[2] In the quarterback-rich 1983 NFL draft, the Bills selected quarterback Jim Kelly whereas the Jets infamously passed on Dan Marino in favor of Ken O'Brien.

The 1993 season saw the Jets failing to secure a playoff berth by losing a game to the Bills via three missed field goals.

[2] As the 2000s approached, Buffalo collapsed from a perennial Super Bowl contender to one of the worst teams in the league, while the Jets maintained a level of success, making the playoffs 5 times despite a period of dominance by the Tom Brady-led New England Patriots.

[14] The Bills also added former Jets Percy Harvin[15] and IK Enemkpali, the latter one day after he was released for breaking Geno Smith's jaw in a locker room altercation.

[21][22] Allen and Darnold met on the field for the first time as rivals on December 9, 2018, with both having missed the first Bills–Jets match-up that year due to injury.

The Bills jumped to an early 14–3 lead under Allen, but the Jets fought back with good special teams play to set up short fields and tied the game at 20 by the fourth quarter.

After the Bills scored a field goal to retake the lead with just over two minutes to go, Darnold led a game-winning drive for the Jets, including a 37-yard pass to Robby Anderson to set up the go-ahead touchdown run by Elijah McGuire.

[23][24] On September 8, 2019, the Bills overcame a 16–0 third quarter deficit and four turnovers to beat the Jets 17–16 at MetLife Stadium on opening day of the season.

[25] The momentum would carry over as Buffalo wound up making the playoffs while New York was unable to overcome a 1–7 start, despite both teams being expected to be competitive that year.

[26] The second Bills–Jets matchup of the 2020 season was noteworthy as the then-winless Jets held a potent Bills offense out of the endzone, but Buffalo still prevailed 18–10 thanks to six field goals by rookie kicker Tyler Bass.

[32] The following season, New York traded for longtime Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, setting up what would become a highly anticipated opening week game between the Bills and Jets on Monday Night Football.

Unfortunately, Rodgers ruptured his Achilles tendon on just his fourth play in the game, but the Jets forced Allen to turn the ball over four times, and ended up winning in overtime 22–16 on Xavier Gipson's punt return touchdown.

[34] This sparked a 32–6 Bills victory in what was considered a must-win game for both teams, as the Jets could not contain a refocused Allen and struggled on offense, leading to Zach Wilson being benched again.