NY Jets: Scouting the Buffalo Bills ahead of Week 7 matchup

The NY Jets are set to host the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

The Buffalo Bills got the better of the NY Jets when these two teams first faced off Week 1 in Buffalo. The Jets, understandably, are now 0-6. While the Bills, a well-coached, young, developmental team, are 4-2 and currently hold the lead in the AFC East.

It’s no surprise that the Bills, coached under Sean McDermott, are the favorites to not only win the division, but to compete deep in the playoffs.

The Jets, on the other hand, are not slated to compete in any-which-way for a division title, nor are they fit to handle a playoff push as their only “push” is to solidify the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Moving on to this week’s matchup, it’s still up in the air if quarterback Sam Darnold will be returning to the starting lineup after injuring his throwing shoulder a few weeks ago. If he’s still not ready to go, Joe Flacco will once again play under center for the green and white.

Taking a look at the offensive line situation, rookie left tackle Mekhi Becton is expected to return after an ailment in his shoulder forced him to sit out due to pain tolerance. Left guard Alex Lewis is week-to-week with a shoulder injury — he’ll likely miss this game, and possibly a few more.

On the bright side, rookie wide receiver Denzel Mims, who has been sidelined with multiple hamstring injuries that forced him to miss the early portion of the season, is slated to make his NFL debut against a Bills defense that isn’t too fond of giving up big plays through the air, Mims’ specialty.

Veteran running back Frank Gore will once again receive the starting nod from head coach Adam Gase, La’Mical Perine will follow. A surprise player that made his debut for Gang Green last week was running back Ty Johnson.

Johnson was able to break off a couple of big runs last week against a Miami Dolphins team that has been pretty impressive on defense so far this season under Brian Flores. Expect Johnson to see the field more often as the Jets are in dire need of playmakers on offense.

Switching to the defensive side of the ball, one player that has impressed Jets’ coaches has been cornerback Brian Poole. Poole, 28, signed a one-year deal with the Jets in the offseason and has built upon his impressive 2019 with an even better 2020 to date.

General manager Joe Douglas should seriously look into bringing Poole back for the 2021 season and beyond, as he’s been far and away their best player roaming the secondary.

The NY Jets will have a tough matchup in Week 7 against the Buffalo Bills.

As for the Bills, quarterback Josh Allen will look to bounce back after a sluggish performance against the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

Allen, who has been putting on a show for the majority of weeks this season, looks to have taken a step back against a Chiefs defense that hasn’t been too hot to handle.

To help with Allen’s recent struggles, Bills’ wide receiver Stefon Diggs will look to build upon an already impressive season, set to battle against a Jets defense that has been grappling with mismanagement and injuries ever since the start of the season.

For the Jets, the Bills’ defense seemed to have taken a step back this season, as they’re ranked 23rd in opponent yards allowed per game.

If the Jets want any chance of success come Sunday, they’ll need to find a way to move the ball against the likes of cornerback Tre’Davious White and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.

When all is said and done, this could easily be Adam Gase’s last game as the Jets’ head coach. If the team looks as lifeless as they did against the Dolphins, ownership may have no choice but to pull the plug on what has been a disaster of a tenure for Gase and company.

It’s only a matter of time before Gase, and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who has seen his unit struggle over recent weeks, say their final goodbyes.

Score Prediction: Bills 31, NY Jets 6