The Buffalo Bills ended last season with a victory against the New York Jets, a team they went 2-0 against last year. They meet again in their Week 2 home opener, as well as their regular season finale in Week 17.
A lot has changed for both the Buffalo Bills‘ squad and the New York Jets’ crew since last season. However, Bills’ fans are hoping that they can keep the same outcome they had against the Jets last season. With a lot of hype surrounding both teams, as well as a lot of uncertainty in specific areas, we are sure to get a pretty wild two games between these two AFC East Divisional rivals.
Before we get started with all the good stuff, let’s first take a quick look at how the Bills’ schedule is set up this season:
2016 Matchups:
Thursday, September 15th at 8:25 PM ET
Sunday, January 1st at 1:00 PM ET
2015 Matchups:
Week 17 on Sunday, January 3rd, 2016 (W 22-17)
Week 10 on Thursday, November 10th, 2015 (W 22-17)
Let’s take a look at how the Buffalo Bills’ and New York Jets’ free agency went this year and what differences we can see on the field compared to last season.
Next: 2016 Free Agency
The Buffalo Bills and New York Jets both had significant losses in this year’s free agency period. However, they both also had some major additions to their teams. What’s going to be different when they face off in Week 2 and Week 17?
Buffalo Bills
Notable Departures: DL Alex Carrington, LB Nigel Bradham, CB Leodis McKelvin, CB Ron Brooks, RB Anthony Dixon, WR Chris Hogan, OG Kraig Urbik, DE Mario Williams and S Bacarri Rambo
Notable Additions: LB Zach Brown, CB Sterling Moore, CB Corey White, S Colt Anderson
Re-Signed Players: WR Greg Salas, OT Cordy Glenn, OT Jordan Mills, OG Richie Incognito, DL Corbin Bryant, CB Mario Butler and P Colton Schmidt
Rookies Added in Draft: DE Shaq Lawson (19th pick), LB Reggie Ragland (41st pick), DT Adolphus Washington (80th pick), QB Cardale Jones (139th pick), RB Jonathan Williams (156th pick), WR Kolby Listenbee (192nd pick) and Kevon Seymour (218th pick)
Notable Returnees: QB Tyrod Taylor, RB LeSean McCoy, WR Sammy Watkins, CB Stephon Gilmore, DE Kyle Williams, DE Marcell Dareus
New York Jets
Notable Departures: DT Damon Harrison, RB Chris Ivory, LB DeMario Davis
Notable Additions: DT Steve McLendon, RB Khiry Robinson, RB Matt Forte, OT Ryan Clady
Re-Signed Players: LB Erin Henderson
Rookies Added in Draft: OLB Darron Lee (20th pick), QB Christian Hackenberg (51st pick), OLB Jordan Jenkins (83rd pick), CB Justin Burris (118th pick), OT Brandon Shell (158th pick), P Loc Edwards (235th pick), WR Charone Peake (241st pick)
Notable Returnees: RB Bilal Powell, QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (still working on contract extension), WR Eric Decker, WR Brandon Marshall, CB Darrelle Revis
Next, let’s take a look at the first matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets last season.
Next: 2015 Week 10 vs. New York Jets
The Buffalo Bills and New York Jets first met in Week 10 last season, where the two battled a hard-fought game that ended with a Bills’ 22-17 victory.
In his first season as the Bills’ head coach, as well as his first season after being fired by the Jets, Rex Ryan was looking to get a little revenge on his former team. He took advantage of his first game back in MetLife Stadium as the Bills defeated the Jets 22-17 in a game that almost went the other way.
Scoring
The New York Jets started the scoring off with a 29-yard field goal by Randy Bullock with roughly 4 minutes left in the first quarter. It would remain quiet until 6 minutes remained in the first half, which is when the Bills completely took this game over.
It seemed that the Bills just needed to put some points on the board before they really started to click, offensively and defensively. After a 47-yard field goal by Dan Carpenter to tie the game up at 3 points-a-piece, the Jets would have a hard time answering. In fact, just nine seconds after that play, the Bills would force a fumble that got returned by Duke Williams 19 yards for a touchdown. The Bills were now up 9-3, having missed the extra point. The Bills would end the first half scoring 12 unanswered points and with a fairly comfortable 12-3 lead after Carpenter converted a 41-yard field goal with just 3 seconds remaining.
