-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams as a 17.5-point underdog.

While the players celebrated their first win on the field after the game, Jets fans were left wondering what’s next for the franchise.

New York’s odds to land the first overall pick in 2021 swung by more than 50 per cent following the victory.

While the Jets are still tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the worst record in the NFL, it’s the Jaguars that own the head-to-head tiebreaker for the top pick based on strength of schedule.

So what’s next for New York?

The Jets could finish 1-15 and still miss out on the projected prize of the 2021 NFL Draft in Trevor Lawrence.

Next up for New York is a matchup with a team that is headed in the opposite direction in the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland has won five of its past six to keep its hopes at an AFC North title alive with two weeks to go.

With a lot still on the line, the Browns should have no problem taking down the Jets on Sunday, right?

Here are our best bets for Week 16 in the NFL.

Domenic Padula: Cleveland Browns at New York Jets Over 46.5

In Weeks 9 and 11, New York averaged 27.5 points in back-to-back losses to the Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers on either side of its bye week.

In Week 12, the Jets scored three points in a 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

In Week 13, they scored 28 points in a loss to the Raiders.

The following week, they were held to three points in a 40-3 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

So what can we expect after they scored 23 in their first win of the year over the Rams?

The good news for New York is that Cleveland has the league’s 23rd-ranked scoring defence, which has allowed an average of 26.7 points per game this season.

The bad news for the Jets is that the Browns’ offence has averaged 26.3 points per game, which means they could be in tough to keep pace.

Can Darnold and company hang around with Cleveland long enough to make this game interesting?

As inconsistent as this group has been all season, I think New York should be able to put up at least a couple of scores at home against a defence that ranks 26th in DVOA.

On the flip side, Baker Mayfield is playing some of the best football of his career.

Now he gets the opportunity to light up a defence that ranks last in the NFL in passing EPA.

I’ll bet that both teams top their implied point totals for this match-up and combine to push this total over the number.

Pick: Browns at Jets Over 46.5

Luke Bellus – Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks

Nothing in this league makes sense anymore.

And I’m finally ready to fully embrace the crazy.

The Los Angeles Rams had nine days off before taking on the winless New York Jets last week. They were also playing off the heels of demolishing the New England Patriots, and we all know what happened next.

The Rams were awful in Week 15, and I could tell you about it, but losing wire-to-wire to an 0-13 team says it all.

"This loss will demoralize us only as much as we allow it to. It's going to be embarrassing, sick to your stomach about it," coach Sean McVay said after the game. "… That was very humbling, it's going to be humbling, but we're going to move forward. That's exactly what we'll do. That's all I know how to do."

If there’s one major way to move forward, I believe it’s with a massive divisional win.

This week, the Rams face NFC West-rival Seattle Seahawks in a game that will heavily influence who wins the division.

I like the Rams in this bounce-back spot, and it appears the blueprint for this game was on display in Week 10 when Los Angeles beat Seattle 23-16.

Russell Wilson was held to 248 passing yards and two interceptions in a game that also saw D.K. Metcalf held to just two catches and 28 yards on four targets.

Seattle has been held to less than three touchdowns in three of their last four games and face a defence that ranks No. 1 in the league.

The Rams enter this week ranked No. 1 in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per game and No. 1 in fewest passing yards allowed.

Their 19.2 points against per game has them ranked third-fewest in the league.

In fact, the Rams have allowed a grand total of 4,005 total yards this season.

Meanwhile, Seattle has given up 4,102 passing yards alone.

This is a crazy league, where the impossible seems to happen every week.

I see the Rams bouncing back and turning their season in the right direction just one week after suffering one the most humiliating losses in recent memory.

Pick: Rams +2

Chris Amberley: Los Angeles Chargers -3 vs. Denver Broncos

The Los Angeles Chargers have won back-to-back outings and now face a Denver Broncos team that was just eviscerated by the Buffalo Bills.

Los Angeles crippled Las Vegas’ playoff hopes last Thursday, as Justin Herbert showed once again why he is a lock to win Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Herbert threw for 314 yards versus the Raiders and accounted for three total touchdowns despite playing the bulk of the game without his top-two wide receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.


Both Allen and Williams are expected back for this clash and are set up to smash versus the depleted Broncos.

Denver is missing three of its key secondary pieces and was shredded by Herbert and the Bolts for 485 total yards and 30 points in their first meeting of 2020.

Also working in the Chargers’ favor is an A+ matchup in the run game.

Since Week 7, the Broncos have allowed 1,065 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns to enemy running backs.

On the other side of the ball, the Broncos’ offence continues to regress with Drew Lock and has now put up 21 points or less in 10 of 14 games this season.

They rank 28th in points and total yards per game, and only four teams average fewer passing yards per outing.

I’ll take the Chargers to win and cover in this one.

Pick: Chargers -3