The Buffalo Bills are set to play their second divisional game of the season and are hoping to remain atop the AFC East with a win over the New York Jets. When looking at this matchup, these are four bold predictions based on how I see this game playing out.
4 bold predictions for the Buffalo Bills in Week 9 against the NY Jets
Buffalo Bills’ defense intercepts Zach Wilson three times
The Buffalo Bills could potentially be getting back their top cornerback this week as Tre’Davious White was activated on Tuesday but Sean McDermott hasn’t given an indication either way about his availability in this game.
One player that they know they won’t have though is safety Jordan Poyer as he has been ruled out with an elbow injury. Even if White doesn’t return, the Bills’ secondary should have some success against Zach Wilson.
The reason will be their excellent pass rush against a Jets’ offensive line that is missing key pieces. The Buffalo Bills defensive line led by Von Miller, Greg Rousseau, and Ed Oliver has been almost unblockable at times this year and consistently getting pressure on the quarterback.
If the Bills get pressure on Wilson, it should force the second-year quarterback into bad throws that the secondary should capitalize on with three interceptions.
Gabe Davis has more receiving yards than Stefon Diggs
One player who has been up and down most of the season is wide receiver Gabe Davis. The third-year wide receiver has had some great games, like against the Rams and Steelers but also some that were underwhelming like last week against the Packers.
The New York Jets do have a Top 10 pass defense but the Buffalo Bills have enough playmakers to spread the ball around and find success through the air against this defense. One of those players that the Bills should try to get going early is Gabe Davis.
The Jets are likely to put their top cornerback, Sauce Gardner, on Stefon Diggs and this makes it a more favorable matchup for Davis as he should probably draw D.J. Reed in coverage. While Reed has been very good this year, the Bills’ wide receiver owns a three-inch height advantage over the Jets’ cornerback and Josh Allen should be able to use that to his advantage on throws down the sideline and in the red zone.
The fact that the Buffalo Bills will likely spread the ball around plus the better matchup for Gabe Davis sets him up this week to lead the team in receiving yards.
Buffalo Bills have more rushing yards than the Jets
The Buffalo Bills offense has not been known for their ability to move the ball on the ground and their defense is coming off a game where they just gave up over 200 rushing yards to the Green Bay Packers. However, this is a game where I could see the Bills beating out the Jets in terms of rushing yards.
The first reason is that the coaching staff is going to make it a point to improve the run defense after their performance this past week. The Bills’ defense has shown they can shut down opposing run games this season with the addition of players like DaQuan Jones and Tim Settle in the middle.
The game against the Packers should be a one-time issue versus the start of a trend.
Secondly, I expect the Bills to get up early on the Jets and this is going to force New York to abandon the run and try to have Zach Wilson get them back in the game with the passing game. This also works in Buffalo’s favor as they will try to run the clock down and this will mean more work for Devin Singletary.
Finally, the Jets are going to be without their top running back Breece Hall after he suffered a knee injury against the Denver Broncos. In his final four games, he totaled 351 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
The Jets did trade for James Robinson, and while he has shown to be effective, he is not the same as Hall. It should be a tough week for the New York Jets run game and the Buffalo Bills should finish the game with more rushing yards.
New York Jets don’t score any touchdowns
The Buffalo Bills defense is allowing the fewest points per game in the league with an average of 14 per game. Through seven games they have given up only 11 total touchdowns (passing and rushing) but have had only one game where they kept the opposing offense out of the end zone.
That game was back in Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers but this week looks like another great opportunity for the defense to keep the opposition out of the end zone.
The key to success for the Buffalo Bills this week will be to build up an early lead and force the Jets to lean on Zach Wilson. The former second overall pick hasn’t made the improvements many had hoped.
If the Bills force Wilson to throw more this allows the defense to really do what they do best and that is pressure the quarterback and force turnovers. While the New York Jets are unlikely to be shutout this week, this is not a week they add to their touchdown total.
6 Buffalo Bills to watch in Week 9 against the New York Jets
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