Are the Raiders facing the Jets at the wrong time?

If there was ever a bad time to be facing the New York Jets, the Raiders just may be experiencing it this week. At second glance, the once-laughable Jets may no longer deserve the scorn they’ve been drawing most of the season.

If you’re among most NFL fans, you haven’t bothered to notice the Jets are now riding a two-game winning streak. And, judging by how difficult it was for Oakland to dispose of the winless Bengals on Sunday, beating the Jets might not be an easy task.

For the first time in more than a year, the Jets offense accounted for more than 400 yards in a game while New York routed Washington 34-17 on Sunday. Is it a case of fortunes changing or just fortunate opponents? The Jets’ recent wins have come against the Giants and Washington, neither team that could be mistaken for a contender.

Still, those who embrace historical coincidences might get a kick out of the similarities surrounding the Oakland Raiders’ first NFL road game against the Jets, and this, their final one in New York this Sunday.

Nearly 49 years to the week, the playoff-hopeful Raiders first went to New York to play a Jets team with no shot at the playoffs. Just like today, the Jets back in 1970 were 3-7 after surprisingly winning two straight games before the Raiders came to town. Back then, like today, the Raiders had six wins and they desperately needed to avoid a Jets upset in order to remain tied for first place in the AFC West with the Kansas City Chiefs.

OK, today’s Raiders don’t have a 43-year-old miracle worker like George Blanda around to pull out last-second victories, but you get the point.