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Stock up, stock down following the Jets' 35-8 loss to the Bills
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- Stock up, stock down following the Jets' 35-8 loss to the Bills
The New York Jets (3-14) had one of the worst seasons in franchise history in 2025 and that's saying something given that the Jets haven't been to the playoffs since the 2010 season.
Plenty of matters went wrong this season for New York , but they at least had one last chance to win a game against the Buffalo Bills (12-5) before the season ended and yet, the Jets had to endure losing another game before the offseason began.
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The Jets lost to the Bills 35-8 on Sunday in a game in which New York looked like they were looking more towards the offseason than they were winning by any means necessary. Brady Cook was once again the starting quarterback for the Jets, but his performance left something to be desired as he completed just 50.0% of his passes and only threw the ball 22 times.
New York's offense, much like it did throughout the entire season, looked like it didn't know what it could do to move the football and even with the Bills playing their backups, the Jets couldn't find any answers. To make matters worse, New York sealed their fate of being the first time in league history to finish an entire season without notching an interception.
With that, here is Jets Wire's stock report following the Week 18 loss to the Bills:
Stock Up: RB Khalil Herbert
Jan 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Jets running back Khalil Herbert (31) avoids a tackle by Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis (72) during the third quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Due to the nature of the Jets playing their backups to end the season, players like Herbert were able to show what they could do in an increased role and he was solid for the most part. Herbert ran the ball 12 times for 42 yards, but he didn't have any explosive plays on the day despite facing a Bills defense that has given up plenty of rushing yards this year.
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Stock Down: QB Brady Cook
Jan 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Jets quarterback Brady Cook (4) passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Jets fans are not surprised by the fact that Cook did not look good to end the season and this was probably his worst performance of the season even though New York was just trying to get out of the game unscathed. As mentioned earlier, Cook completed just 50.0% of his passes for 60 yards, but he did throw one touchdown before his day ended.
Stock Up: CB Samuel Womack III
Jan 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) makes a catch defended by New York Jets cornerback Samuel Womack III (39) during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Womack is one of the defensive players that hasn't seen much playing time this season due to his nature of being a backup, but he did a good job with the extra snaps he saw on Sunday against the Bills. Womack did a good job of tackling (seven tackles, four solo) and he made his impact in the passing game by getting one deflection before the game was over.
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Stock Down: Jets Defense
Jan 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (26) carries the ball defended by New York Jets cornerback Tre Brown (30) during the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Sunday was yet another example of how far the Jets defense has fallen since the beginning of the season as the Bills' backups were able to do whatever they wanted to over the course of the game. New York also finished the game without an interception, giving them a record that can never be broken as it shows the lack of playmaking this defense had on that side of the ball.
Stock Up: Jets Draft Picks
Despite the fact that the Jets won just three games this season, the good news is that their own first-round pick with be second overall, giving them a great chance of drafting one of the best quarterbacks in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Even if Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is selected with the first overall pick, Oregon's Dante Moore can be the Jets' pick if they decide to address the quarterback position in some way.
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Stock Down: Jets Offense
Jan 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New York Jets wide receiver John Metchie III (3) carries the ball defended by Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston (31) during the fourth quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Even with the potential that running back Breece Hall could sign with another team in free-agency this offseason, the Jets still have some offensive pieces on the roster like wide receivers John Metchie III and Adonai Mitchell along with tight end Mason Taylor . However, with New York's offense performing as poorly as it did due to a variety of factors, overhauling the unit in some way is probably needed if the Jets are going to be more competitive next season.
This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Stock up, stock down following the Jets' 35-8 loss to the Bills
