NY Jets enter MNF showdown with Bills in prime position after Week 6 results

Amidst all the internal drama, the NY Jets have a game to play Monday night. And it is one of the biggest games they will have all season. The Jets host the division rival Buffalo Bills, who are currently the only team in the division ahead of them.

Following the firing of Robert Saleh, the subsequent promotion of new interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, and the demotion of Nathaniel Hacket, it will be interesting to see just what the on-field product will be.

Being one of the two Monday Night Football teams means you have all Sunday to watch what the league is doing and see how it will impact you moving forward.

This Sunday was no different for the Jets. Plenty of games around the league Sunday were relevant to the Jets, specifically games within the AFC. We'll take a look at what happened Sunday and what it means for the Jets.

The AFC East is a two team race between the NY Jets and Bills

The Dolphins were on a bye, so there is no new data to evaluate for them. But based on how they have looked so far, and based on the uncertainty surrounding Tua Tagovailoa, there should be no chance that the Dolphins stay in the division race all season.

The only team we did see from the AFC East on Sunday, was the Patriots. They showed, once again, that they are a truly awful football team. They were handled by the Texans, falling to 1-5. The Patriots' hopes of competing for the division are long dead, even more so than the Dolphins.

This leaves two teams who can take the East crown. It feels at this current moment like the Jets' are a dead team walking. It is hard to imagine them changing the vibes and winning the division.

But with the talent they have at almost every position and the inconsistency that Buffalo has shown, they still have every chance to finish ahead of the Bills. And they are the only two teams with a plausible opportunity at it still. Monday will tell us a lot about where both teams are.

The AFC West and AFC South are already won

The Chargers faced off against the Broncos and defeated them 23-16. The Raiders hosted the Steelers, losing decisively 32-13. But the takeaway here is the AFC West is pretty much settled. Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs were on a bye this week.

That said, at 5-0, I think they are in an extremely comfortable position. It would be a stunning development if any of Los Angeles, Las Vegas, or Denver is able to catch them this season. It's fair to pencil in the Chiefs as the AFC West champions.

The AFC South is in a similar spot. The Texans went out and pushed around the Patriots on Sunday, winning 41-21. Despite a surprising thrashing by the Vikings in Week 3, the Texans have yet to have a hiccup.

They left Sunday at 5-1, with the Colts and Titans at 3-3 and 1-4 respectively after the two faced off in an Indianapolis victory. The Jaguars had an ugly loss to Chicago in London early in the morning, all but killing their hopes of a run toward the playoffs. The Texans are going to win that division, and that's all you need to know about that.

The only divisions left that are still absolutely up for grabs are the AFC East and the AFC North. The Jets and Bills are still both neck and neck, and though the North is likely to be won by Baltimore, Pittsburgh is making it harder than you would think, and Cincinnati is still technically alive at 2-4.

Drake Maye doesn't look terrible

This is not a great development. Not that Drake Maye went out and looked like the second coming of Peyton Manning against Houston, but he looked like a real NFL quarterback despite a horrendous offense around him.

Maye finished with two interceptions, but he also threw three touchdown passes for 243 yards. This is much more than the established Jacoby Brissett was ever able to provide this season.

Again, it is still possible that Drake Maye will turn out to not be good, and it isn't like he had the greatest performance we have ever seen from a rookie making his first start. But he showed signs of having some real upside. This is definitely not what Jet fans were hoping to see on Sunday.

The AFC Wildcard is wide open for the NY Jets

Outside of Houston, no one looked particularly great on Sunday. The Broncos didn't make anyone feel like they are going to be a dangerous threat down the stretch of the season. The Raiders showed much of the same.

The Ravens snuck by Washington, getting to 4-2, but they have been up-and-down all season. The Colts eked out a win against the Titans, but they still don't seem like they will be much of a threat down the line either. The Steelers and Chargers looked solid, but not world-beaters.

Save for Houston and Kansas City, and arguably Baltimore, no teams are out of the Jets' league right now. The Jets fall very much in that second tier. Even with a disastrous start, and off-field distractions left and right, the Jets are still very much in contention, not only for the playoffs but the division as well.

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