Week 1 in the NFL is coming to a close after the first Sunday of the new season, but one of the more exciting matchups was saved for Monday night: an AFC East battle between the Buffalo Bills and the hosting New York Jets that will certainly have playoff implications.

Both teams have an eye on postseason success and even a Super Bowl appearance though the roads for each has been vastly different to each other, but both journeys start tonight. In this article we will take a look at worthwhile storylines we are excited to see play out in this game.

The Prelude

Last season these teams split the games between them 1-1 with defenses being especially decisive in each game. Ultimately the Bills finished as a top team at 13-3 and the Jets slid after an early winning streak to 7-10.

Week 9 2022: Jets 20-17:

The first meeting did not go the way the Bills had wanted it to with the Jets defense shocking the electrifying offense of Buffalo. Josh Allen went 18 of 34 with no touchdowns and 2 interceptions for a QB rating of 67.4 as well as being sacked 5 times. Stefon Diggs had a well rounded performance with 5 receptions for 93 yards owing to a bend-don’t-break philosophy of the Jets defense that also gave up 134 yards on 22 rushes for an average of 6.1 per carry.

The Jets offense performed as expected with Zach Wilson behind center and without the explosiveness of rookie running back Breece Hall and struggled against elements of the Bills defense. Zach Wilson went 18 of 25 for 154 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions while being sacked twice.

The rushing game led by second year Michael Carter and free agent signing James Robinson had 174 yards total on 34 carries for a 5.1 yard average. Offensive rookie of the year Garrett Wilson had 8 receptions for 92 yards and no touchdowns.

Week 14 2022: Bills 20-12

The second and last meeting of these teams on December 11th went more favorably for the Bills with their defense leading the charge against a dilapidated Jets roster. Josh Allen went 16 of 27 for 147 yards and 1 touchdown with no interceptions and 3 sacks for a QB rating of 51.4.

Buffalo’s rushing attack had 24 attempts for 102 yards averaging 4.3 per carry led by Josh Allen’s 10 rushes for 47 yards and the only rushing touchdown. Stefon Diggs was held to just 3 receptions for 37 yards with Dawson Knox catching 4 for 41 yards and a touchdown.

After Zach Wilson’s injury the Jets were led out by QB Mike White who went 27 of 44 for 268 yards no touchdowns or interceptions and 3 sacks for QB rating of 56.4. White was injured after a hit by Matt Milano and was replaced by Joe Flacco who went 1 of 3 for 1 yard and was sacked once.

The ground game for the Jets was largely led by Zonovan “Bam” Knight who had 17 carries for 71 yards and the sole touchdown of the team’s 22 carries for 76 yards.

This game was a very defensive showdown from start to finish with the Bills having the clear advantage on offense with Josh Allen being the play maker he was drafted to be and the Jets struggling to hold fast on a sinking ship.

What To Watch For

Bills’ Secondary: While Von Miller is out a minimum of four weeks after an ACL injury last season, there is a very big reason for Bills fans to be excited defensively. The combination of Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, and Tre White will be on the field together for the first time since 2021 and it will be interesting to watch these three ballers take on Aaron Rodgers and the Jets passing game.

Aaron Rodgers: The former Packer will be playing his first full game for the Jets in primetime since the biggest trade of the off-season and will have a very fitting test against a Buffalo defense with high ambitions. His primary targets will be Garrett Wilson, Tyler Conklin, Allen Lazard and a certain amount of looks for Mecole Hardman and Randall Cobb.

Brotherly Love: Brothers James and Dalvin Cook will be the official RB1s for each of their teams and it’s hard not to feel good about this storyline for these two.

Dalvin is coming off his fourth consecutive 1,000 yard rushing year after signing with the Jets in August. Brother James is now the starting running back after the Bills traded Devin Singletary and will have his opportunity to have a pro bowl season.

Jets Defense: The Jets defense outperformed some fans’ expectations last year ranking 4th overall and 4th against the pass and run as well as finishing 2nd in points allowed per game.

The suffocating trio of Sauce Gardner, DJ Reed, and Michael Carter II Will look to match and improve on their previous campaign that saw Sauce Gardner as the first rookie DB to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and All-Pro honors since Ronnie Lott in 1981. New York’s defense also boasts a recently extended All-Pro Quinnen Williams and brother Quincy as well as an All-Pro CJ Mosley at MLB. With Carl Lawson coming off a back surgery in the off-season, fans may also be expecting to see Jermaine Johnson II’s usage go up a few levels.

Rookies Will McDonald IV (Edge) and Zaire Barnes (LB) will also be worth watching if they see the field which has yet to be determined.

  

The Conclusion and Prediction

In a Week 1 primetime opener with divisional weight and fresh rosters, expect an explosive game between a juggernaut from Buffalo led by Josh Allen and an unproven Jets team led by an Aaron Rodgers looking to turn MetLife Stadium into JetLife Stadium.

This matchup promises to be worthy of its primetime slot, but only one team can emerge from it as the King of The East heading into Week 2 in one of the strongest divisions in football this season if not the strongest.

Final Prediction: 27-17 Jets Victory!

The Jets have a strong home field advantage with fans that haven’t been this excited in a decade or more as well as performing well at home last season giving the Bills 1 of only 3 losses on their regular season record. Josh Allen has hit or miss numbers against this defensive unit that has only improved in the off-season.

Monday Night Football will kickoff at 8:15pm EST on ESPN

– Chris Reynolds

*Photo courtesy of Jets Talk 24/7 (YouTube)