Thursday Night Football features the Bills vs. Jets. This is a must win game for both teams. Here’s why.
First off, the very thought of writing a piece about a “must win” game in Week 2 has me cringing. I am sick of all the superlatives that get thrown around nowadays. Every catch is the best ever, every close Super Bowl is called the greatest of all time, and every meltdown is considered the worst in NFL history.
As fans, we have gotten used to sensationalized pieces about our teams from writers who are capitalizing on recent events and emotions running high. This is why with great reluctance I am writing this piece.
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While I think calling a game a “must win” in Week 2 just sounds ridiculous, the more I look at the Thursday Night Football game between the Bills and the Jets, the more I am realizing this is as close as you can have to a “must win” game in Week 2 for two teams.
Let me explain.
Since 2007, 75 teams have started off 0-2. Only seven of them have made the playoffs. Meaning less than 10 percent of teams that start off 0-2 make the playoffs in that time period. While not a high percentage, just like the quote from the movie Dumb and Dumber “So you’re telling me there’s a chance!” Those odds don’t eliminate the Bills or the Jets yet.
So why then is this a must win for both teams? Let’s start with the Jets.
If the Jet’s lose to the Bills and start off 0-2, they are essentially out of the playoffs. With a murderers row of games at Kansas City, Seattle at home, at Pittsburgh, and at Arizona they could easily be 0-6 after that stretch if they fall to the Bills Week 2. Their tough schedule is the main reason why they must win this game.
The Bills schedule is a little easier but it’s still pretty tough. Losing to the Jets in Week 2 would make the Bills 0-2 in the conference and 0-1 in their division. The conference and divisional games are important tiebreakers for the playoffs.
On top of that, the media is already chomping at the bit to crucify Rex Ryan. Losing the first two weeks of the season, including a home game against his former team, is only going to start the witch hunt for his job. The distractions for the players and the team will become endless and the whole season could spiral out of control.
If they start off 0-2, they are going to need a huge win against one of the best team’s in the NFL ,the Arizona Cardinals, Week 3. At least the game will be in Buffalo, but the Cardinals will be favored for sure.
Then Buffalo heads to their dreaded rivals in Foxboro, the New England Patriots. The Bills will catch a break since it will be the last week of Tom Brady’s suspension but the Patriots just beat the Arizona Cardinals where Jimmy Garopollo looked good going 24/33 with 264 yards a touchdown and no interceptions.
Now’s also a good time to point out that Belichick was able to coach up Matt Cassel and turn in an 11-5 record with him last time Brady missed significant time. It’s practically a miracle as Bills fans can attest to after seeing Cassel’s terrible play in Buffalo up front and close. So playing the Patriots without Brady won’t be a cupcake game.
The Bills also have a tough stretch late in the season starting Week 8 when they get the Tom Brady led Patriots at home, followed by at Seattle, at Cincinnati, home against the Jaguars and at the Raiders. The Bills might be the underdog in every single one of those games except maybe Jacksonville at home.
If Buffalo lost all five of these games after going 0-2 they would already have 7 losses and that’s probably one loss too many if they want to go to the playoffs and break 16 years of futility.
Next: Three Keys to Bills vs. Jets
Calling a game in Week 2 a “must win” feels a bit over the top. But considering the circumstances of these teams schedules and history of shooting themselves in the foot, this game is as close to a “must win” as you ever might see in Week 2 of the season.