OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 2 (UPI) -- The Oakland Raiders meet the New York Jets Monday night at Oakland's Network Associates Coliseum in a battle that has playoff implications for both teams.
Both are among the hottest in the AFC.
New York has won four straight games while Oakland has won three in a row.
The Jets can move into a three-way tie for first place in the East with Miami (7-5) and New England (7-5) with a win.
The Raiders can also tie for first place in the West with a victory. They are a half game behind San Diego (8-4) and a half game ahead of Denver (7-5). The Raiders play at San Diego next Sunday.
Last season, the Jets and Raiders were involved in two critical games in a span of six days. They met in the final week of the regular season before playing again in the wild-card round.
John Hall ensured the teams would meet in the playoffs, kicking a 53-yard field goal with 59 seconds remaining, lifting the Jets to a dramatic 24-22 victory. That defeat cost the Raiders a first-round bye.
In the playoff game, the Raiders got their revenge as Jerry Rice had nine catches for 183 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-24 victory. Rich Gannon passed for 294 yards and two scores.
The Jets are back in the playoff race after starting 2-5.
Their quarterback, Chad Pennington, leads the AFC with a 99.8 quarterback rating, just ahead of Gannon (99.1). Pennington is 5-2 since replacing Vinny Testaverde as the starter, completing 70.2 percent (172-of-245) of his passes, 11 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
Also last Sunday, Pennington had some help from his running game as Curtis Martin rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown in a 31-13 victory over Buffalo.
Gannon continued to run the NFL's top-rated offense with precision, throwing for 340 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-20 rout of Arizona. Oakland amassed 520 total yards.
The Raiders lead the series, 19-11-2.
