Week 10 Was Almost Perfect For the Jets' Pursuit of the No. 1 Overall Pick

The New York Jets are on pace to secure the first pick in the 2021 NFL Draft even though the Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Football Team lost again in Week 10

The Jets are on pace, as the NFL's lone winless team, to secure the No. 1 overall selection in next spring's draft.

That doesn't mean New York wouldn't welcome some breathing room atop the list of teams vying for the top pick.

While the Jets were idle for their bye week, four different teams within striking distance took the field in Sunday's afternoon slate of Week 10 games. For a moment, all four teams were in position to win and distance themselves from New York. In the end, however, only one of them prevailed.

Here's a look across the league of how Sunday was almost perfect for the Jets and their pursuit of the top pick. 

New York Giants (3-7) top Philadelphia Eagles (3-5-1), 27-17

Let's start with the good news. 

The team that shares MetLife Stadium with the Jets was able to secure a victory on Sunday afternoon. 

Quarterback Daniel Jones and the Giants held on against the Eagles in the Meadowlands, winning for the second-consecutive week. Now, the Giants have a better shot of making the playoffs—in the dreadful NFC East—than earning a top pick in the draft.

For Gang Green, that's just one less team to worry about going forward.

READ: The Winless Jets Are Among the NFL's Best at This Position

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8) fall short to Green Bay Packers (7-2), 24-20 

This would have really benefited the Jets.

Jacksonville was the only other team in the NFL with less than two wins heading into Week 10 and they came one quarter away from upsetting the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

A field goal with 12:40 left in the fourth gave the Jaguars a 20-17 lead. It was the kind of score update that made you do a double take. That didn't faze Green Bay's offense one bit, however, as Aaron Rodgers piloted a seven-play, 75-yard drive. It ended with what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown for the Packers. 

Jaguars' rookie quarterback Jake Luton, in his second NFL game, had a chance to win it for Jacksonville at the end. Even with good field position and over two minutes left on the clock, Luton and the Jaguars were stifled by the Packers defense to close it out.

Jacksonville is still New York's biggest threat at the first pick. The Jaguars close out the year facing the following seven teams: Steelers, Browns, Vikings, Titans, Ravens, Bears and Colts.

Washington Football Team (2-7) loses on last-second field goal to Detroit Lions (4-5), 30-27

Washington was down big in this game, 24-3, before quarterback Alex Smith mounted an incredible comeback to tie the game in the fourth quarter. 

With 16 seconds left, Detroit's QB Matthew Stafford swiftly marched the Lions (with the help of a roughing the passer penalty on Washington's Chase Young) into field goal range. Matt Prater did the rest, drilling a 59-yarder as time expired, a crushing defeat for Washington.

59 yards FOR THE WIN!!

Another @MattPrater_5 walkoff 🙌 pic.twitter.com/PeYaD4d50I

— Detroit Lions (@Lions) November 15, 2020

That's even more of a gut-wrenching loss than what the Jets experienced on Monday night against the New England Patriots last week. Then again, it keeps the Washington Football Team in the running for one of the top few picks next spring.

READ: This Former Jets Defensive Lineman Thinks New York Is a Great Fit For Trevor Lawrence

Houston Texans (2-7) defeated by Cleveland Browns (6-3), 10-7

Another game that came down to the wire with draft order implications.

With just under five minutes remaining in this one, Deshaun Watson put the Texans on the board and cut their deficit to three with a 10-yard touchdown pass. Problem is, that was the last time Houston's offense would have the ball.

Cleveland iced the Texans with a nine-play drive, including a 59-yard run from Nick Chubb that would've been a touchdown had the running back not dipped out of bounds on purpose at the one yard line.

Side note, the Texans won't have their first round pick in the draft regardless (it'll go to the Miami Dolphins). Another loss for Houston, like Washington, keeps them close behind New York and Jacksonville.

Overall, the Jets only ended up distancing themselves from the Giants on Sunday. The Cowboys, another team with a 2-7 record, were also off this week. 

Bottom line, it may legitimately take an 0-16 record for the Jets to get the top pick. As these other teams continue to lose, any win would drastically lessen New York's odds at securing the No 1 overall pick and adding Trevor Lawrence.

Follow Max Goodman on Twitter (@MaxTGoodman), on Facebook (also @MaxTGoodman) and be sure to bookmark JetsCountry and check back daily for news, analysis and more.