The New York Jets will visit the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park Sunday Week 17 for a rematch of their Week 6 contest at MetLife Stadium. To help preview the matchup, Vic Carucci of SiriusXM NFL Radio and WGRZ Buffalo and John Pullano of NYJets.com chatted about the game.
With the Chiefs victory on Wednesday, Kansas City clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs taking Buffalo out of the running. How do you expect Bills HC Sean McDermott and Co. to manage his starters' playing time against the Jets?
VC: This might be the most interesting element of this game. The Bills are assured of being no lower than the No. 3 seed. Is the No. 2 spot enough of a prize to go all out against the Jets? My sense is it could be, but only to a certain extent. Of course, the Bills would like to be at home for the divisional round, where they'd probably face the Ravens. But I think it will depend on how long the game remains competitive. The risk of injuries that could compromise the Bills' postseason success might prompt Sean McDermott to shift to preservation mode in the late stages.
After the Jets' 23-20 loss to the Bills in Week 6, what can they take away from the matchup that will assist them in the rematch?
JP: The Bills came away with the win in Week 6 despite being outgained 393-359. What hurt the Jets on that Monday in October was their inability to convert touchdowns in the red zone. The Green & White came away with 2 field goals and 1 touchdown over 5 red zone trips. It is hard to keep pace with one of the league's best offenses when you don't convert trips across midfield into points, and it has gotten even harder the past two months. The Bills are averaging 33.7 points per game in the last 9 weeks, and outside of the Patriots last week, the Jets are the last team to hold Buffalo under 30 points. For the Jets to keep pace with Buffalo, it is paramount they improve at converting when they get down near the goal line.
Buffalo has won 3 of their last 4 and averaged 37.3 points over the last 4 weeks. During that span QB Josh Allen has surged into the lead of the MVP race with 13 total touchdowns over that span. What has been different about Allen's game this season and allowed this Bills offense to surge?
VC: The biggest difference is that he's taking much better care of the ball. Some of that is the result of no longer having Stefon Diggs on the team. Allen isn't forcing as many throws as he did when he clearly felt pressure to get the ball to Diggs as often as possible. Now, Allen is spreading throws around to a receiving corps that is devoid of any true No. 1.
LT Olu Fashanu was placed on IR this week (foot). How do you expect the Jets O-Line to respond to the injury versus Buffalo?
JP: Jets rookie Olu Fashanu thrived in place of veteran Tyron Smith after he took over at LT in Week 9. The Jets O-Line has played well the last two weeks holding opponents to 2 total sacks and 12 pressures allowed. Without Fashanu, the Jets will turn to either third-year tackle Max Mitchell or second-year tackle Carter Warren. Mitchell has experience (28 GP, 12 GS) playing tackle and guard. Warren has played in 12 games and made 5 starts. Protecting QB Aaron Rodgers' blindside won't be the same without Fashanu, but the Jets have 2 viable options.
For as good as the Buffalo offense has been, the defense has allowed 35.7 points per game the last three weeks. What has caused the recent decline on defense for Buffalo?
VC: Injuries have been a factor, with starters going in and out of the lineup, but they don't explain all of the Bills' defensive shortcomings. I think the personnel needs improvement at all three levels. I also think the Sean McDermott philosophy of playing mainly zone coverage with safeties playing deep allows for, one, a lot of completions underneath and, two, calls for having mainly smaller and faster defenders, who struggle against the run. Derrick Henry and other backs have feasted on that this season.
The Jets defense played well versus the Rams in Week 16 allowing 19 points and 242 total yards despite being without All-Pros Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams. How will they build on that performance versus Buffalo?
JP: The Jets held the high-powered Rams offense to its fewest total yards this season and 25 fewer points than the Bills allowed Los Angeles in Buffalo's 44-42 loss in Week 14. DT Quinnen Williams tried to go against the Rams but remained out with a hamstring injury. A limited participant in practice this week, Williams could return for the defense. Even if he and Sauce Gardner (hamstring) play, expect more strong play from their young group of defenders – rookie DT Leonard Taylor III and second-year pass rusher Will McDonald IV. Taylor has 6 tackles and a TFL in the last two weeks and 1.5 sacks on the season, while McDonald continues his breakout season with 10 sacks and 2 FFs.