The second half would begin much the same as the first half ended, with the Bills finding some room for comfort. They continued their unanswered run a little under 4 minutes into the second half, when Karlos Williams received a 26-yard touchdown pass from Tyrod Taylor. It was the Bills’ first — and only — offensive touchdown on the day. That touchdown would be followed by another field goal by Carpenter, this time a 29-yarder. The Bills’ would cap their dominant run at 22 unanswered points and with a 22-3 lead with 8 minutes left in the third quarter.
That last field goal would mark the final points scored by the Bills, with the final 20 minutes of play being spent allowing the Jets to make a little comeback. With 4:40 left in the third quarter, Ryan Fitzpatrick would finally connect with Brandon Marshall for a 14-yard touchdown. The score would sit at 22-10 as the two teams prepared for the final quarter.
The final quarter was rather quite, much like the first quarter was, which is ironic that they were the only two quarters that the Bills didn’t score in.
Down by 12, the Jets knew they would need to score a touchdown to get themselves back in this game. That touchdown would come with a little over 7 minutes remaining in the game. It was another touchdown pass for Ryan Fitzpatrick, marking his second of the second half. It was a 31-yard shot to Eric Decker, making the score much more livable for the Jets at 22-17. Knowing they were only two field goals away — or one touchdown — from allowing a comeback, it was time for the Bills to play some key defense late in the game.
All in all, Eric Decker’s touchdown would be the last scoring we saw in this game. The Bills brought enough at the end to hold off the Jets’ quiet comeback. The game ended 22-17 in the Bills’ favor, bringing their record to 5-4 and riding a two-game winning streak into Week 11. The Jets’ record fell to 5-4 with the loss.
Key Statistics
Buffalo
Tyrod Taylor (BUF) – 17/27, 158 yards, 1 TD, 12 Rushing Yards
LeSean McCoy (BUF) – 19 carries, 5 receptions, 159 total yards
Karlos Williams (BUF) – 7 carries, 1 reception, 50 total yards, 1 TD
Interceptions: Corey Graham (1), Bacarri Rambo (1)
Sacks: Marcell Dareus (1)
New York
Ryan Fitzpatrick (NYJ) – 15/34, 193 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 3 rushes, 30 yards rushing
Chris Ivory (NYJ) – 18 carries, 99 rushing yards, 2 receptions, 36 receiving yards
Eric Decker (NYJ) – 6 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD
Brandon Marshall (NYJ) – 3 receptions, 23 yards, 1 TD
Sacks: Muhammad Wilkerson (2), Demario Davis (1), Sheldon Richardson (0.5) and David Harris (0.5)
Now, let’s take a look at the Bills’ second meeting with the Jets’ last season.
Next: 2015 Week 17 vs. New York Jets
For their season finale in Orchard Park, the Buffalo Bills won their second meeting against the New York Jets 22-17. Ironically, the same score as their Week 10 meeting.
The Buffalo Bills ended their season on a good note, which included ending one of their rivals’ seasons as well. At 10-5, the New York Jets needed to win their final game in order to clinch a playoff berth. However, the Bills had other plans for the Jets, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2010.
If the Bills’ victory in Week 10 wasn’t enough revenge for Rex Ryan over his former team, then this should most definitely seal the deal. Especially since the Jets were riding a five-game winning streak before the loss.
Although the Bills failed to make the playoffs, they won their last two games and will enter the 2016 season on a 2-game winning streak — which doesn’t seem like it would make any difference, but hey.. It’s more momentum than the Carolina Panthers have headed into next season.
Let’s take a look at how this game played out.
Scoring
Unlike their first 2015 matchup, the Bills got the game started on the scoring end — although it was more than halfway through the first quarter. It was an 18-yard run by Tyrod Taylor that gave the Bills an early 7-0 lead. However, that would be the only first-quarter points put up on the board for either team.
Headed into the second quarter, the Bills looked to keep their momentum alive. After a nice drive down the field, Bills’ running back Karlos Williams finished it off with another rushing touchdown for Buffalo, this one a 2-yard TD. After a missed extra point, the score stood at 13-nil.
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A little over three minutes after Williams’ ran it in, Ryan Fitzpatrick connected for his first touchdown pass of the game. With 9:39 left in the first half, the FitzMagic came alive on a 17-yard pass to Brandon Marshall. With the extra point, the Jets were now only down one possession with nearly two-thirds of the first half still remaining. As the half wore down, the Bills took advantage of a late drive that ended in a 20-yard field goal by Dan Carpenter.
