Halfway through the NFL regular season, an unlikely contender has entered the scene. Sunday night the New York Jets upset the heavily favored Buffalo Bills with a score of 20-17. 

The game started off a little weary for New York. By halftime, the score was 14-10, and the Bills appeared to be proving the predictions right. But that didn’t stop the Jets, as the defense put up a necessary effort, containing the Bills offense and quarterback Josh Allen to just three points in the second half, a season-low for the Buffalo team.

Sauce Gardener was a key player in the Jets defense that night, intercepting the Bills’ first drive of the second half, giving the Jets a chance at a field goal, which they took advantage of. 

Jets offense and quarterback Zach Wilson, in his second year on the team, came up big in advancing the team to the victorious 20 points. Wilson completed 18 out of 25 passing attempts, with one touchdown and zero interceptions.

Although an exciting upset, this game might mean a bit more than that. For the first time in 12 years, the Jets have a real shot at making the playoffs. 

All Jets fans understand loss, maybe more than others. In the 63 years of program history, the Jets have only made the playoffs 14 times.

What is the cause of the seemingly quick turnaround? There’s a few changes inside that might contribute to their recent success. One is freshly hired coach Robert Saleh, who has reportedly contributed to improving their game plan, culture and confidence. The Jets are full of young players, and their energy to win is palpable.

One of these young players is quarterback Wilson, a recognizable figure in sports who has been trying to make a name for himself for the second year now. Although Wilson’s last three games have been shaky, it’s clear that the Jets found a way to get him back in the game, right when they needed him the most. 

Not even Jets fans would’ve guessed that the team would be sitting 6-3 halfway through the season, but a pleasant surprise it has been.

One will have to keep tuned in to see if the Jets are able to carry this momentum into the rest of their season. They have a bye next week before turning their sights onto the Patriots, hoping to seek revenge for a disappointing loss in week eight.

This week nine upset definitely changed some things for the league, and for the predictions, as the Jets have firmly asserted themselves back into the playoffs conversation for the first time in years.