Top 3 Individual Matchups
1 – Mario Williams
vs. Breno Giacomini
– Buffalo’s Pro Bowl pass rusher has had trouble putting heat on Jets’
passers since joining the Bills. He has no sacks in his four games
against New York, but that was against Austin Howard, the Jets’ former
right tackle. Giacomini isn’t as long-limbed or strong as Howard.
2 – Seantrel Henderson vs. Muhammad Wilkerson
– The Bills rookie right tackle has had some growing pains of late.
He’ll face a supremely talented defensive lineman in Wilkerson, and may
need some help from a tight end to keep the Pro Bowl DL from making a
major impact.
3 – Sammy Watkins vs. Darrin Walls
– This is a potentially ugly mismatch for the Jets, so safety help over
the top will be the order of the day for New York’s secondary if they
want to keep Watkins from burning them for big plays.
Bills Top 2 Advantages
Good Advantage – Pass defense
– Buffalo allowed a season-low 118 passing yards last week and they
haven’t allowed an opposing passer to make more than 18 completions in
three of the last five weeks. New York’s passing game has found big
plays hard to manufacture.
Best Advantage – Pass offense –
Kyle Orton
has given the Bills’ aerial attack a shot in the arm. In his three
starts the completion percentage on pass plays has risen more than 10
percent helping Buffalo keep drives alive on offense. Perhaps more
important is the Jets allow the second-highest opponent passer rating in
football (108.3).
Bills Number 1 Must
Red zone execution
– Buffalo’s red zone touchdown efficiency has jumped more than 22
percent with Kyle Orton at quarterback (55.5% success rate) as the
veteran has made good decisions. They’ll need to continue on that track
to post a victory on the road. What should help is the Jets have
uncharacteristically struggled to defend their red zone this season
allowing opponents to cross the goal line more than two-thirds of the
time (68.2%) to rank 28th in the league.
Scouting Eye
Long drives
The
Jets aren’t sitting near the top of the league when it comes to points
per game (they rank 28th), but when they do score they go on long, clock
chewing drives. In fact New York leads the league in average number of
plays on scoring drives at almost nine and a half (9.48). And when a
Jets’ possession lasts more than five minutes of game clock they score
points almost 82 percent of the time.
Ground & pound
Part
of their success in hanging onto the ball on offense is a byproduct of
their rushing attack. New York stands fifth in the league in rushing at
135 yards a game, and they earn just about every one of those yards. The
Jets have just four runs of 20 yards or more this season, but when it
comes to short yardage New York knows how to move the sticks. Their
offense ranks fourth in the league in converting on 3rd-and-1 at 89
percent and every one was a run play.
Stiff competition The
Jets 1-6 record falls on them first, but taking a closer look at the
opponents that handed them those losses you begin to realize they’ve
faced some of the better clubs in the league through the first half of
the season.
The collective record of the teams that handed the
Jets their six losses so far this season is 29-14. All but one of the
teams that handed the Jets their half dozen losses have five wins
through the first half of the season. And in three of their losses they
faced the three-highest rated quarterbacks in football right now in
Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers.
Poor capitalists
The
Jets haven’t finished in the top 10 in the league in interceptions
since the Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie cornerback tandem was
blown up after 2011. But it has never been this bad. Through the first
seven games New York has just one interception and a pair of fumble
recoveries. It’s a surprising statistic for a defense with an identity
of being physical and aggressive. Compounding the team’s lack of
takeaways are their 12 turnovers, leaving the Jets with a
takeaway-giveaway margin of minus-nine, the worst in the league.
First down leaders
New
York’s defensive line gets a lot of pub and deservedly so. Littered
with first-round draft choices up front, the Jets dominate defensively
on first down whether it’s run or pass. Rex Ryan’s defense ranks fourth
in the league in first down run defense allowing an average of 3.53
yards per carry. When it comes to defending the pass on first down the
Jets are tops in the league. They have allowed the lowest percentage of
pass plays of four yards or more on first down (42.6%).
That all
adds up to the league’s best first down defense rating. Only 40 percent
of the time do Jets opponents gain four yards or more on first down.
View Gallery | 20 Photos
Top 20 Photos: Jets at Bills
Struggling to put up stop sign
Last
year the Jets defense was pretty stingy in the red zone allowing
opponents to register a touchdown just 45 percent of the time to rank
fourth in the NFL. This year it’s been a reversal of fortune. New York
is ranked 28th in red zone defense. Opponents have scored touchdowns on
15 of their 22 red zone possessions (68.2%). Their numbers are even
worse in goal to go situations. In those instances the Jets defense
ranks 29th in the league allowing opponents to cross the goal line 91
percent of the time.
Pop gun plays
Big
plays have been hard to come by for the Jets offense. Through their
first seven games New York has managed just 18 plays of 20 yards or
more. That’s the second-lowest figure in the league. They’re also 31st
in yards per play at 4.81 yards. That combined with a quarterback passer
rating that also ranks 31st (70.3) and a red zone touchdown efficiency
rating that ranks 30th, and you begin to understand why scoring points
has proven difficult for the Jets this season.
Buffalo Chips
Stat of the Week
Last
week the Jets became the first team in NFL history to lose a game with
40 minutes time of possession (40:54), 200-plus rushing yards (218) and
no turnovers in their 27-25 loss to the Patriots.
Quote of the Week
“I
told them I’m going to go out there and I’m going to play for them. I’m
going to do my very best and I won’t let them down. This year is
important for both of them, so now it’s up on me and Boobie and I won’t
let those guys down.” -RB
Bryce Brown on what he said to
Fred Jackson and
C.J. Spiller after their injuries
Milestones in reach
-
Dan Carpenter needs one field goal for 175 in his career and three field goals for 50 as a Bills player.
-
Marcell Dareus needs one sack to set a single-season career high of 8 sacks in a season. His previous high of 7.5 sacks was set last year.
-Kyle Orton needs two touchdown passes for 90 in his career.
Final Note
-Kyle Orton has the fourth-highest fourth quarter passer rating in the NFL at 113.4.