Most of the third quarter was quiet for both teams. In the first 14 minutes of the quarter, the only action that went down was a 39-yard field goal by Randy Bullock (NYJ) two minutes in, followed by a 37-yard field goal from Dan Carpenter with 5 minutes remaining in the quarter. With less than two minutes until the fourth, the Bills were up 19-10. However, Fitzpatrick wanted the game a little closer before the Jets put their entire season on the line for one quarter. With 1:10 left in the third, Eric Decker received a 21-yard pass for a touchdown from Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Now only up 19-17, the Bills had to largely rely on their defense to knock the Jets out of the playoffs. They found themselves in the same position as Week 10, hanging by a thread with little time remaining. With no pressure of missing the playoffs, since they already did, the Bills finished strong and didn’t allow New York to score at all in the final 15 minutes of play. With a 42-yard field goal from Carpenter with 3:50 remaining, the Bills secured the win 22-17.
Key Statistics
Buffalo
Tyrod Taylor (BUF) – 18/28, 182 yards, 10 carries, 51 yards, 1 TD
Karlos Williams (BUF) – 6 carries, 24 yards, 1 TD
Sammy Watkins (BUF) – 11 receptions, 136 yards
Sacks: Mario Williams (1)
Interceptions: AJ Tarpley (1), Manny Lawson (1) and Leodis McKelvin (1).
*The Bills’ three interceptions came in the Jets’ final three possessions of the game.*
New York
Ryan Fitzpatrick (NYJ) – 16/37, 181 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT, 2 rushes, 12 yards
Chris Ivory (NYJ) – 6 carries, 81 yards
Brandon Marshall (NYJ) – 8 receptions, 126 yards, 1 TD
Eric Decker (NYJ) – 5 receptions, 50 yards, 1 TD
Sacks: David Harris (2)
*Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker both scored in each meeting between the Bills and Jets last season.*
Lastly, let’s take a look at what to expect when these two teams meet again in 2016… And again.
Next: 2016 Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets
The Buffalo Bills will play the New York Jets for their home opener in Week 2 this year, as well as their season finale. Will we extend our winning streak against them to 3? What about 4?
As we get ready for the regular season, the Bills need to start thinking of their gameplan for each team. With a lot of players finding new homes this offseason, as well as seeing a lot of new faces that will make an impact, the NFL is going to be a lot different than it was last year. Safe to say, the Jets team we will see this season — although similar — is not the same as last year.
GMEN HQ
First off, let’s start with our run-defense. Against the Jets last season, it was spectacular. We made it very difficult for the Jets to gain anything on the ground. In both games last season, the Jets’ running back Chris Ivory combined for a little over 160 yards. Although that’s not terrible, the key thing is that we didn’t allow him to score at all. In fact, we didn’t allow any Jets’ running backs to score last season.
With the Bills’ — what’s supposed to be — improved defensive roster and scheme, we shouldn’t have a problem doing the same thing this year. However, it is going to be a little more difficult. Chris Ivory is a good running back that can explode whenever, showing us signs of one of the best running backs at times last season. However, he is now gone and the man to take his place is Matt Forte, who made a household name for himself with the Chicago Bears.
Forte is going to be a lot more difficult to slow down and will not think twice before running through our defense. We need to stay tough, smart and alert when Forte gets the ball at the line of scrimmage.
Another important factor will be who their starting quarterback will be. As of right now, Ryan Fitzpatrick is still in a very long negotiation for a contract extension. The Jets have said that they need a deal done by the start of training camp. Although a deal is sure to be reached by then, there’s still the possibility that it’s not.
In the event that the Jets are without FitzMagic next season, who will start under quarterback? Will it be Geno Smith, the man who hasn’t shown the Jets much since drafting him? Will it be the new guy, Christian Hackenberg? Either way, I think the Bills are better off if FitzMagic doesn’t show up next season — even though we’ve done well against him since he left Buffalo.
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Lastly, I want to touch base on our offense. It’s very important to note that the Bills are seeing their entire offensive line return this season, as well as our top wide receiver, running back, tight end and quarterback. With that being said, expect to see a much more crisp and efficient offense out there for 2016. Especially against a Jets’ team that has had a difficult time forcing turnovers on the Bills.
Although our offense was mediocre against the Jets last season, expect it to be much better this season. Combine that with a better defense and a questionable Jets’ lineup, I think we will be ready for Week 2 against New York.
What are your predictions for Week 2 and Week 17 vs. the New York Jets?