Bills quarterback Josh Allen is hit as he goes out of bounds by Jets Hamsah Nasirildeen. The Bills beat the Jets 27-10 to win the AFC east.

AFC East Clash on Monday Night Football

Hannah Getman October 14, 2024 Football, NFL 53 Views

The AFC East will be featured on Monday Night Football as the Buffalo Bills head to Metlife Stadium to take on the New York Jets. The Bills sit atop the conference at 3-2 on the year with the Jets not far behind at 2-3.

Bye Bye Saleh

Following back-to-back losses in weeks four and five, the Jets opted to fire head coach Robert Saleh last week. This move marks the first time since 1975 that the team fired a head coach midseason. Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will serve as interim coach.

New York’s offense has struggled in the past two weeks, a shock to those who predicted a high powered attack from the team this year. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has not looked good over this stretch. After being shutdown in the team’s 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 3, Rodgers’ play went downhill in Week 4 as he threw for three interceptions. The team ultimately lost 23-17 to the Minnesota Vikings.

The blame for the team’s lack of production can’t just be placed on Rodgers. The offensive line will need to turn things around against the Bills. They have allowed eight sacks in the past two games. If the team wants to met preseason expectations, the o-line will need to protect their 40-year-old quarterback. Rodgers will play against Buffalo despite suffering a low ankle sprain last week against the Vikings.

The run game has also been subpar. Running back Breece Hall came into this season as an elite piece to this offensive puzzle but has been a nonfactor thus far. He’s averaging just three yards per carry and has two touchdowns on the year. Against Minnesota, Hall came up with just 23 yards on nine carries. If New York wants to take down its divisional rival, Hall will need to get more involved.

What’s Working

With the offense being an issue, the Jets will rely on some other pieces to get the job done. The defense has remained a force for the team, especially in the pass rush game. Battling injuries and contract holdouts, the pressure has remained consistent with the team ranking fourth in the NFL in sacks. Defensive end Will McDonald IV is tied for third in the NFL with six individual sacks.

The secondary has also been successful. They are allowing just 4.88 yards per passing attempt so far this year and allow the third lowest completion percentage. They’ve also held opponents to just two passing touchdowns. As a unit, the Jets rank second in the NFL in passing defense. If this trend continues, the defense should have some success against a Bills team that has been slow the past two weeks.

Key Pieces for Buffalo

The Bills came out hot to start the season, stampeding their way to victory in their first three games. Buffalo’s offense scored a combined 112 points over the three week stretch and averaged 37.3 points per game.

The past two games have not been the same story. In week four, Buffalo was blown out by the Baltimore Ravens 35-10, and was held to just 180 yards in the air. Bills Mafia then lost 23-20 against the Houston Texans thanks to a game-winning field goal.

A key focus for the team following these games has to be the passing game. Quarterback Josh Allen has been inconsistent over the two week stretch, especially last week. He completed 30% of his passes against the Texans, throwing for just 131 yards. He wasn’t the only one to blame as his receivers couldn’t haul the ball in. The wide outs caught four-of-18 targets as a unit.

Against a strong Jets secondary, getting the passing attack back up to standards is a must for the Bills offense. This will be a lofty goal, especially with receiver Khalil Shakir listed as questionable for the game. Shakir leads the team in catches and receiving yards. If he is out tonight, the team will need to rely more heavily on rookie receiver Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid.

Gametime

Coverage of this AFC East matchup will begin at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN with kickoff at 8:15 p.m.

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About Hannah Getman

Hannah Getman is a second-year sports and media major at the University of Florida.

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