ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Jets cannot qualify for the playoffs with a win over the Bills on Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium. But they sure can take a giant step toward that goal — an improbable thought at the start of the season.
A win over the 3-7 Bills, who the Jets defeated at home in Week 3, guarantees the Jets will at least retain their current status as the No. 6 seed in the playoffs with six games to play.
A win over the Bills, who are a notoriously tough out at home even in down years, and the 5-4 Jets will have bagged their sixth win of the season — matching their 2012 total and doubling the total many predicted they would win this season.
The question, though: Which post-bye-week Jets team will show up?
The effects of the bye week for NFL teams can be maddening for coaches because of their unpredictability. Ask Jets coach Rex Ryan, who is 1-3 in games played after a Jets bye.
“I’m certainly not the expert on it, as is well pointed out by my record,” Ryan said. “Some teams do come off it a little sluggish. I thought we were a little sluggish on Wednesday [in] practice.
“Since that time, it’s been just the opposite. … I think we will be popping out of our skin on Sunday. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.’’
The well-rested Jets figure to come out of the tunnel one of two ways: “Popping out of their skin’’ or mysteriously lethargic despite last week’s respite.
Bye weeks do weird things to NFL teams. So, too, does prosperity to the Jets, who four times this season have failed to stack two wins in a row. This consistent inconsistency is the only thing that has prevented many from taking the Jets seriously as a contender.
The week after their win over the Bills, the Jets went to Tennessee and lost by 22 points. After a big Monday night win in Atlanta, where they were nine-point underdogs, they came home and stunk in a 19-6 loss to the struggling Steelers. After their rousing overtime win over the Patriots, the Jets went to Cincinnati and lost 49-9.
This is the ripest chance for the Jets to break the pattern, and the players know it.
“We can’t take a step back,’’ right guard Willie Colon said. “If we lose, it would be a huge step back for us. It’s a broken record, but it’s about time we win two in a row.’’
The Jets have accomplished that modest feat once since December 2011.
“If we want to play in the postseason, we have to win games like this,’’ right tackle Austin Howard said. “We don’t want to leave our postseason hopes up to chance.’’
The Jets, who last played on Nov. 3, seemed wary of the Bills during their week of preparation — a likely sign that Ryan has had their collective ear warning them of a letdown from the bye week and their upset win over the Saints.
“They’re a different team at home, a tougher team that plays a lot faster with a lot more confidence at home, so we’re going to need our ‘A’ game,’’ Colon said. “We’ve got to start fast. We can’t get into that slow, muddy rut that we were in at Tennessee and Cincinnati. We’ve got to come out swinging and bring the fight to them. If we’re able to do that we’ll be successful.’’
That remains to be seen.
“[The Bills are] a good team, a lot better than what their record shows, and we’ve got to (get) after them,’’ rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson said. “You can’t just lay your jocks out there. We’ve got to go out there and get after it.’’
Richardson, despite this being his first NFL season, seemed to understand the gravity of November and December play in the NFL when he said, “The wins and losses count more now.’’
“We haven’t played our best game yet,’’ Richardson said. “But we’re close to it.’’
How good can this Jets team be when it unleashes its best game?
“They sky is the limit for us,’’ Richardson said. “The sky … is … the limit.’’