FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets coach Robert Saleh received his "welcome to the rivalry" moment one year ago this week with a 54-13 loss to the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium -- one of the most lopsided defeats in franchise history.

Saleh was hot, bothered and salty, cursing twice in his postgame news conference -- uncharacteristic for him. (He did apologize on the spot for his bad language.) He called it "embarrassing ... a helpless feeling," saying they got their "teeth knocked in." They were insulted, too. Richard Seymour, inducted into the Patriots' Hall of Fame at halftime, gave a speech in which he referred to the Jets as their "homecoming game."

Not long after Saleh's bleeping comments, his tormentor -- the man who also tormented his five predecessors -- celebrated on the field with a cold one. Patriots coach Bill Belichick, with binoculars-toting reporters watching from above in the press box, tossed back a brewski with assistant Matt Patricia in the empty stadium. They toasted the Jets in more ways than one that day.

If Saleh is "taking receipts," as he suggested early in the season, he should take a photo of that moment (it's out there on social media) and post it with "54-13" in the Jets' meeting room this week as they prepare to face the Patriots on Sunday at MetLife Stadium (1 p.m. ET, CBS). This is their shot.

After being dominated for two decades, including a current 12-game losing streak, the red-hot Jets (5-2) have a chance to halt the misery, change the narrative and exact payback against the vulnerable Patriots (3-4).

"Yeah, we've got a good memory. It wasn't that long ago," defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins said with a smile, referring to 54-13. "Yeah, we're aware of it. But at the same time, they're the next team on the schedule and they're a division team. Nothing would be greater than starting 2-0 in the division."

That loss was the low point of Saleh's first season. It dropped the Jets to 1-5 and began a stretch in which the defense was historically inept -- 175 points allowed over four games (1-3). A day after the New England loss, Saleh hinted that Belichick ran up the score by passing late in the game. Saleh, in a radio interview with ESPN New York, gave the typical "you-gotta-stop-them" answer, but added, "Is it something I would do? Probably not, but to each his own."

Privately, players and coaches said they were irked. Of course, it was nothing new. Belichick has been sticking it to the Jets for years, going back to infamous news conference in January, 2000, when he resigned as the "HC of the NY Jets." Since then, he's 34-10 against them, having won 15 of the past 16. And we're talking about a lot of blowouts. The average margin of victory during the active 12-game streak is 20 points. But this will be the first time the Jets have had a better record than the Patriots entering a matchup since 2001 Week 12, Tom Brady's 10th career start, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Brady's departure didn't change things. In the post-Brady era, the Jets are 0-4 with a minus-77 point differential.

"We could probably say that about 90% of the teams we've faced over the last 10 years, teams that have had our number," defensive end John Franklin-Myers said. "It's not the same team as last year. Everybody is a little more comfortable. The Patriots are a good team, but we're a good team also."

As defensive end Vinny Curry said, "Different energy, different vibe, different team."

Naturally, Saleh won't engage in any of the "redemption" discourse this week. He called the Patriots "the gold standard of the AFC East for a very, very long time. They’re not going anywhere as long as Coach Belichick is there. They’re not going anywhere. They’re not going to disappear."

They're not the Same Old Patriots, though, as they were thoroughly dismantled Monday night on their home turf by the Chicago Bears, 33-14. For the first time since 2001, when Brady replaced an injured Drew Bledsoe, Belichick finds himself in a quarterback controversy with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

Welcome to the real world, Bill.

The Jets' last win in the series was Dec. 27, 2015, when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed a short touchdown pass to receiver Eric Decker in overtime at MetLife Stadium. It put the Jets on the precipice of the playoffs, but they squandered that chance the following week in a crushing loss to the Buffalo Bills.

The longest-tenured member of the Jets, long-snapper Thomas Hennessy, was a junior at Duke at the time. No one on the current roster has experienced a win over the Patriots in a Jets' uniform.

"We can't put the 10-year or seven-year baggage on some of these young guys, because some of our best players are rookies and second-year players," said former defensive lineman Leger Douzable, a member of the '15 team. "So, technically, they're 0-2 against the Patriots, which is still terrible ... but I don't know if they feel it as much as a C.J. Mosley feels it or a Braxton Berrios, who has lost continuously to the Patriots over the past few years."

The major difference between now and 54-13: The Jets have improved significantly on defense. During their current four-game winning streak, the Jets are second in scoring defense (14 points per game) and fourth in yards allowed (298.5), elevating their overall rankings to 10th and 10th in those categories. A year ago, they were 32nd in both.

"Electric," rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner said of the defense.

Sunday will be an excellent barometer for second-year quarterback Zach Wilson, who experienced his worst day as a pro (four interceptions) in the Week 2 loss last season to the Patriots. He didn't finish the Week 7 blowout loss because of a knee injury. He's 4-0 since returning from his latest knee injury, although he has struggled over the past two games -- 42.2 Total QBR, about 10 points below the league average.

Belichick is a master at exploiting a quarterback's weakness, which makes this a huge statement game for Wilson. The Jets have gone three straight games without a touchdown pass, becoming the first team since the 2016 Houston Texans to win three straight in that fashion, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.

Wilson is "a ton better than he was a year ago," according to Saleh, who added, "I’m not sounding the alarm on the pass game yet."

Saleh isn't worried about stats, although there might be a few digits stuck in his mind this week:

54-13.