3 questions the NY Jets must answer against the Bills: Measuring up to the elite

The NY Jets have a bounce-back opportunity against their toughest opponent of the season at home.

The team, and most notably Zach Wilson, has a chance to measure up to the elite of the NFL in facing the Buffalo Bills after a tough loss against another divisional opponent last week.

Both squads come in banged up, creating areas for each side to exploit. While the Bills are a 12.5-point favorite against the Jets, Gang Green should come in with the mentality of defending their home turf and coming away with a win.

This fight that this team shows and their ability to execute against a great team will show fans a lot about what the second half of the season could look like.

1. How will Zach Wilson respond from his worst game of the season?

Zach Wilson had a Sunday to forget last week against the Patriots. His three interceptions were the deciding factor in a disappointing home loss. After the loss, fans and many in the media had a field day. With much of the public opinion saying that Wilson is already a bust.

While some of that talk might be a bit hyperbolic, the regression that Wilson showed against the Patriots was frustrating for fans and likely for the entire organization.

This week, the second-year quarterback has a chance to show that last week was more of an outlier, and in the best-case scenario, a turning point for his career.

Up against one of, if not the best football team in the NFL, the expectation isn't for Wilson to outplay Josh Allen. But he should be able to show improvement from a decision-making standpoint compared to last week.

As the Jets have a bye next week, however Wilson plays will be a talking point for about 14 days.

To fan the flames as well as inspire some hope for the rest of the roster, the Jets could surely use an above-average performance from the quarterback they selected with the number two overall pick.

2. What will Mike LaFleur's approach be to attacking the Bills defense?

With Zach Wilson struggling, there has been a lot of discussion around how offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur could make things easier for his quarterback. LaFleur discussed this in his press conference this week, acknowledging that there could be more opportunities for quick plays.

It's not the easiest position for LaFleur to be in. He is running the offense that if done effectively could be very productive. Because of Wilson's lack of ability to make reads and execute the plays called, he might have to dumb things down a bit.

It will be interesting to see if there are more screens or trick plays made in order to get the ball out of Wilson's hands quickly for a shot at explosive plays.

Between Garrett Wilson, Elijah Moore, Denzel Mims, and Braxton Berrios, LaFleur has a lot of options at his disposal to mix up his strategy in attacking a depleted Buffalo secondary.

3. Can the NY Jets' defense create turnovers against the explosive Bills offense?

The stellar play of the Jets' defense has been a constant for this team for basically all of the season. With the struggles of the offense, the defense has been heavily relied on and has shown up in difficult circumstances including tough field positions and playing in close games often.

While it might not feel like it at first glance, this matchup presents a clash of two top-performing units in the NFL with the Bills' offense and the Jets' defense.

The Bills' offense is surely elite, with Josh Allen playing like an MVP candidate and plenty of weapons for the Jets to need to keep in check.

However, the team does have 12 giveaways this season which ties for sixth-most in all of the league. For the Jets to have a chance in this game, they will likely need to force multiple turnovers.

Takeaways will be a key factor in slowing the Bills' offense down and creating advantageous field positions for the offense that will need to be thinking about scoring seven, not three, on drives.

The defense has been asked a lot already this season, but they will once again need to meet or even exceed those expectations for a shot to upset Buffalo at MetLife Stadium.