Six Points: Jets vs. Bills
Rex Ryan took full advantage of his first shot at revenge against his former team, the New York Jets, earlier in the season, upsetting them at MetLife Stadium. However, this rematch comes with playoff implications for the Jets. The Buffalo Bills have nothing to play for as their season was ended early, but there's no doubt Ryan would love to spoil the Jets' plans of making the postseason.
Boobie Dixon called this the Bills' "Super Bowl," and they'll likely treat it as though it is. With nothing to lose, Buffalo will certainly come out firing.
Here are three keys to the game for both the Jets and the Bills.
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1. Focus attention on Sammy Watkins
The Bills don't have many players left at wide receiver with Robert Woods and Marcus Easley going down with injuries recently. That leaves Sammy Watkins as the only real threat on the outside, which makes it easier for the Jets to cover him. New York can send extra coverage his way and not have to worry about other wideouts beating them for big plays. If there's one player that can hurt the Jets, it's Watkins. He requires a ton of attention.
2. Contain Tyrod Taylor in the run game
In the last three weeks, Tyrod Taylor has rushed for an average of 66 yards per game. He's always been viewed as a dynamic quarterback that can make plays with his legs, but he's really showed it off of late. With LeSean McCoy likely out, Taylor will probably continue that trend this week against the Jets. Using a quarterback spy on him with a linebacker can help contain him in the pocket, which will be key in slowing down the Bills offense.
3. Use all three running backs to stay fresh
The Jets have used three running backs fairly interchangeably lately, keeping all of them fresh in the process. Chris Ivory is the No. 1 back, but with a playoff run likely coming in the future, the Jets need to keep him healthy. Stevan Ridley and Bilal Powell have stepped up in a big way recently, with Powell topping 79 yards from scrimmage in each of the past three games.
1. Move Sammy Watkins around the formation
Watkins will be the Bills' best offensive player on the field Sunday, so getting him the ball is paramount if they want to spoil the Jets' playoff hopes. That will be tough given the talent of the Jets on defense, specifically in Darrelle Revis. However, Revis almost never plays the slot, which is somewhere Watkins can thrive. The Bills would be smart to move him around the formation and get him the ball out of the slot.
2. Take shots downfield against Antonio Cromartie
If there's one player in the Jets' secondary to target, it's Antonio Cromartie. He hasn't had the best season and has struggled to cover double moves and deep routes. Fortunately for Buffalo, Watkins thrives on running downfield and beating cornerbacks on deep throws. The Bills have nothing to lose in this one, so trying for big plays is something they should consider.
3. Get pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick with blitzes
Ryan Fitzpatrick is playing as well as any quarterback in the league lately. He's thrown 13 touchdown passes and one interception in his last five games -- all of which the Jets have won. In order to throw him off his rhythm, the Bills need to blitz him regularly and make him uncomfortable. He has a tendency to take off and run fairly often, which is something the Bills have to watch for if they do blitz.