A big AFC East matchup will occur on Sunday as the New York Jets can move to within a game of the division leaders, the Buffalo Bills, who they face at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills are on a three-game winning streak, improving to 9-3 with a 24-10 victory over the New England Patriots last Thursday, while the Jets' comeback at the Minnesota Vikings fell just short, losing 27-22.
Match preview
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While the Bills are still among the best offensive units in the league, averaging the second-most yards per game (410.8), their defence has got them back on the right path.
Sean McDermott's secondary only allowed an average of 5.4 yards per attempt versus Mac Jones and the Pats, holding the sophomore QB to a rating of 84.8 for the game while allowing fewer than 200 yards through the air.
While their run defence allowed Rhamondre Stevenson to average 5.4 yards on the ground last week, they have done a nice job at containing opposing rushers this year, conceding a 4.2-yard average to running backs in 2022.
Two of Buffalo's three defeats this season have come against teams in their division, losing 20-17 to the Jets at the beginning of November.
Second quarters seem to bring out the best in this team, having put up 10 or more points in those 15 minutes of their previous four games.
In their last meeting versus the Jets this year, the Bills' third-ranked passing unit struggled, with fewer than 200 yards through the air.
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In his second season as the Jets head coach, Robert Saleh has transformed this team into one of the most formidable defensive units in the NFL.
Even though they have lost two of their last three games, their defence has kept them in those ball games, allowing just 159 yards passing to the Vikings, and holding the number two receiver in the NFL, Justin Jefferson, to a mere 45 yards on seven receptions.
Their pass rush has done an excellent job at getting through to opposing quarterbacks, producing multiple sacks in five straight games, including two on the Vikings' Kirk Cousins last Sunday, while they hit him nine times.
Had they been a little more efficient in the red zone versus Minnesota, the outcome might have been different as they had 23 first downs but could only convert three of their 16 third downs.
We have seen them run the ball much more efficiently in recent outings though, with over 100 rushing yards in back-to-back contests.
They have dropped their previous two games on the road, scoring fewer than 20 points in two of their last three outings away from home.
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Team News
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Bills quarterback Josh Allen looked a lot more like his dominant self against New England, putting up a 106.0 rating, throwing for 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns, one to Stefon Diggs and the other to Gabe Davis, who only caught two passes for 15 yards, while Devin Singletary ran for a score as well.
Jordan Poyer is tied for third regarding interceptions with four, though the secondary has not had a pick in three straight games, while Von Miller and Damar Hamlin each had a sack in their 20-17 loss to the Jets in November.
Jordan Phillips missed practice on Wednesday because of a shoulder issue, David Quessenberry was limited this week due to a sprained ankle, Matt Milano has a sore knee and Cam Lewis could return from his forearm injury.
The Jets Mike White threw for 369 yards in a loss versus Minnesota but also tossed two interceptions, Zonovan Knight ran for 90 yards on 15 carries, Garrett Wilson had a big outing in the pass-catching department with eight grabs for 162 yards and Greg Zuerlein connected on all five of his field goal attempts.
Sauce Gardner had an interception in the Jets' win over Buffalo earlier in the season, while CJ Mosley, Quinnen Williams and Bryce Huff each had a quarterback sack.
Lamarcus Joyner is dealing with a sore hip, Ashtyn Davis has a hamstring strain, while George Fant and Corey Davis might miss this encounter due to illness.
Head To Head
In Week Nine, the Jets earned their first victory against Buffalo in the last five meetings as James Robinson caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from former starter Zach Wilson and Michael Carter ran for a score.
Buffalo lead the overall series 67-57, winning 27-10 in the last encounter at Highmark Stadium over the previous campaign when Zack Moss, Matt Breida and Isaiah McKenzie each ran for a touchdown.
The closest encounter between the two recently occurred in 2019, as CJ Mosley had a pick-six in the opening quarter, and Le'Veon Bell caught a nine-yard TD thrown from Sam Darnold, helping the Jets to a narrow 17-16 victory.
We say: Buffalo Bills 26-23 New York Jets
The Jets' defence has kept them in numerous games this season, but they have not been as consistent in the passing game as Buffalo, so expect the Bills to win a squeaker on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
