ESPN

Though the New York Jets are very much alive for a playoff spot in the AFC, they know their overall play must improve in order for them to actually reach the postseason.

Looking to build off a much-needed victory, the Jets try for some rare success against the Washington Redskins on Sunday at FedEx Field.

New York (6-5) avoided a third consecutive loss by rallying for a 28-24 home win over Buffalo last Sunday. Though the victory was far from pretty, the result left the Jets two games behind AFC East leader New England and tied with Denver and Tennessee, all one game out of the final playoff spot in the conference.

Still, the Jets don't appear to have the look of a team that can once again contend for a conference title.

Mark Sanchez threw a career-high four touchdowns but only completed 48.6 percent of his passes for 180 yards. The defense, meanwhile, yielded a 90-yard touchdown drive earlier in the game and nearly allowed the Bills to march down the field on the final drive in which a wide-open Stevie Johnson dropped a catchable pass and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick failed to connect with the receiver two other times to help the Jets clinch the victory.

"We have to keep improving, there's no question," Jets coach Rex Ryan said. "We're not going to win and we're not going to reach our goal if we don't get better. But we definitely plan on getting better."

While Ryan knows there are strides to be made, he's getting tired of hearing the Jets have been more lucky than good this season. Last weekend's victory marked New York's third fourth-quarter comeback in 2011.

"It is funny how if we make a mistake, we're horrible and it's, `Oh, they're terrible," Ryan said. "That could be bad luck there, too. But if we make a play, it's, `Oh, we're just lucky.' So, maybe it's the green (team colors). I don't know. I hope karma is with us. I hope we continue to be lucky, and we'll take that.

"The old saying, `I'd rather be lucky than good.' I'd rather be both, and I think we are."

Sanchez may be both.

Though the third-year quarterback had another mediocre statistical day versus Buffalo, he managed to get his team into the end zone. He also hit Plaxico Burress, who made a one-handed grab for 18 yards, to convert on third-and-11 to set up the 16-yard winning TD pass to Santonio Holmes with 1:01 remaining.

"Honestly, it sounds crazy, but things are looking good," said Sanchez, who threw two touchdowns and four interceptions in his previous three games. "I'm just feeling more and more comfortable. It's not showing quite yet, but I know it will. We're right there."

Burress has caught 11 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns over the last three games. He had 10 receptions for 133 yards in his last game against Washington while with the New York Giants in 2008.

The Jets hope the momentum they earned from last weekend's victory will help them improve on their 1-8 all-time record versus Washington. New York has lost four in a row to the Redskins dating to their only win, 3-0 on Dec. 11, 1993. This is the teams' first meeting since Washington's 23-20 overtime road victory in 2007.

Washington (4-7) returns home after snapping a six-game skid with a 23-17 win at Seattle last Sunday. Like the Jets, the Redskins also needed a fourth-quarter comeback, overcoming a 10-point deficit to score the game's final 16 points.

"That's what you're in this game to do, is to win," Washington coach Mike Shanahan said. "But at the same time, when you're around a football team that's giving you everything they've got, you feel good.

"That's why I feel good about the character of this football team, and it was nice to find a way to win because they deserved to win. Our players have been working extremely hard, and hopefully we can keep it going."

Rex Grossman set season highs by completing 73.4 percent of his passes for 314 yards. His 50-yard TD pass to Anthony Armstrong with 6:18 left in the fourth quarter gave Washington the lead for good.

Rookie Roy Helu solidified himself as the Redskins' starting running back at least for one more week after he ran for a career-high 108 yards with a touchdown on 23 carries and caught seven passes for 54 yards.

"He's our starter, for sure," Shanahan said.

Shanahan will need a different starter in the secondary with safety LaRon Landry out. Landry injured his groin at Seattle and will miss his third game of the season.

Rookie DeJon Gomes replaced Landry in the most recent game he missed, Nov. 20 against Dallas.

Washington, which won two straight games to open the season, has dropped its last three against AFC East opponents since beating the Jets in 2007.