The 7-5 Jets bring good team physical and mental health into today's AFC East rematch and perhaps playoff preview with the 9-3 Bills, this time at rainy and possibly snowy Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY.
For the mental health aspect, Jets head coach Robert Saleh described the challenge ahead late in the week, saying of the Bills, "They're uber-talented, they're on 10 days' rest, playing at home. It's a great opportunity, big-time division game. So it's going to be fun."
Physically, the Green & White listed seven players on their Friday injury report, but six practiced full, received no game status and five are active today — WR Corey Davis, tackles Duane Brown and George Fant, CB D.J. Reed and S Lamarcus Joyner.
Four players didn't practice Wednesday with illnesses, but three — Davis, Fant and Reed — returned to practice Thursday.
The fourth, rookie DL Micheal Clemons, listed as questionable for the game, has been deactivated. S Ashtyn Davis also is inactive for the second week.
RB Michael Carter, perhaps the biggest name on recent injury lists, is also active. He wasn't on the injury report at all this past week after sitting out the game at Minnesota with an ankle injury. Carter has enjoyed his two top games this season at home against division opponents, scoring two touchdowns against Miami and rushing for a season-high 76 yards and a TD on 12 carries in the 20-17 win last month over the Bills.
See the Jets players arriving for the Week 14 road game.
In that first Buffalo game, Carter contributed to the Jets' second-best rushing total of the season, 174 yards. Carter's return to the backfield could help QB Mike White in his third start this season, although he threw the ball with abandon in the win over Chicago and the loss to the Vikings. White has two 300-yard passing games in those games and with one more would join Ken O'Brien in 1985 as the only two Jets QBs with three consecutive 300-yard games in a season.
The Jets also in November got strong pressure from their front four against Bills QB Josh Allen, who threw two interceptions, to veteran S Jordan Whitehead and rookie CB Sauce Gardner, and was sacked five times, hit eight times and strip-sacked twice, once by DL Sheldon Rankins and once late in the game by Bryce Huff to hep seal the victory.
The Bills are also in good health to take on the Jets and gain some revenge for their unexpected loss at MetLife Stadium. On Friday, head coach Sean McDermott declared starting FB Reggie Gilliam (ankle) and backup DT Jordan Phillips (shoulder) out for this game.
Starting WLB Matt Milano, who missed the first Jets game with an oblique injury, was listed as questionable with a knee injury. Starting LT Dion Dawkins, who sat out the Bills' Thursday night game last week at New England with an ankle issue, also was questionable. But both Milano and Dawkins are active for the Jets.
Two starting defenders who also missed the game at MetLife, S Jordan Poyer and CB Tre'Davious White, have returned to action. But one big name on defense, LB Von Miller, the Bills' leading sacker, suffered an ACL injury at Detroit on Thanksgiving, had surgery early this past week and will miss the remainder of the season.
The Jets' six-player inactive list today:
- QB Zach Wilson
- WR Jeff Smith
- S Ashtyn Davis
- RB James Robinson
- CB Bryce Hall
- DL Micheal Clemons
And the Bills' six-man inactive list:
- CB Xavier Rhodes
- S Dean Marlowe
- FB Reggie Gilliam
- LB Baylon Spector
- OL Justin Murray
- DT Jordan Phillips
