Week 6, 2010.
That’s the last time that the New York Jets concluded a week in sole possession of the best record in the AFC East.
Yes, even if we include as early as Week 1.
The date was Oct. 17, 2010. On the road in Colorado, New York erased a 17-10 fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Kyle Orton and the Denver Broncos by a score of 24-20, with LaDainian Tomlinson’s two fourth-quarter touchdowns being the exclamation point.
When the Rex Ryan-led Jets walked off Invesco Field at Mile High, they had won five straight games, bringing their record to 5-1, good enough for first place in the AFC East. They held a half-game lead over the 4-1 New England Patriots, who already had their bye in Week 5.
Here were the AFC East standings after Week 6 of the 2010 season:
- New York Jets (5-1)
- New England Patriots (4-1)
- Miami Dolphins (3-2)
- Buffalo Bills (0-5)
To this day, that remains the most recent instance of the Jets ending a week in sole possession of first place (no tiebreakers).
The Jets had their bye the following week, and New England defeated the San Diego Chargers 23-20 at Qualcomm Stadium, creating a tie for first place. Of course, the Jets held the tiebreaker at the time, but the outright records were tied at 5-1, with another matchup between the teams still to come in Week 13 at Gillette Stadium.
Coming out of the bye, the Jets lost a 9-0 home shutout to the Green Bay Packers, dropping them to 5-2, while the Patriots stole the division lead with a 28-18 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
The Jets would tie things back up at 6-2 in Week 9, as they claimed an overtime win in Detroit while New England surprisingly suffered a 20-point blowout loss in Cleveland. The teams kept pace with one another for the next three weeks, matching victories, until New England took the lead for good with a 45-3 win in Week 13.
It wasn’t long until the Jets got payback in the divisional round, of course. But ever since Week 6 of the 2010 season, Jets fans have been waiting to see their team hold the AFC East lead again, even if just for a fleeting moment, let alone at season’s end.
Could the streak break in a few days?
The New England Patriots dropped their season opener on Wednesday night, blowing a 10-0 lead to the Seattle Seahawks and backup quarterback Drew Lock. That leaves the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins fighting for a chance to get an early leg up on the reigning division champs.
Miami will open the season in Las Vegas, where the Dolphins are listed as 3.5-point underdogs against Kirk Cousins and the Raiders. Meanwhile, Buffalo drew a tough opener, as the Bills will visit DeMeco Ryans and the Texans’ elite defense. Buffalo is a 1.5-point favorite.
The Jets will kick things off in Nashville, where they are 1.5-point underdogs against second-year quarterback Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans.
Arguably, the Jets are catching the Titans at the best time, as Ward, coming off a rough rookie year, will be making his debut in a new offensive system alongside four new offensive starters to gel with. Tennessee could be more dangerous later in the year once Ward gets time to acclimate to Brian Daboll’s offense.
It isn’t far-fetched to envision a scenario where the Jets emerge from Week 1 as the AFC East’s only winners.
The Dolphins will have a hard time winning any game this season with a stripped-down roster, even against a Brock Bowers-less Raiders team. The Bills are walking into a house of horrors, as the Texans have defeated them in Houston in each of the past two seasons. Josh Allen is 0-4 in Houston during his career, including the playoffs.
Will the Jets hold the AFC East lead throughout the season? Probably not. Over 17 games, teams led by Drake Maye and Josh Allen will likely outpace one led by Geno Smith.
But if the Jets can do so much as hold sole possession of the AFC East lead for one week, even if it’s Week 1, it would still be something Jets fans have not seen in almost 16 years.
That’s how hungry Jets fans are for a taste of success.
