New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills: Keys to Victory

Oct 12, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach

Doug Marrone

yells at a referee during the second half against the New England Patriots at Ralph Wilson Stadium. New England beats Buffalo 37 to 22. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

Tomorrow at 1 PM, the Jets play the second game of their AFC East schedule for the 2014 season. Geno Smith, Chris Ivory and the gang take on Kyle Orton, Sammy Watkins, and the rest of the 4-3 Buffalo Bills. The Bills ran their record to 4-3 after beating the Vikings last week by the score of 17-16. Our Jets? Well, they are just seeking a victory in the worst way, just to get back on track.

The Jets have a tough opponent to beat this weekend in the Bills, despite their recent home success against their divisional rivals. Here are some keys to coming out on top:

Oct 16, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; New York Jets running back Chris Ivory (33) warms up before the start of the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

ON OFFENSE, WIN THE BATTLE UP FRONT: Remember how I always say that an offense lives or dies by the performance of the offensive line? Well, this week is just as good of an example as there ever will be. The Jets may be 8th in the league in run defense, well the Bills are 4th, giving up just 80.4 yards per game on the ground. Mario Williams and company are tough. The Jets offensive line is going to have to come up big. Chris Ivory played well against Buffalo last year with 15 rushes for 98 yards. The line will need to come up big here.

Keeping Geno on his feet will be quite the task for the Jets as well. As good as the Jets pass rush is, the Bills have been better, leading the league with 24 sacks. If the Jets offensive line doesn’t win the battle tomorrow, the Jets will definitely lose the war on the scoreboard.

Oct 19, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle

Sharrif Floyd

(73) tries to tackle Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Orton (18) as he throws the ball during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo beats Minnesota 17 to 16. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

HIT KYLE ORTON: As I say every week, the great equalizer is getting pressure on the quarterback. Kyle Orton has been sacked quite a bit over his first three starts, 13 times to be exact. When under pressure, his passer rating drops from 98.5 to 78.4. Just like any other quarterback, the pressure gets to Kyle Orton, and the Jets have the ability to provide said pressure.

The Bills have given up 19 sacks, and per Football Outsiders, have an adjusted sack rate that ranks them at 20th in the league (6.9%). The Bills offensive line is vulnerable to pressure. The Jets must apply that pressure.

Oct 19, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins (14) runs after a catch against the Minnesota Vikings during the first half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

STOP SAMMY WATKINS: Sammy Watkins had a breakout game last week, with nine receptions for 122 yards and two touchdowns. If this guy has a huge game, the Jets are toast.