Previewing the Buffalo Bills 2022 Opponents: AFC East

New York Jets

2021 Finish: 4-13 (0-6 in AFC East)

2021 Games vs. Buffalo Bills:

Week 10: 45-17 Buffalo Bills

Week 18: 27-10 Buffalo Bills

Key Additions: (S) D.J Reed, (TE) C.J Uzomah, (TE) Tyler Conklin, (LB) Jake Martin, (DE) Solomon Thomas

Key Losses: (WR) Jamison Crowder, (OT) Morgan Moses, (DE) Shaq Lawson, (LB) Jarrad Davis, (LB) Blake Cashman, (S) Marcus Maye

The 2021 New York Jets doubled their win total from 2020. However, that means they won just four of their 17 contests this past season.

The Jets began yet another attempted rebuild in 2021, beginning a new era under a new Head Coach in Robert Saleh, and rookie quarterback in Zach Wilson. In the wake of the disastrous Adam Gase era in East Rutherford, Saleh took some steps in the right direction for the franchise, but several questions still remain.

The defense did not have the immediate turnaround that the defensive minded Saleh had been hoping for. The Jets were dead last in both defensive scoring and yards allowed in 2021.

They were without star safety Marcus Maye and lost marquee free agent signing defensive end Carl Lawson to an achilles injury.

While the unit did have some bright spots in defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Bryce Hall, it was not enough to prevent them from being the league’s worst in 2021.

Wilson was not good in 2021, but showed flashes of his potential throughout his rookie campaign. He completed just 55.6 percent of his passes, threw for 2,334 yards, just nine touchdowns compared to 11 interceptions, and finished with a passer rating of 69.7.

For the rest of the Jets offense, they got some promising rookie seasons from running back Michael Carter II and wide receiver Elijah Moore. Carter totalled 964 scrimmage yards, and Moore averaged 12.5 yards per catch (43 catches for 538 yards).

On the offensive line, fellow rookie Alijah Vera-Tucker had a solid rookie season, finishing with a Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade of 66.8. While the numbers from these rookies will not jump off the screen at you, they certainly signal some semblance of success for the rookie class.

The Jets had what could potentially be an even better draft in 2022. General Manager Joe Douglas seems to have absolutely nailed his selections this year, landing cornerback Ahmed “Sauce” Gardner (4th overall), wide receiver Garrett Wilson (10th overall), Jermaine Johnson II (26th overall), and Breece Hall (36th overall).

New York now has four of the brightest prospects in the 2022 draft class, and if even three of their first four picks hit, they are in good hands in a few years.

With that being said, the Jets are still two or three years away from being able to compete in the AFC East. They are a young team that still has a long way to go. The Buffalo Bills should sweep them for the third consecutive year.