Are Zach Wilson, Jets up to task against powerhouse Buffalo?
Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets throws a pass in the first half against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Jets have begun closing the gap between themselves and the rest of the AFC East, and a good indicator of where they stand will come Sunday against the Bills at MetLife Stadium.
Buffalo (6-1) is a Super Bowl contender, boasting the NFL’s No. 1 offense and No. 3 defense. The Jets’ last game before their bye week should paint a clearer picture about them in Year 2 of coach Robert Saleh’s regime.
“Probably the most complete football team we’ll see all season,” Saleh said. “They’re deep, they’re littered with Pro Bowlers in all three phases, very well- coached, they play hard, and quarterback’s outstanding. Their defensive front is very deep, disruptive. It’s a damn good football team.”
The Jets have exceeded external expectations, but inside their building, they believe they’re good enough to beat Buffalo. Some of the what the Jets are doing is sustainable. They do need second-year quarterback Zach Wilson to play better and limit his mistakes.
They are 5-3 and are tied for second with the Dolphins in the division. They beat Miami for their first division win in three years and could have beaten the Patriots last week if not for Wilson’s three interceptions.
The Jets have a sound, solid defense. Unquestionably, the biggest upgrades have come at cornerback with the additions of D.J. Reed and Sauce Gardner. Those two and the rest of the defense could be under attack against Josh Allen and his cast of playmakers: receivers Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis and Isaiah McKenzie, tight end Dawson Knox and running backs Devin Singletary and newly acquired Nyheim Hines.
The Bills are the No. 1 passing offense (307.7 yards per game) and No. 2 in points scored (29.0). Their 15.0-point margin of victory leads the NFL.
The Jets lost by 45 points combined in their two games against Buffalo last year, but Saleh believes his team is better equipped to play with teams like the Bills now. The Jets are ranked sixth in total defense and 10th in passing defense
“We feel good about our defense,” Saleh said. “We feel like we’ve added speed, there’s a lot more experience, it’s Year 2, so we’re a lot more precise in how we do things. It’s still going to be a great challenge . . . It’s going to be our biggest challenge to date, but I do think it’s a challenge that our guys are ready for.”
Allen presents a different challenge. He’s likely the best quarterback the Jets will face this season. He is second to Patrick Mahomes with 19 touchdown passes, he’s third in passing yards (2,198) and he’s run for 306 yards and three touchdowns.
The 6-5, 237-pound Allen is hard to bring down, too. He’s been sacked only 11 times on 291 drop-backs, according to Pro Football Reference.
Edge rusher Carl Lawson said containing Allen and not letting him get out and run is always an emphasis, but he thinks the front four needs to remain aggressive.
“You don’t want to go too far and play scared,” Lawson said. “I’ve seen that happen. When I was in Cincy, I seen people play Lamar Jackson scared and [he] ends up dicing you up for 500 yards.
“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. You have to be conscious of it. You have to be careful. But you don’t want to rush too scared.”
Wilson needs to bounce back from one of the worst games of his career against, perhaps, the best defense the Jets will face this season. The emphasis this week was making sure he is fine mentally — the Jets swear he is — and reminding him to play smart.
“You got to have short-term memory,” Wilson said. “You got to be able to move on. You got to be able to make plays when the play before didn’t go well.”
The Bills have given up an NFL-low 98 points. Edge rusher Von Miller leads the Bills with six sacks and eight tackles for loss in his first year with the team.
The Jets need to run the ball Sunday and possibly help Wilson by having him throw short, quick passes or having him roll out and drop it off to a back or tight end. Wilson said he thinks the Jets “can do some good things” against Buffalo.
“He’ll get in a rhythm because he did a lot of good things against New England,” Saleh said. “It’s about four or five plays that just derailed the entire game, but at the same time, I think he recognizes that, which is good, he’s owning it, which is good, and he’s attacking practice and preparation to find ways to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
