Assessing the New York Jets' Playoff Hopes Heading into Week 11

The New York Jets didn't do themselves any favors in their hunt for a postseason berth when they lost to the Buffalo Bills 22-17 on Thursday night. 

They've now lost three of their last four games. Two of those three losses were nail-biting heart-breakers that could have gone either way in the end. But this is not the BCS. The NFL playoff standings will not take into account strength of schedule, how impressive a victory was or how narrow a loss was.

Wins. Losses. That's all that matters. In that sense, though, the Jets are still alive and kicking in the playoff picture.

Team	Record	Week 11 OPP
1 - Pittsburgh Steelers	6-4	BYE
2 - Buffalo Bills	5-4	@ NE
New York Jets	5-4	@ HOU
Kansas City Chiefs	4-5	@ SD
Oakland Raiders	4-5	@ DET
Miami Dolphins	4-5	vs. DAL
Houston Texans	4-5	vs. NYJ

Right now, they are teetering on the edge of playoff contention. At 5-4, they are just barely behind the Bills, who currently hold the head-to-head advantage with their win on Thursday.

Behind them are the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Miami Dolphins and Houston Texans. The Jets already lost to the Raiders, so they can't afford to fall behind Oakland in the standings. With the Texans up next on the schedule, the Jets have a chance to push them a little further into the background of the playoff mix.

And with one more game against the Dolphins, the Jets could bury their AFC East rival deep in the standings.

Right now, it boils down to a three-team race for two playoff spots. The fact of the matter is, none of the teams currently battling for those two spots is head-and-shoulders above any other team in the hunt. 

With that in mind, the outcome likely boils down to strength of schedule, where the Jets have a very slight advantage. The Jets' remaining opponents have a combined record of 30-33. The Bills' remaining opponents are 31-31. The Steelers' remaining opponents are a combined 26-28. The Jets also have three home games compared to three for the Bills and two for the Steelers. 

Of course, one of the Bills' remaining home games is against the Jets, and it just so happens to be the regular-season finale, setting up for a perfect win-and-you're-in grudge match between the two teams.

It's not hard to envision a scenario where the Jets make the playoffs. All they need is a 5-2 record down the stretch, and they'll probably have an inside track to the postseason. With only two games left against opponents with winning records, it's reasonable to expect the Jets to finish with 10 wins on the season and earn their first postseason berth since 2010.

In order for that to happen, though, the Jets will need to snap out of the slump they've been in for the past month.