For Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brandon Marshall and the New York Jets, only Rex Ryan and his Buffalo Bills stand in their way of the NFL Playoffs.
By Paul Newbold
They’ll be on the road this week, traveling north to Orchard Park NY to play the Buffalo Bills. In the first meeting of these two teams back in November the Jets embarrassed themselves while losing 22-17 to the Bills.
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That game was played in front of the MetLife faithful and it was a turnover mess. Devin Smith and Chris Ivory both lost a fumble to the Bills. The two fumbles cost the Jets dearly as the Bills jumped on their opportunities and turned them into points.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had a poor game against the Bills as well. Fitzpatrick ended the ugly affair going 15-of-34 for 193 yards. He produced two touchdowns on the day, but also posted two interceptions. It was an ugly day for the home town crowd and the Jets heard more then a few boos from their fans.
That being said, these two teams are not the same football teams who met back in November.
Since the last meeting the Jets have posted a 5-1 record while the Bills haven’t fared so well, posting a 2-4 record. The Bills are a talented team, but have only managed to put two wins together once all year.
This a game of two teams heading in two different directions. Regardless of what the Bills do on Sunday against the Jets, their football team is headed home to watch the post season on television. While the Jets, with a win get to play further into January. The Bills ended a two game loosing streak with a win over Dallas last week, while the Jets are on a five game win streak.
Make no mistake, the Bills may have nothing to play for in this game, but Rex Ryan would love nothing more then to spoil the Jets playoff hopes. Ryan is under fire up in Buffalo and a win against the Jets might mean the difference between him returning next year to coach the Bills. Buffalo fans had high expectations for this season and they a pointing their fingers at Rex Ryan for the teams 7-8 season to this point. A .500 record looks a lot better then 7-9.
The Jets on the other hand have all the motivation in the world. If they can win against the Bills, they will be in the playoffs. Todd Bowles has his team firing on all cylinders and the Jets have grown into a playoff caliber team as the season has progressed.
This game is huge for the Jet team and their fan base. A win puts them in the playoffs, but there is more to this game. The Jets have an opportunity to not only even the score with Rex Ryan and the Bills, but to send a message to the rest of the AFC. With a big win over the Bills, the Jets will put everyone in the AFC playoffs on notice. The Jets will benefit hugely from a big win.
Here’s how they can get it:
Offense
The Jets offense needs a big game against the Bills on Sunday and it begins with their offensive line. As in every game, games are won and lost in the trenches. The Jet offensive line needs to come out on Sunday and establish themselves early. Chris Ivory ran for 99 yards behind this line in their first meeting, and a repeat of that performance will be needed on Sunday. The Jet offensive line will need to open lanes.
They will also need to keep Mario Williams and the Bills’ pass rushers away from Ryan Fitzpatrick. In their last meeting the Bills only sacked Fitzpatrick one time, but managed to apply pressure to disrupt the Jet offense far too often. The good news for the Jets is that this offensive line has improved since these two teams met last. They are playing at a high level of play and they’ll need to continue against the Bills. Rex Ryan loves to rush the passer, so they’ll need to be ready.
Eric Decker led the way for Jets receivers in the last meeting, posting 85 yards on six receptions. Yet the Jets only managed 193 yards through the air in that match up. Brandon Marshall had his worst game of the year, only posting twenty three yards on three catches. Needless to say, the Jets receivers will need a much better game to make it to the playoffs.
Ryan Fitzpatrick had a horrendous game against the Bills back on November 12th. Fitzpatrick faced pressure all day and as a result threw two costly interceptions, that likely cost the Jets the game. Fitzpatrick has played very well for the Jets during their five game winning streak, and he’ll need to continue that level of play on Sunday. Fitzpatrick needs have to have a big day against the Bills to accomplish the job the Jets want to get done.
Chan Gailey has proven over the course of this season that he is an excellent game planner. Expect Gailey to have his offense players ready to go, and expect him to have a game plan in place to win big.
Keys for this offense are simple; open up run lanes, protect Ryan Fitzpatrick, and keep the Bills defense on its heels.
Defense
Defensively, you’d be hard pressed to find a better run defense then the Jets in recent weeks. Muhammad Wilkerson and company will need to continue that type of play to keep the Bills running game in check. The last time these two teams met, LeSean McCoy was allowed to rumble for 112 yards against the Jets. Luckily for the Jets, it looks like McCoy will miss this game, but the Jets will still need to be prepared.
If the Jets take away Rex Ryan’s run game, the Bills are in trouble. This Jet defensive line can get after opposing quarterbacks, and without a run game, they’ll be pinning their ears back and coming after Tyrod Taylor. The Jets’ defensive line holds the advantage over the Bills offensive line and will need to assert that advantage.
The secondary is also playing at a higher level then they were back in the early stages of November.
In their last meeting Charles Clay led the way for the Bills with fifty two yards on five catches and Darrelle Revis held Sammy Watkins to just 14 yards. Tyrod Taylor had a poor showing only posting 158 yards in the air, but stayed clean. This time around the Jets secondary need to force turnovers and set their offense up to score. In the match up with the Bills receivers and the Jets secondary, the Jets hold the advantage and they’ll want to play aggressive football.
Todd Bowles has his defensive units playing the way he wants them to play. He has a creative defensive mind and will seek to confuse and pressure Tyrod Taylor. He has the better group when compared to the Bills offense, so expect him to press the issue and play aggressively. His game plan is simple, shut down the Bills run game, and come after Tyrod Taylor with his front seven. On the back end he’s likely to play a majority of man to man coverage while blitzing.
Jets fans can rest assured Todd Bowles will have a game plan in place to extract revenge on Rex Ryan and the Bills.
Storyline
The storyline for this game isn’t very complicated. The Bills have one last chance to get to .500 on the season, while the Jets need the win to make their playoffs hopes come true.
The Jets will need to come out and establish the run against the Bills. Their offensive line has to play physically and establish themselves as the dominant group on the field. Working off the run game, the Jets should have their way in the passing game.
For Ryan Fitzpatrick’s part, he has to play a clean game and avoid the turnovers that plagued him the last time around. He’s been doing a very good job limiting the turnovers lately, and if can keep it clean, the Jets have the talent to win this one in big fashion.
Defensively the Jets have the better group on the field and they need to play like it. They’ll need to assert themselves and spend their days in the Bills backfield. Stopping the run and bringing pressure to bare on Tyrod Taylor is the goal for the day. Creating turnovers and setting their offense up to score will come from playing aggressive football. The Jets defense needs to assert itself as a dominant force and take advantage of the Bills resulting errors.
In conclusion, the Jets are the better football team playing on Sunday. The Bills will be looking to play spoiler, and Rex Ryan will have his team ready to go, but that shouldn’t change the end result of this game. If the Jets want to get to the “promised land”, they’ll have to play like it on Sunday.
Once again it’s do or die for this football team. I think they get it done.