For just one week, Patriots fans will become Jets fans

The New England Patriots will be rooting hard for the New York Jets

The New York Jets and New England Patriots have been in the same division for over 60 years. With time and competition comes rivalry. It’s no secret that these two teams and their fans hold a special hatred towards one another.

But for this week, and this week only, the Patriots and their fans will be rooting for the Jets to win.

On Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET, the Jets will take on the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park. The Bills, having won the AFC East in 2020, were favorites to repeat in 2021 before the start of the season. Through 16 games, the Bills are 10-6, and it’s not unfair to say they haven’t exactly lived up to their preseason projections.

As for the Patriots, expectations were far exceeded. With rookie quarterback Mac Jones at the helm, few expected the Patriots to compete for the AFC East with the powerhouse Bills. Despite this, the Patriots are also 10-6 going into Week 18.

Regardless of whether or not you think they lived up to expectations, both teams sit at 10-6 heading into Week 18. Both have clinched a playoff birth, but the division is still up for grabs.

For the Patriots, it’s quite simple. They need to win their own game (at Miami) and get a Jets win to clinch the AFC East.

If the Bills defeat the Jets, Buffalo will clinch the division because they own the tiebreaker over New England, so the Bills have to lose for the Patriots to have a chance.

But if the Jets can pull off the upset over Buffalo, New England can clinch the AFC East with a road win over the Dolphins. The Patriots-Dolphins game will kick off at the same time as Jets-Bills, 4:25 p.m. ET.

This means that for the first time in recent memory, Jets and Patriots fans will be friends rather than foes. Unless, of course, you’re a Jets fan rooting for draft position.