Will Jets' End This Embarrassing Division Record?

Any hopes of a turnaround for the Jets in 2026 must begin with improving their performance against the rest of the AFC East.

Fans show their support for the Bills as they clinch the AFC East with a win over the Jets. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

13–47.

That's the New York Jets record against the rest of the AFC East division over the last 10 years. No other set of statistics can better explain why the team has failed to post more than one winning season during this 15-year playoff drought.

At the end of the day, though, their futility against their own rivals is the biggest reason why the team hasn't been able to figure out how to win at a consistent level.

During that same run, the Jets have watched the following:

• The Buffalo Bills end their 17-year playoff drought, then draft a franchise QB named Josh Allen, making it two different QBs to start playoff games since.
• The Miami Dolphins make the playoffs three times with two different QBs.
• The Patriots win two Super Bowls, blow up the roster, rebuild, and then get back to the Super Bowl again with a new franchise QB.

Will 2026 be the year that all changes for the Jets? It better be if head coach Aaron Glenn is going to stick around.

Jets try to turn page on AFC East futility

Throw out any specific excuse for the Jets futility against their division rivals. It's all part of a series of problems the team has had when trying to compete within the AFC East.

Owning the lesser QB in most matchups? Check.
Employing a coaching staff that is thoroughly outcoached against rivals? Check.
Fielding a roster that just isn't good enough? Double check.

Everything is at play to explain why the Jets have struggled so much against the AFC East. There's reason for hope, though, when it comes to the upcoming year. New York has done plenty of work over the offseason to improve the floor of the roster. All-Pro talents like safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and linebacker Demario Davis, plus a journeyman starting quarterback in Geno Smith were all brought in to help end Gang Green's struggles.

The work isn't done, especially in a highly volatile AFC East.

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are coming off a Super Bowl appearance and just added an All-Pro of their own in AJ Brown at wideout. The Buffalo Bills, with their MVP-winning signal-caller, added DJ Moore at wide receiver, and have a new coach after a decade-long run with Sean McDermott.

New York's record against the Bills and Patriots during this stretch? 9–31.

Can Glenn be the difference-maker?

A coach like Glenn understands that the first way to compete is to do so by winning games within the division, no matter how tough a run that is. As a former Detroit Lions defensive coordinator, Glenn has experience facing off against a loaded division with multiple contenders.

In the AFC East, the teams are tougher, but expectations remain the same. And for a group as young as the Jets, Glenn understands the focus will be on him learning from last year's mistakes.

"We're still a long ways away," Glenn said. "When you finish a season 3-14 and you go into this year and you feel good about some of the things that you've done, you want to see how all those things come together, like from OTAs and training camp and going into the season. So that's a hard question to answer, really.

"But I do know this: Everything we wanted to do as an organization, you're starting to see it come together. And again, we still have a long way to go, but I do like the direction that we're going right now."

The glass-half-full approach is that the Jets' play against division foes can't get any worse than last year's 0-6 run. But if the team is going to turn the corner as an organization, it will have to start within the AFC East.