The Buffalo Bills are Jersey bound, heading to East Rutherford to take on the New York Jets this week. It’s just the second divisional game for the Bills, as they have just their October loss vs. the New England Patriots on their AFC East ledger so far. The Jets, meanwhile, will finish their first go-rounds of AFC East games with Sunday’s matchup.
While New York may be just 2-7 this season, they’ve played a lot of tight games, including two against the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. The
Patriots defeated the Jets 26-19, while the Dolphins squeaked out a 28-25 victory. Really, the only game the Jets were entirely demolished in came last week, when they lost 35-12 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Can the Jets play the Bills tight this week? Will Buffalo overlook their division rivals and lose the game outright? There’s no question that Buffalo is the better football team, but there’s a reason why they play the games rather than just talking about them. The Bills will need to come out ready to roll in order to maintain their hold on the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Here are five Bills to watch on Sunday as they try to do just that.
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QB Josh Allen
Last week, after a slow start, Allen caught fire in the second half against an outstanding Minnesota Vikings defense. Allen started his night just 7-of-14 for 51 yards and an interception, but from the Bills’ two-minute drive at the end of the first half until the end of the game, he was electric. Allen completed 14 of his next 21 passes for 183 yards and a touchdown, and while those numbers might sound pedestrian, Allen finished his day as just the second quarterback to eclipse 200 yards passing against the Vikings this season. It was the first time anyone had done it since Jordan Love did it for the Green Bay Packers in Week One. Allen isn’t immune from the occasional stinker, and sometimes, those stinkers come against subpar opponents in the immediate aftermath of a big win. OF Buffalo’s three AFC East foes, Allen also has fewer touchdown passes against the Jets (16) than he does against either the Patriots (25) or Dolphins (42) in his career, and he’s thrown 11 interceptions in 15 games against them. I want to see Allen work just as patiently as he did on Monday night, taking what the Jets’ defense gives him while trusting his teammates to do their part. He doesn’t have to play hero ball this week. He just has to be Josh Allen.
RB James Cook III
Part of me is watching Cook because I expect him to have a big game, as he averaged 4.53 yards per rush in seven career games against the Jets. However, part of me is also watching how head coach and offensive play-caller Joe Brady manages his workload. Cook carried 31 times on Monday, and coming into a short week, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more of Ray Davis in the backfield this week. Cook still needs his touches, but I wouldn’t be mad if his snap share were dialed back a bit in the interest of saving him for later in the season. Davis and Ty Johnson, who is a former Jet, should see some more work this week. If Cook can slip some big runs early, it could help Buffalo to build the kind of lead where he’s hopefully wearing a baseball cap in the fourth quarter.
WR DJ Moore
Yeah, we’re going heavy-hitters this week. Moore has looked good since returning from a shoulder injury, but I’m waiting for him to take over a game like he did when he had five catches for 100 yards and a score on opening day. That’s also, perhaps not coincidentally, the only game he’s played this season where he wasn’t banged up in some way. Moore is doing his job, as he has 19 catches fo 285 yards and 2 touchdowns on 32 targets; however, he hasn’t looked like a bona fide No. 1 wideout. Against a struggling Jets squad that has allowed 16 passing touchdowns against just one interception this season, I’d like to see Moore have a bigger day. The Jets rank well in passing yards allowed—they’re No. 4 in passing yards against—but that’s misleading since they’re often trailing and they’re ranked just 26th against the run. A scoring pass from Allen to Moore on the first drive of the game for the Bills would be a nice way to kick off a Sunday.
OLB Michael Hoecht
Maybe it’s unfair to single him out, as Hoecht hasn’t played more than 41% of the defensive snaps in a game this season, and he’s coming off of Achilles surgery last year. However, he’s been mostly pedestrian when he’s been out there, and he just hasn’t had the burst that he showed in limited action last year. Yes, that’s a byproduct of the injury, as he is just past one calendar year since he tore his Achilles in a win over the Chiefs. But, Hoecht has just 15 tackles to show for his work this season, and half a combined sack of Jared Goff in Week Two is his whole pass-rush output so far. He nearly made a cool play last week when he dove and nearly intercepted a spike. Making a play on Geno Smith and bringing the veteran quarterback to the turf would be nice. If Hoecht can find a groove, given how well Greg Rousseau is playing and the strides that T.J. Parker and Bradley Chubb have made as a duo, it would add another layer to Buffalo’s pass rush as they enter a difficult stretch of schedule.
S Amani Hooker
It has to be the new guy, right? Hooker was exactly the kind of addition the Bills needed. He’s a rangy safety who isn’t afraid to hit, and it sure doesn’t hurt that he’s the NFL’s current leader in interceptions, either. Hooker has allowed just a 60.2 quarterback rating when he’s the closest player in coverage. That’s significantly better than Buffalo’s two starting safeties last week, Cole Bishop (90.3 passer rating allowed) and Damar Hamlin (106 passer rating allowed). Even if the Bills ease him into the festivities, it’s going to be nice to have a high-end safety in the back of the defense. Sunday is a good time to try him out, as the Jets rank just 22nd in passing yards on the year. I’m excited to see what No. 22 brings to Buffalo’s ever-improving defense.
