New York Jets (4-11) at Buffalo (12-3)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS
BetMGM NFL odds: Bills by 9 1/2.
Series record: Bills lead 70-58.
Against the spread: Jets 5-10, Bills 9-6.
Last meeting: Bills beat Jets 23-20 on Oct. 14, at East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Last week: Jets lost to Rams 19-9; Bills beat Patriots 24-21.
Jets offense: overall (23), rush (31), pass (17), scoring (24).
Jets defense: overall (4), rush (16), pass (5), scoring (16).
Bills offense: overall (7), rush (9), pass (9), scoring (2).
Bills defense: overall (23), rush (14), pass (25), scoring (11).
Turnover differential: Jets minus-2; Bills plus-20.
Jets player to watch
QB Aaron Rodgers. The 41-year-old four-time NFL MVP is one touchdown pass from joining Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508) as the only players to throw 500 in the regular season. He’s dealing with a knee injury that he described as “a little MCL,” but insisted early in the week he’d play. Rodgers could be playing in the last two games of his storied career as he’s undecided if he wants to return for a 21st year, and his future with the Jets uncertain as the team searches for a new general manager and head coach.
Bills player to watch
RB James Cook. The third-year player has topped 100 yards rushing in three of his past four, and scored five TDs, including one receiving, over that span. His 14 TDs rushing are tied for first in the NFL entering Thursday, and rank third on the Bills single-season list, behind Josh Allen, who scored 15 last year, and O.J. Simpson (16, 1975).
Key matchup
Bills pass rush vs. Jets O-line. The Bills, who rely mostly on a four-man pass rush, rank 25th in the NFL in by averaging 6.59% sacks per pass attempt. They face a veteran quarterback in Rodgers and a line that will be without starting left tackle after rookie Olu Fashanu (left foot) landed on IR this week. Max Mitchell and Carter Warren were competing this week to replace him.
Key injuries
Jets DT Quinnen Williams sat out last week with a hamstring injury, but could return to play at Buffalo. … CB Sauce Gardner (hamstring), S Tony Adams (hamstring) and RG Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) were dealing with injuries early in the week. … The Bills are getting healthier with starting CB Rasul Douglas practicing fully after missing two games. ... Buffalo’s starting safety tandem of Damar Hamlin (rib) and Taylor Rapp (neck) continue practicing on a limited basis after also missing the past two outings. ... Starting LB Matt Milano’s status bears monitoring after missing last weekend with groin injury. ... Allen was listed as a full participant during a walkthrough practice after hurting his throwing elbow and shoulder against New England.
Series notes
The teams have split the past two season series, with the Jets being the Bills only division rival to have beaten them once in each of the past two seasons. ... The Bills have won four straight at home since a 13-6 loss in a mean-nothing 2019 season finale in which Buffalo rested a majority of its starters after the first quarter. ... Buffalo is 16-8 in the past 24 meetings since snapping a six-game skid spanning the 2009-12 seasons.
Stats and stuff
The Jets are 2-8 since defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich replaced the fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 on an interim basis. … Rodgers is interception-free in seven of his past eight games, including none in each of the Jets’ past four on the road. … Rodgers needs one TD pass to give him 25 for the season. It would be the 14th time in his 20-year career he reached the mark, tying him with Brees (14) for the third-most seasons with at least that many. Only Brady (17) and Manning (16) have more. … Rodgers and WR Davante Adams have connected for 82 touchdowns, including the postseason, to tie Miami’s Dan Marino and Mark Clayton for the third most in NFL history by a quarterback-wide receiver duo. … Adams needs 72 yards receiving for his sixth 1,000-yard season. … In nine games since being acquired from Las Vegas, Adams has 56 catches for 719 yards and six TDs. … WR Garrett Wilson needs 13 yards receiving to reach 1,000 for the third straight season to start his career. He’s six catches away from surpassing his career high of 95 set last season. … The Jets went 99 yards on their opening possession to score a touchdown for the second straight game on their first drive after not doing so previously all season. … New York scored nine points and had no punts in the loss to Los Angeles. The Jets joined the 1991 Colts — a 16-7 loss to the Patriots in the season opener — as the only teams in the Super Bowl era to score fewer than 10 points and not punt. … The Jets allowed 110 net passing yards against the Rams, the third fewest they’ve given up this season and fifth time they held an opponent under 150 this season. … The Bills are a win from clinching the AFC’s No. 2 seed entering the playoffs. ... Buffalo has 12 wins for just the seventh time in team history, and third since 2020, and in position to match the team record previously done four times (1990, 1991, 2020 and 2022). ... The Bills are 10-0 at home since a 24-22 loss to Denver on Nov. 13, 2023, and have an opportunity to finish a season without a home loss for just the second time in team history (8-0 in 1990). ... Allen’s 75 wins through his first seven NFL seasons are tied for the most with Russell Wilson. ... Allen, who threw just his sixth interception of the season last week and also has two lost fumbles, is 6-1 this season and 44-27 overall when committing turnover. ... Buffalo’s 29 TDs rushing match a single-season team record set in 2016. ... Buffalo is 4-3 this season when trailing at the half after overcoming a 14-7 deficit against New England. ... Buffalo improved to 28-22 when allowing 20 or more points since 2019. The team went a combined 12-67 when allowing that many from 2011-18. ... Buffalo forced three turnovers last week, and has a takeaway in all but one outing this season.
Fantasy tip
Allen might have gotten you to your championship weekend, but he could be hard-pressed to put up big numbers against the Jets. Allen is 3-2 in his past five meetings and averaging just 215 yards passing, with seven touchdowns and six interceptions while being sacked 16 times.
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