Six weeks ago it looked like the New York Jets were on the verge of tumbling out of contention for any shot at another run to the AFC Championship game.
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Their arch enemy, the New England Patriots, had just handed them a 30-21 loss to send them to their third straight defeat. The Jets allowed 30 or more points in each of them. At 2-3, no one was listening to any of the bluster and bravado from head coach Rex Ryan.
The season looked lost. And the Patriots, well, they loved it.
But entering Sundays rematch at MetLife Stadium, the roles are reversed. The Jets have rebounded in a big way, winning each of their past three games to charge back into the playoff picture.
New England, meanwhile, has lost two in a row and is in danger of their first three-game losing streak in nine seasons. And how fitting would it be if the Jets return the favor?
The Patriots have stood in the Jets' way for years, having won the AFC East eight of the past 10 seasons. Ryan knows his Jets have a golden opportunity to take control of the division with a win, although the surprising Buffalo Bills are still very much a threat.
"They beat us already, so we know what this game represents," Ryan said in a news conference. "We're not afraid to talk about it. It's not one of these, 'Well, if we don't win there's still a lot of season left.'
"We're approaching it like we have to have this game. We want to win our division. We think it goes through New England. Obviously it's a three-way tie for first right now. But there's an old saying, 'To be the champ, you have to beat them champ.' "
The Patriots haven't looked like champions lately. In back-to-back losses to the Steelers and Giants, their offense has sputtered. The defense, meanwhile, has been bad all year and last week the team released defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth.
New England is allowing an NFL-high average of 416.2 yards per game. The pass defense specifically has been atrocious. The Patriots are the only team allowing an average of 300 or more passing yards a game (314).
"I think everybody can do a better job," head coach Bill Belichick told reporters. "That includes everybody - it includes me, it includes all the coaches, it includes all the players. There's room for improvement for all of us."
Yeah, even Tom Brady. His passing yards (337.9 per game) and touchdowns (20) are up there with the leaders, but he's already been intercepted 10 times after throwing just four picks all of last year.
But Brady is dealing with an elbow issue in his passing arm, which seems to have affected his touch. Brady isn't using it as any kind of excuse, however.
"I've just got to make better decisions," he told reporters.
Ryan is banking on the Jets' faithful being deliriously loud, which could help disrupt Brady.
"I love the fact that we're playing at home," Ryan said. "Our fans could be the difference. When two good teams go at it, there's a reason why there's home-field advantage and all that.
"That's a challenge I'm taking to our fans. We're here, we're undefeated at home (4-0) and let's make it miserable."
The Jets' running game used to be miserable, averaging just 72 yards per game through the season's first five weeks. During the winning streak, that average has shot up to 130 yards per game thanks to a rejuvenated Shonn Greene.
"I think it's been great," quarterback Mark Sanchez said of the running game. "Shonn's been running very hard. He's had some great lanes to run through."
The lane to the AFC East title may run through New England, but a Jets' victory tonight could change that.
"It has a lot to do with it," Sanchez agreed. "I don't think this is the end all, be all. It's not the end of the world. But we don't want to think about losing the game. We're thinking about winning.
"We'll just react after the game, but this is a big divisional game. It could set us up nice."
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