After dropping two games in a row, the Buffalo Bills have a tall task ahead of them with a divisional foe in prime time for Week 6. It's going to be a road tilt against the New York Jets.
Some fans might have seen this matchup as one between two AFC heavyweights a few weeks ago, but that's not quite how things are shaping up. Both teams enter this game with a less-than-ideal record; Buffalo being 3-2 and New York sitting at 2-3.
While New York has endured some dysfunction as of late, that would typically be a positive sign for the Bills who are looking to get back on track. However, the tables just turned in drastic fashion.
Tuesday morning, the Jets announced they had fired head coach Robert Saleh.
And, while it would usually be a fun time to laugh at such a move, this decision by the Jets actually comes at what might be a horrible time for the Bills.
The Bills' Week 6 matchup with the Jets just got a whole lot tougher
Real quickly, let's look at what recent history tells us.
Five of the last six teams to fire their head coach have gone on to either win their next game or lose by a very close margin. These teams include: The 2023 Panthers, 2023 Chargers, 2023 Raiders, 2022 Broncos, 2022 Colts and 2022 Panthers. The 2022 Panthers squad was the only team to lose by a wider margin, but they went on to get a huge win the following week over a divisional opponent.
The fact of the matter is, these Jets are a more talented team than any of those six rosters, above. One man makes the biggest of differences; a man by the name of Aaron Rodgers.
The Bills now enter into a Week 6 Monday Night Football matchup with the Jets having lost two in a row after starting the season looking like they were one of the best teams in the league. Not only have they lost two in a row, but they are going to be playing a highly-motivated team led by a future Hall of Fame quarterback.
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At this point, it's fair to say there is still no reason to doubt Rodgers. He might be near the end of his career, but underestimating him at this point would be a mistake. He's clearly been upset over some of the calls over the first five weeks. He'd like to see things going differently.
Now, by most assumptions, Rodgers will have a definitive role in decision-making going forward. The Jets have no choice but to allow that to happen. They've officially hit the panic button by firing Saleh. What other option do they have?
Buffalo is going to be in for an absolute dog fight in this one. There are things that need to be explained, fixed and fine-tuned.
The Bills have to come prepared to play the best football they've played all season long, against a fiery team on a mission and in a hostile environment on the road.
If the Bills drop three games in a row, you can bet the sky will be ready to fall in Buffalo.