 Through their first nine games of the year , the Jets went 5 – 4 and earned Ryan some early Coach of the Year consideration . The team proceeded to lose their next three contests as the rookie Smith committed eight turnovers while failing to score during that stretch . This prompted speculation by analysts as to whether or not Ryan would be fired . The Jets broke their losing streak with a 37 – 27 win over the Raiders that kept them in playoff contention . The following week , the Jets played the Carolina Panthers and trailed by three points heading into the fourth quarter . In the span of five minutes , the Panthers scored twice and the Jets were unable to complete a comeback attempt , losing 20 – 30 . The loss eliminated the Jets from playoff contention . 
