2020 NFL schedule: Jets, Dolphins part of bizarre scheduling quirk that the league hasn't seen in 29 years

Between Nov. 10 and Dec. 5, the Jets and Dolphins don't face anyone but each other

The New York Jets and Miami Dolphins will experience a similar scheduling oddity as a few other NFL teams in 2020 when they play each other twice in three weeks. But the AFC East rivals have an even stranger quirk in their schedules -- the Jets and Dolphins will face each other in consecutive games. 

For the first time since 1991, two teams will play each other in back-to-back games. The Jets will play the Dolphins in Miami in Week 10 before both teams have a bye week in Week 11. Once their bye week is concluded, the Dolphins head to New York to face the Jets in Week 12. 

That means that starting the day after the Jets' Monday night game in Week 9 (that Tuesday is Nov. 10) until Week 13 (both teams play that Sunday, Dec. 6), the Jets and Dolphins will have gone 25 days playing nobody but each other.

If the NFL has its season delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Jets and Dolphins would still play each other twice in three weeks -- but the teams playing each other consecutively would be in jeopardy. The league set up the schedule that each Week 2 opponent has the same bye week to make up the game. The Dolphins play the Bills that week and the Jets play the 49ers, but all those teams have a bye week in Week 10. If games are postponed, those Week 2 matchups could theoretically be made up during the scheduled bye week in Week 10. The Jets and Dolphins would play each other twice in three weeks instead of facing each other consecutively. 

The last time teams played each other in back-to-back weeks was when the San Diego Chargers played the Seattle Seahawks in 1991, back when the Seahawks were part of the old AFC West. Seattle beat San Diego in Week 9 before both teams had their scheduled bye week and then faced each other in San Diego Week 11. The Chargers took the rematch, which was their second win of the season. 

Neither the Chargers nor Seahawks reached the playoffs in 1991. Is that a precursor to the Dolphins and Jets' 2020 playoff hopes, based on a scheduling anomaly? We'll see when AFC East standings come November.