NY Jets back in the playoffs after the Patriots' Thanksgiving loss

The NY Jets were temporarily knocked out of the playoffs following their disappointing 10-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. It was a crushing loss that significantly hindered the team's chances of making the postseason.

However, the Patriots decided to help the Jets out a little a few days later when they traveled to Minnesota to take on the Vikings.

Fresh off a 40-3 drumming at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys, the Vikings came out firing and managed to hold on to a 33-26 win over the Jets' hated rivals. In doing so, the Patriots fell to 6-5, temporarily putting the Jets back in the No. 7 seed in the playoffs.

Of course, the Jets don't have a permanent residence at the No. 7 seed. They'll need to beat the Chicago Bears on Sunday if they want to remain in the playoff picture going into Week 13.

The NY Jets can solidify their temporary playoff status with a win over the Bears

Following their loss to New England last week, both the Patriots and Cincinnati Bengals hold the tiebreaker over the Jets. Those are two teams competing for the exact same wild card spots that the Jets are.

That means the Jets are going to need every win they can get to ensure they make the postseason. They can't rely on tiebreakers, they'll have to have a better record than their adversaries.

A good start would be a victory over the Bears this weekend. This is a Bears team that, despite the exciting play of second-year quarterback Justin Fields, has struggled to score wins this season.

To make matters worse, Fields looks questionable at best to play as he's dealing with a serious shoulder injury. The Jets could very well be facing a Trevor Siemian-led Bears team with a defense that ranks among the worst in the NFL.

There will be no excuses not to escape with a victory, even with Mike White starting at quarterback. Put simply, this is a must-win game for Gang Green.

The Jets are back in the playoffs once again, but they'll need to do their part this Sunday to ensure that remains the case.