Coming off of a pair of back-to-back losses against likely playoff teams, the Kansas City Chiefs are in a unique place this Sunday against the New York Jets. The Chiefs can't entirely exorcise the demons of their losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos because, well, the Jets aren't good enough to prove what they need to prove. However, that's a bit of an oversimplification.

There are a few things the Chiefs can show to be true with a good day against the 2-6 Jets, and a few other things that will require a series of better performances in bigger games.

Can prove: R Mason Thomas' drop in snaps was an aberration

Rookie second-round defensive end R Mason Thomas had a career-low number of snaps in Seattle before hitting another low mark last week in Denver. For a Chiefs team desperately needing more firepower in its pass rush, that's a confusing development for a player who has shown real sparks in the early weeks of his NFL career.

I don't believe that Thomas' role dipped due to a tumble down the depth chart; I can clearly imagine a world where defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo simply favored his more experienced edge defenders who are more stout against the run in the last two games, but that excuse won't hold up for a third time. Thomas needs to continue getting experience on the field, and that should resume with a larger role against New York.

Can't prove: The pass rush is fixed

Jets quarterback Geno Smith has been sacked 23 times this year, tied for the second-most in the NFL. Smith is largely playing pretty well in his second stint with the Jets, but he's shown a willingness to hold on to the ball (while throwing only three interceptions so far this season).

The Chiefs' pass rush has been toothless too often this year, recording just eight sacks in seven games, with four of those coming in Week 1. Yes, it would be a good sign to see them bring Smith down early and often on Sunday, but that's a matchup where the Chiefs should be able to pad their stats. Even if they do find their footing against Smith, they'll have to do it again against better offenses down the stretch.

Can prove: The offensive tackles are improving

Left tackle Kahlil Benson has earned plenty of credit for his performance as an undrafted rookie who had no experience playing left tackle before being thrust into action to begin this season, while right tackle Jaylon Moore hasn't lived up to his salary cap hit. Both tackles have struggled by some key metrics, and the Chiefs' passing game hasn't felt comfortable or consistent for most of the year.

Particularly with rookie No. 2 overall pick David Bailey and third-year first-round pick Will McDonald IV rushing Patrick Mahomes on Sunday, it would be a great time for Benson and Moore to show that there's still room for improvement on the bookends of the offensive line.

Can't prove: The Chiefs are back to being AFC favorites

Following the high-profile losses to the Seahawks and Broncos, the Chiefs have an upcoming three-game stretch against the Jets, Falcons and Cardinals. The Chiefs could win all three of those games by reasonable margins, and it still wouldn't be enough to write off the issues we've seen from the last two weeks. After those three games, Kansas City faces off with the Bills, Rams, Bengals, Patriots and 49ers. That will be the stretch that defines their standing among the NFL's contenders.

However...

Can prove: The sky isn't falling

A win—perhaps even a blowout win?—over the Jets would stop the bleeding for the time being. If the Chiefs can show that some of the issues of the season so far are improving game-to-game, it would be a building block for the work that still needs to be done. Frankly, the Chiefs have no choice but to beat the Jets. A loss at Arrowhead Stadium, marking the third game of a brutal losing streak? There's no room for that as an aspiring Super Bowl contender.