Week 9 begins with the duel of the two AFC East surprise teams. The Buffalo Bills (5-2) travel to the New York Jets (3-5) and can take another step towards playoffs. However, the jets are far from the debacle feared in the run-up to the season and are causing problems for teams week after week. Is there a surprise at the start of the ninth matchday? The game will be played live on DAZN during the night from 1.25 a. m. on Friday night!
Every football fan in Buffalo knows the number: for 17 years now, Bills fans have been waiting for their own team to return to the playoffs. The chance to end the NFL’s longest post-season dry spell this year seemed to be over after several prominent exits before the season had even begun.
With five wins from the first seven games, the Bills are a very hot candidate at least for an AFC Wildcard ticket and can justifiably be regarded as the biggest positive surprise of the current season.
This is mainly due to the Defense. After the Bills under Rex Ryan had to contend with the complexity of the scheme for years, the new head coach Sean McDermott installed his scheme in a flash. The front can also produce without Blitzing pressure, the Secondary pleases with great individual quality on multiple positions, including rookie-cornerback Tre’ Davious White.
On the other hand, the offense was still a problem child and lived heavily from individual big plays by LeSean McCoy and Tyrod Taylor. The right rhythm was often missing here and so the questions became louder: How long would Buffalo still be able to win with this offense? The Bills gave the answer a few minutes before the trade deadline on Tuesday.
Buffalo has once again upgraded Buffalo with the last-minute commitment of Receiver Kelvin Benjamin in the fight for the playoffs. Benjamin will be the most physical, largest receiver in the team and should Tyrod Taylor also open up downfield possibilities. Assuming that Taylor, who was so keen on low-risk passports and few turnovers, is prepared to operate Benjamin in narrow windows as well. Because Benjamin’s quality does not lie in creating space between himself and his opponent.
Bills fans can probably get a picture of this already on Thursday. Managing Director Brandon Beane announced that the coaches are responsible for this decision. At least a small role – even if it’s only in Red Zone packages – is to be trusted by Benjamin.
The jets, in which Mo Claiborne (foot) and Buster Skrine (brain shake) were struck, have signed up shortly before the trade deadline Rashard Robinson from San Francisco. Given the cornerback injuries, he could see snaps directly.
But much will depend on the front. Against Atlanta the jets finally managed the first D-Line bag, Buffalo’s offensive line is anything but saddle-tight. If the jets control the game here, they have a chance – otherwise there is a similar fate to the first duel of this season when McCoy cut them up with 110 rushing yards and 49 receiving yards.
The good news for Gang Green: the own offense continues to show very good signs. In the past few weeks, the jets have managed several times in the meantime not to defend their own leadership, which even caused public criticism from Running Back Matt Forte after the defeat against Atlanta. But McCown is and remains an absolutely solid interim solution, while Robby Anderson has become a real downfield weapon.
Against the disciplined Bills-Defense, however, the rooms for Anderson and the windows for McCown will become narrow, which may focus on Forte and Bilal Powell. The jets, which integrate a lot of air raid elements into their open jets and thus open up pass paths, have had several successes with screens and other short passes to the running backs in recent weeks. Here a potentially interesting duel against Buffalo’s strong safety duo awaits.
New York Jets (3-5) – Buffalo Bills (5-2) (Fri, 1.25 a. m. live on DAZN)
The SPOX NFL Predictor, Week 9:
Pascal
De Marco
71-48