The Bills are heading into Week 10 with a trip to MetLife Stadium and a matchup that demands attention. Buffalo gets the Jets in an AFC East showdown, and this is not the kind of opponent the Bills can afford to sleepwalk through. New York brings a capable offense with Geno Smith at quarterback and Garrett Wilson at wide receiver, which means Buffalo’s defense is about to get a much tougher test than it saw over the past two weeks.
One of the biggest questions in this game starts on the ground, where the Bills will have to deal with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. Buffalo has been excellent against the run all season, ranking seventh in the league by allowing just 91.6 rushing yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry.
Through eight games, the Bills still haven’t given up a 100-yard rusher. That streak will be challenged by a Jets backfield that has shifted toward Allen, who has stepped into the lead role while Hall has dealt with injury.
Allen has 598 rushing yards on 120 carries and is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season after Hall hit that mark last year. Hall, meanwhile, has 224 rushing yards on 66 carries and is trying to show he still has plenty left after signing a 3-year, 43.5 million extension last season.
Buffalo will need to stay aggressive in the box and mix in blitzes if it wants to keep the Jets from breaking through on the ground.
The pass rush battle on the other side of the ball also matters, especially with Will McDonald coming after the Bills’ offense. McDonald has been a steady presence for New York, missing no more than two games in each of his first three seasons.
He has three sacks in nine games this year and can flip a drive quickly if he gets loose. But he’ll be going against a Bills offensive line that has protected well all season.
Buffalo has allowed the fifth fewest sacks in the league with 17, and that’s been fueled by Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown on the edges, along with Tylan Grable’s work as a swing tackle at both left and right tackle. If the Bills want to match what they did against the blitz against Minnesota last Monday night, that starts up front, where the line also has to clear space for James Cook.
Cook is fifth in the league with 814 rushing yards.
Then there’s the matchup that can change the feel of the whole game: Garrett Wilson against the Bills’ secondary. Even with the Jets having their ups and downs, Wilson has remained the constant.
The 2022 offensive rookie of the year has topped 1,000 receiving yards in every season since entering the league, and he is on pace for a career-high 1,280 receiving yards this year. Buffalo’s secondary, led by Davison Igbinosun, has shown signs that it can handle top receivers in man and press coverage.
Igbinosun intercepted Baltimore and held Zay Flowers without a catch, then followed that up with another strong outing against Minnesota. Against Wilson, though, the Bills will need that same level of precision again.
In Other News...
Bills Suddenly Have A Josh Allen Protection Concern Against The Jets
The Bills are heading into their matchup with the Jets with some familiar names on the practice report, but the biggest concern sits on the edge of the offensive line. Dion Dawkins, Alec Anderson and Connor McGovern remained limited in practice and are still expected to suit up, which at least gives Buffalo some stability as it tries to keep Josh Allen upright in a division game that rarely comes easy.
Spencer Brown is the more pressing question after not practicing Thursday because of the ankle injury he picked up in the previous game. His availability for Sunday is uncertain, and if he cannot go, Tylan Grable could be the next man up at right tackle. For a Bills offense built around Allen extending plays, the protection picture could matter just as much as the game plan itself. [Read more 🡒]
Dion Dawkins Just Added More Fire To Bills-Jets Rivalry
Dion Dawkins has never been shy about the Jets, and the Bills left tackle added another layer to that familiar AFC East edge this week. After missing a recent game with a rib injury, Dawkins was limited in practice as Buffalo prepared for another meeting with New York, a matchup that already carries plenty of baggage for a rivalry that tends to get chippy fast.
Buffalo enters the game as a heavy favorite, while the Jets have spent much of the season trying to find traction. Even so, Dawkins comments were a reminder that this series still has plenty of personal heat attached to it, especially for a Bills team that knows the Jets will be looking to make life difficult no matter the record. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Have One Remaining Game That Could Reshape The AFC Race
The stretch run in the AFC is starting to take shape, and the Bills are right in the middle of it with one game left on the schedule that could still alter the conference picture. Around the league, the coming weeks are loaded with matchups that matter for playoff seeding and division races, from the Chiefs and Bengals to the Jaguars and other contenders trying to hold position.
For Buffalo, the focus is less on the broader NFL board and more on how one final opportunity could ripple through the AFC race. The Bills have spent the season navigating a crowded field, and with other contenders also facing consequential games, their last chance to influence the bracket carries extra weight even before the rest of the results come in. [Read more 🡒]