The (4-11) Buffalo Bills Vs. (10-5) New York Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium; East Rutherford, N.J.
Sunday, Jan. 2, at 1 p.m. EST, televised on CBS.
The Jets have now attained a postseason berth in each of head coach Rex Ryan's first two seasons with the team. On Sunday, they will look to defeat the Buffalo Bills and gain some momentum going into the postseason. Let's break the last regular season game of the season down.
Here's something you might not know:
TE Dustin Keller leads the team in receptions with 55 for 687 yards (five touchdowns), not Tomlinson or Edwards (who both have 52).
To Play Or Not To Play:
Ryan has elected to start QB Mark Sanchez. How long he will play, is the question. Expect to see one quarter or so of Sanchez, and three quarters of Mark Brunell.
This is a tough decision we've discussed all week, as the Jets are 0-3 this season in games with an extended layoff (Baltimore, Green Bay, New England). So, they want to stay in rhythm and keep the offense in sync going into next week's game in Kansas City or Indianapolis.
At the same time, Sanchez has a sore shoulder, and one bad hit could end his season.
Jets Key To Victory - Offense - Run The Football
It may sound cliché, but the Jets have rushed for 840 yards in their last three games against the Bills; an average of 280 yards per game!
The Bills defensive front is young, as the majority of it currently sits on the Injured Reserve list. They're shifting things around every week up there, and it's really been a detriment. Outside of DT Kyle Williams upfront, they really don't have much in that area.
They've ranked dead-last in the NFL defending the run throughout the entire season (162.5 yards per game).
Jets Key To Victory - Defense - Limit The Big Pass Play/Yards After Catch
With Cromartie, Revis, and Eric Smith all likely out on Sunday, the Jets will have a new-look secondary and communication is important. Expect rookie Kyle Wilson to get a lot of reps playing on the outside, which is a switch from where we've seen him this season (nickel back). We will also see a lot of 28-year-old rookie Isaiah Trufant, who Jets recently signed from Las Vegas Locos (UFL).
Wilson has had a lot of footwork and awareness issues this season, and he cannot allow the young, speedy Bills receivers to accumulate yards after catch (especially Steve Johnson).
The key in the secondary will be to limit miscommunications, making sure everyone knows who or what area of the field they are responsible for; as well as limiting yards after the catch.
Bottom Line
It's twelve hours before game time, and there's still no line for this game in Las Vegas. There's a reason for this, as there are endless intangibles surrounding this game.
The majority of the game will be Brian Brohm Vs. Mark Brunell, with a Jets secondary that has a preseason look. Good luck predicting what will happen.
The Jets can run the football at will on the Bills, though, even with L.T. likely to be rested. A heavy dose of Shonn Greene and Joe McKnight will lead the Jets to victory in an interesting game with very few touchdowns.