The New York Jets take on the Buffalo Bills in Ralph Wilson Stadium at Orchard Park, New York. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 1:00 PM. ET.
The Steelers loss in week 16 to the Ravens has them on the outside looking in. The Jets with a 10-5 record are now in the playoff picture. The Jets control their own destiny. A win on Sunday would lock up at least the sixth seed for the Jets and a road playoff game. The Jets look like a team surging at the right time of the season. Prior to week 17, the Steelers were the team nobody wanted to face in the AFC playoffs. After upsetting the Patriots, the Jets look like a dark horse Super Bowl contender.
Buffalo fell out of playoff contention in week 15 after a loss to the Redskins. They bounced back in week 16 beating the Cowboys 16-6. Before the season, Rex Ryan guaranteed a playoff appearance for the Bills in 2015. The Bills have not made a playoffs appearance since the 1999 AFC Wild Card round. It’s been 16 seasons, the longest such streak in the NFL. Regardless, the Bills still have a lot to play for. A win in week 17 would do serious damage to the Jets playoff hopes, potentially knocking the Jets from the playoffs.
Last week, the Jets played the Patriots well. They overcame a late Patriots surge and forced overtime. The Jets led for most of the game. Tom Brady was kept in check most of the afternoon. The Patriots were 1-10 on third down conversions. The Jets limited the Patriots offense to 63 yards rushing and 231 yards passing.
The Jets running attack fuels their offense. Last Sunday, the Jets split carries between Ivory, Powell and Ridley. The Jets as a team rushed for 143 yards on 27 carries. The entire offense was clicking on all cylinders. Ryan Fitzpatrick played like an all-pro, throwing for 296 yards and three touchdowns on the afternoon. He also chipped in two rushes for 13 yards.
The Bills will not have LeSean McCoy this week. His first season with the Bills ends with less than a thousand yards through twelve games. The Bills will go with a committee of running backs. Last week, the Bills rushed for 236 yards on 40 carries. If the Bills are going to beat the Jets, they’ll need a repeat performance on the ground. Mike Gillislee started in place of McCoy against the Cowboys and rushed for 93 yards on nine carries. Despite not getting the start, Karlos Williams received nearly twice as many carries as the starter. Williams rushed for 76 yards on 17 carries. Both backs recorded a touchdown in the game.
The Bills’ passing game was mediocre again this week. However, Tyrod Taylor did manage to chip 67 yards rushing on 14 attempts. Through the air, Taylor had 179 yards and one interception. In wins this year, Taylor has managed the game effectively from the pocket and made substantial plays with his feet.
A player to watch this week on the Jets is Brandon Marshall. Against the Patriots, Marshall consistently got open for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Fitzpatrick targeted Marshall ten times completing eight passes. Marshall has 101 receptions on the year, over 1,300 yards, and 10 touchdowns. He’s the go to receiver for this Jets offense and is consistently beating one-on-one coverage.
A player to watch this week on the Bills is Sammy Watkins. The Bills rely heavily on the ground game, but they’ll need to take a few shots and connect if they’ve got any chance of spoiling the Jet’s playoff aspirations. Watkins will likely line up across from Revis on the outside and face a one-on-one situation. Revis is one of the best corners in the league. Watkins is the best down field threat that the Bills have to offer. If Watkins can get a step on Revis, which is entirely possible, and the Bills convert a long touchdown pass, it will open running lanes in the trenches.
Bills Vs Jets Betting Lines
BetOnline.ag has the Jets favored to win this game by 2.5 points. The over/under on total points scored is 42 points. You can read our full BetOnline review here.
My Pick
Rex Ryan wants this one bad .He will want nothing more than to beat his former team and spoil their playoff chances. But, Rex already got his revenge. Now it’s New York’s turn to show why they moved on from Rex by locking up a playoff spot.
Play: Jets -2
AFC • Buffalo Bills • New York Jets • NFL Week 17 Betting