Christmas Day did not result in any major gifts for the Bills, as the Kansas City Chiefs took down the Pittsburgh Steelers to secure the top seed in the AFC. However, the Week 17 home game against the New York Jets is still paramount for playoff seeding. A win on Sunday would lock up the two-seed for Buffalo and leave Sean McDermott with a decision to make in Week 18 as they prepare for the postseason.
In order to make that scenario a reality, the Bills need to avoid a slip up against another lowly divisional opponent. With the Bills injury report still featuring some defensive starters, avoiding mistakes and winning the key matchups will help the Bills remain undefeated at Highmark Stadium this season.
One main area of concern for the Bills over the last three games has been their pass defense. During that span, they are giving up an average of 349 passing yards per contest. As we look at this showdown with Aaron Rodgers and the Jets, the spotlight shines directly on the Bills’ secondary.
Matchup to Watch: Bills’ Secondary vs Jets Wide Receivers
Over the last four weeks, Rodgers and the Jets’ passing offense has found a little bit of a rhythm. Despite only putting up nine points in their last game, the Jets had put up 20 plus points in the four games prior.
Over the last three games, the Rodgers and Davante Adams connection has been a blast from the past. Adams has 25 catches for 375 yards and four touchdowns. But he isn’t the only receiver that the Bills need to worry about. Garrett Wilson has 16 catches for 224 yards in that same span. Let’s also not forget that in their first meeting, Allen Lazard went for 114 yards and a touchdown on 6 catches. That means Christian Benford, Taron Johnson and Rasual Douglas will be busy on Sunday keeping these receivers in check.
As of Friday morning, Coach McDermott has not ruled anyone out for Sunday. He added that Taylor Rapp, Cam Lewis and Damar Hamlin would all be limited in Friday's practice. If the Bills are able to get a couple of these guys back, it'll provide their pass defense with a massive boost.
This Bills offense is a much different unit than what we saw against the Jets back in Week 6. Rodgers and the Jets offense will need everything they have to keep pace with the high powered Bills offense, which likely means we will see 35-40 passes from the 41 year old quarterback. If the Bills are able to contain this Jets’ passing attack, fans can enjoy the two seed and expect to see some starters resting in week 18.