One unbelievable stat about this week's NY Jets/Patriots matchup

The NY Jets will go into their Week 8 matchup with the New England Patriots looking to accomplish something that hasn't been accomplished in nearly seven years.

History doesn't favor Gang Green in this divisional showdown, but the Jets have proven this year that they're a different team. These aren't the same Jets who have won five or fewer games in six of the last seven years.

In fact, this Jets team enters Week 8 with five wins already under their belt. As for their opponents, the Patriots are hoping to avoid their worst finish since the turn of the 21st century when they finished 5-11.

These are unprecedented times for both the Jets and Patriots, and that notion is no more evident than with one incredible fact about this week's matchup.

Per ESPN's Rich Cimini, this Sunday's game will mark the first time since Week 12 of the 2001 season that the Jets face the Patriots with a better record than their division rivals. A 24-year-old Tom Brady was making his 10th career NFL start that day.

The NY Jets could be seen as favorites against the Patriots in Week 8

Despite the fact that the Jets enter this game with a 5-2 record, having won their last four games, they will be home underdogs against a 3-4 Patriots squad fresh off a blowout loss to the Chicago Bears on national television.

The latest lines have the Patriots as 2.5-point favorites on the road against the Jets, per FanDuel. It's hard to argue that history isn't the predominant reason behind this.

The Jets don't have history on their side this week, but they've proven week after week that they're not a team to be overlooked. If anything, playing with a chip on their shoulder has served them well this year.

The Jets still remember that 54-13 beatdown from a year ago. They know what the betting odds suggest going into this game. There will be no shortage of motivation sources for the Jets on Sunday.