In the dome in Minneapolis on Sunday, the now 7-5 New York Jets fell short, but it wasn’t without a fight.

Mike White started his second game and led the Jets down the field many times but with one of the better defences in the league, the 10-2 Vikings held firm to beat the Jets.

After scoring five field goals to put 15 points on the board between the first and third quarter, the Jets finally got rolling and White went over the line to edge Robert Saleh’s side ever closer to the win. It wasn’t to be though after some key drops and sloppy moments on defence, but the Jets showed once again on Sunday that they aren’t the same team they once were and can be put up against anybody in this league.

As another big game ends, another one rolls around with the return of the division matchups. With just five games remaining in the regular season, the Jets start the run-in against Buffalo, and it is sure to be a huge game, for more reasons than one.

On Sunday at Orchard Park, the Jets face a team they knocked off in week nine.

With four games having passed since the two last met, the Bills sit 9-3 and the Jets, 7-5. After losing narrowly last time out, the Jets will want to make up for that. Buffalo is beatable, as shown at MetLife in week nine and if the Jets are to make the playoffs, after the 27-22 loss to the Vikings, this road trip becomes even more important for NYJ.

Saleh confirmed to reporters on Monday that White would get the start again, with Joe Flacco as the backup and Zach Wilson remaining inactive.

In the NFL, every game is big but a divisional matchup is crucial. A Jets win would move them to 8-5 and a step closer to securing an AFC wildcard spot, a loss and the playoffs are still reachable, but they would make it harder for themselves.

It is always daunting playing a division opponent, it always means that little bit extra and to beat the Bills 20-17 back in November, it was monumental for the franchise. The Jets will be looking to create more memories for its fans this Sunday as a win would mean not just a stronger hold on a playoff spot, but them doing the double over Buffalo and sweeping the series in 2022.

The Vikings game was the first loss this season where a lot of Jet fans wouldn’t have been too displeased. In the second half everything about the performance was good and the team ultimately fell slightly short of the mark. Minnesota is on the way to the playoffs having already wrapped up their division, the NFC North, and that was shown in the game last weekend. They are a team ready to win and while that is the same for NYJ, there was still that slight step the Jets couldn’t quite make.

With the trip to Buffalo on the horizon, there are plenty of things the Jets can do differently to make sure it’s a win this week and not a loss but really, it’s a case of more of the same from Saleh’s men.

One key to victory is wide receiver Garrett Wilson. The rookie out of Ohio State is an excellent player and proving why he is the Jets’ top weapon. His numbers so far have been nothing short of sensational and since White has taken the reins at quarterback, it has been even better for Wilson.

In the game against Minnesota, he had eight receptions for 162 yards and that was the 22-year old’s third 100-yard game of the season. Over the past two weeks, Wilson has 257 yards, 119 yards after the catch and six receptions to boot. This is first among all wide receivers. Fantastic stats for a rookie and he will be key for White and the offence on Sunday if the Jets are to defeat the Bills for the second time this season.

We know what damage the Jets defence can do. If it can get anywhere near to how disruptive it was at MetLife against Josh Allen and the Bills a month ago then NYJ will be in for a good day.

With the absence of edge rusher Von Miller, Buffalo is going to find it a slightly tougher task of getting to White. Add to that the return of George Fant and Max Mitchell, also right guard Nate Herbig who has been playing very well so far this year and the Jets are shaped up well for the game to go and put some points on Sean McDermott’s team.

All will be revealed on Sunday, after the Vikings loss, hopefully the Jets can bounce back in their fifth divisional game of 2022.

Let’s go Jets!