The seventh-ranked defensive unit of the New York Jets will face the ultimate challenge on Sunday as they welcome the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills to MetLife Stadium.
Buffalo have the second-best record in the NFL at 6-1, winning their last four games, while New York had a four-game winning streak snapped last Sunday, losing 22-17 to the New England Patriots.
Match preview
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Eight games into the new season for New York and they have already exceeded their win total from a year ago, currently tied with the Miami Dolphins for second in the AFC East with a record of 5-3.
Robert Saleh has his defence to thank for most of those victories, with the Jets secondary playing exceptionally well, allowing a quarterback rating of 77.7 on the season.
On the odd time when their cornerbacks are beaten, the defensive line has stepped up to save the day, as New York have a pressure rating of 31% in 2022, producing 21 sacks.
They have also done an excellent job at plugging the running lanes, allowing a mere 3.8 yards per carry this season and forcing their opponents into several third and long situations.
Their running game struggled in New England last weekend, as they combined for just 51 yards between four players on 15 total carries.
Winning the turnover battle has proven to be a decisive factor for this team in 2022, with the Jets sitting at 4-0 when they have fewer than two turnovers a game, while all three of their losses have occurred when they turned the ball over more than their opponents.
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No passing attack in the league averages more yards per game than Sean McDermott's Bills (314), while they have also scored 19 touchdowns.
Their offensive line will face a stiff challenge against a dangerous Jets front four, but Buffalo have done an excellent job at giving their quarterback an extra second or two in the pocket, as the Bills have only taken 11 sacks on the season, while facing a pressure percentage of 22.7.
Buffalo's running game is perhaps the biggest flaw offensively for them this year, ranked 20th in the league, but they did acquire more versatility in that department this week in the form of a trade on Tuesday.
They have an exceptional secondary that give opposing QBs various looks and are stellar in their pass coverage, allowing a quarterback rating of only 73.8, conceding an average of 6.6 yards per attempt and producing 11 interceptions.
The 21 sacks for Buffalo this season has them in a tie for seventh in the league, as they have a pressure percentage of 28 and a blitzing percentage of 15.2.
Their run defence struggled against the Green Bay Packers last week, allowing 208 yards on the ground, which is a lot worse than what they have managed throughout the season, conceding an average of 4.1 yards per carry so far in 2022, which is tied for fifth in the NFL.
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Team News
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Zach Wilson threw for a career-high 355 yards and two touchdowns against the Pats, but the Jets QB also tossed three interceptions, while their new running back, James Robinson, had five carries for 17 yards in his debut.
Their first-round selection in 2022, Sauce Gardner, is tied for first in the league for passes defended (12), holding quarterbacks to a 63.8 rating to go along with one interception, and DJ Reed has held opposing pivots to a rate of 59.8.
Breece Hall is out for the season with a torn ACL, Corey Davis did not practice all week as he is dealing with a sore knee, CJ Uzomah saw limited time at practice as he is recovering from a sprained shoulder, and Lamarcus Joyner has a hip injury.
On Tuesday, Buffalo acquired Nyheim Hines from the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for Zach Moss and a conditional pick, and he should take some pressure off Devin Singletary, who averaged 8.2 yards a carry in their last game against the Packers.
Josh Allen may still be the frontrunner for league MVP midway through the season, third in passing yards (2,198), though he struggled at times versus Green Bay, tossing a pair of interceptions, while Stefon Diggs had six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown, as he has the second-most receiving yards this year (764), behind the Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill.
Von Miller did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday but is expected to play this weekend, Jordan Poyer is dealing with an ankle injury, DaQuan Jones was limited at practice this week, while Tremaine Edmunds also saw limited time in training because of a sore ankle.
Head To Head
The Bills have won their previous four meetings against the Jets, with the last one coming in January when Singletary ran for a pair of scores in a 27-10 triumph.
New York's last victory versus Buffalo came in 2019, when former pivot Sam Darnold hit Jamison Crowder for a one-yard TD grab to win 13-6, while the Bills historically are 67-56-0 overall versus the Jets.
We say: New York Jets 16-31 Buffalo Bills
Wilson will need to play mistake-free football for the Jets to have a chance at an upset, and he has struggled to make intelligent decisions when under pressure.
On the opposite side, Josh Allen always seems to make magic happen, and he can burn you in so many ways, so look for the Bills to come away with another comfortable victory.
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Joel Lefevre
