The Buffalo Bills don’t have to face the New York Jets for another three weeks in the regular season finale, but that game is already shaping up to be much different than expected.
On Monday morning, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced that the Jets are moving on from defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
"I thought it was time to make a change,” Glenn said on Monday. “I'm going to make the decision that's best for this organization at all times."
Less than a week ago, Glenn defended Wilks’ position on his coaching staff, harkening back to Glenn’s earlier struggle-filled years in Detroit as the Lions' defensive coordinator under Dan Campbell.
“You know what? I’ve been in that position before, and to me, I was fortunate enough to have a coach [Dan Campbell] who believed in me the same way I believe in Wilks,” Glenn said last Tuesday.
AFC East finale shapes up with Bills primed against porous Jets unit
The Jets’ defense has regressed this season, falling from 20th-ranked scoring defense to 30th and from 3rd-ranked in yards allowed to 20th. The Jets also rank last in takeaways defensively, having failed to record even one interception in 14 games this season. New York’s defense also has just 22 sacks, the second-lowest total in the NFL so far this season.
Glenn is a defensive mind himself, having played 15 years as an NFL cornerback. With Wilks out of the picture, the Jets’ defense the rest of the way will be a reflection on him, even with Chris Harris stepping in as the interim coordinator.
Of course, when it comes to the Week 18 meeting between the Jets and Bills, there won’t be much on the line. The Jets are facing the reality of finishing with one of the worst records in the NFL this season, positioning them for a likely top-5 pick in next year’s NFL Draft. The Bills will likely already have their postseason position solidified by then as well.
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Still, whether the Bills are set up to rest starters or not, it’s always best to make sure a division rival can’t brew confidence from one game, regardless of the circumstances. When these two AFC East teams step on the field the first weekend of January, the Bills will still look to protect the football and push the Jets deeper into the NFL’s proverbial basement.