Jets vs Bills: 3 keys to victory for New York

For the Jets vs Bills game, here are three keys to victory for Gang Green to leave this game victorious and earn their spot in the NFL Playoffs.

Nov 12, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets center Nick Mangold (74) hikes the ball to New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) in the second half at MetLife Stadium. The Bills defeated the Jets 22-17 Mandatory Credit: William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

On Sunday, the Jets will face the Bills in a ‘win and you’re in’ game that can send them into the postseason for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign. The last time Gang Green was in this scenario, Rex Ryan was on the sidelines coaching the team to a 37-0 rout over the Cincinnati Bengals in 2009. This time around, he’s in New York’s way.

Luckily for the Jets, they’re winners of five straight and they just took down the best team in the AFC. The front-seven has been in full force creating turnovers and pressuring the quarterback while the offense has been the most pleasant surprise of them all. Even players like Kenbrell Thompkins and Quincy Enunwa are beginning to step up and make an impact. As of late, everything is on the up for Todd Bowles‘ group.

On the other hand, the Bills have been playing for pride since their loss to the Eagles in Week 14 which theoretically knocked them out of playoff contention. Over the course of the entire year, Rex’s defense didn’t exactly live up to expectations. Currently, there are rumors that him and general manager Doug Whaley aren’t on the same page and that Mario Williams will be released at season’s end. Buffalo does want this game bad, but their season isn’t ending too pretty.

Looking at this game on paper, the Jets should be able to take care of business and clinch the postseason. It won’t be easy with Rex doing everything he can to end his former team’s playoff hopes, but New York is firing on all cylinders at the moment. Here are three things Gang Green must do to avoid a meltdown in Orchard Park.

Next: 3. Contain Tyrod Taylor

Dec 27, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) runs with the ball as Dallas Cowboys cornerback Terrance Mitchell (21) pursues during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills defeat Cowboys 16-6. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

3. Contain Tyrod Taylor

The biggest key in beating the Bills is preventing quarterback Tyrod Taylor from making plays with his feet. He isn’t the type of quarterback that can run the ball 60 yards down the sideline, but he can rip defenses for chunks of yards on 10+ carries. In 13 games this year, he’s carried the ball 94 times for 517 yards and three touchdowns. He didn’t do damage on the ground against the Jets in Week 10, but he did have a good game through the air completing 17 of 27 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown.

Luckily for New York, LeSean McCoy‘s season ended in Week 15 with a knee injury, so you can expect the Bills to continue to throw the ball. This takes the read option out of the equation which gets Taylor most of his rushing yards. Taylor gave the ball to McCoy more than he kept it himself in the Meadowlands and ‘Shady’ finished the night with 112 yards on 19 carries. Buffalo will still run a bit of read option with Karlos Williams and Mike Gillislee, but they won’t be as effective as McCoy.

As a result, Taylor will scramble most when he’s forced out of the pocket and rolled out on designed plays. In order to keep him in the pocket, expect coach Bowles to run plenty of corner and safety blitzes on passing downs. This prevents Taylor from picking up five or more yards before he’s finally rushed out of bounds by a corner in pass coverage. Buster Skrine will have the opportunity to get back to what he was doing at the beginning of the year in pressuring the quarterback early and often.

Next: 2. Prevent the big play

Dec 27, 2015; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Mike Gillislee (35) runs 50 yards for a touchdown as Dallas Cowboys free safety J.J. Wilcox (27) pursues during the second half at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills defeat Cowboys 16-6. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

2. Prevent the big play

The Bills may not have McCoy, but they can still take the top off the defense or create the big play on the ground. Last week, Gillislee took a fourth quarter carry 50 yards to the house to seal their victory over the Cowboys. In Week 15 against the Redskins, he had a 60-yard touchdown and 21 more yards on just four touches. Gillislee was a member of the Dolphins before joining the Bills, so the Jets should have a good understanding of what he brings to the table.

Sammy Watkins is a player who New York is very familiar with. In last season’s Week 8 matchup, the Clemson product caught only three passes but for a whopping 157 yards and a touchdown. He would’ve had two scores if he didn’t showboat before getting tracked down by Saalim Hakim. This year is much different with Darrelle Revis back in town, but keeping Watkins in check isn’t easy. He had three catches for 14 yards in Week 10, so a similar outcome would certainly help New York.

With that being said, expect Watkins to be on ‘Revis Island’ for the afternoon. As far as stopping Gillislee goes, coach Bowles would be hard pressed not to load the box as usual. Calvin Pryor will have to play one of his best games all year, because the Jets cannot afford to miss any tackles. A missed tackle on either of these two players can result in six points that can put any team in a hole.

Next: 1. Lean on Ryan Fitzpatrick

Dec 27, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws a pass during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

1. Lean on Ryan Fitzpatrick

While Rex wants to ruin Gang Green’s playoff hopes, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would love nothing more than to clinch the postseason on his former team’s field. The same can be said for Jets’ offensive coordinator and ex-Bills head coach Chan Gailey. Fitzpatrick was kicked to the curb by Buffalo following the 2012-13 season, so reaching the playoffs for the first time in this match-up would be the best moment of his career.

In the past five games, ‘Fitz’ has been simply remarkable. He’s thrown 13 touchdowns to just one interception and he’s led three game-winning drives. On top of that, he’s completed nearly 64% of his passes on 166 attempts. New York has not seen numbers like these in a very long time. However, you have to give credit to the receiving corps for Fitzpatrick’s production. He’s hitting his targets, but Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker are putting up numbers of their own that are making Jets history.

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Overall, running the ball will be very tough on Buffalo’s defense. Chris Ivory should be able to eclipse 1,000 yards on the year since he’s currently at 989, but a big day from him is very unlikely. Gang Green should continue to check the ball down to Bilal Powell in short yardage situations when Ivory isn’t on the field. If Marshall and Decker continue to be threats inside the 20, Fitzpatrick can sling the Jets into the postseason with a win on Sunday.