Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets: Top 5 storylines to watch

The Buffalo Bills attempt to get off the snide after back-to-back loses as they visit New Jersey for a Monday Night Football date with the Jets. Here are five storylines to watch.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is tackled by New York Jets Brandin Echols (26) after a short gain. / Jamie Germano/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Buffalo Bills have never lost three straight games with Josh Allen at quarterback; they look to avoid that on Monday when they visit the New York Jets. To avoid that fate, they need to knock off the AFC East's second-ranked team in the Jets. Here are five storylines to watch for in a game with the division lead on the line.

SEE YA SALEH: The Jets enter this matchup with a new head coach after firing the defensive-minded Robert Saleh. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is taking over as the Jets’ interim coaching responsibility for the remainder of the season. Under Saleh and Ulbrich, the Jets' defense has been respectable, currently top five in both yards and points allowed per game. Buffalo gets the first crack as seeing how the home team fairs under new management.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

RODGERS REUNION: The Bills were the only team to face Aaron Rodgers in his first season as a member of the Jets, albeit for only four snaps before he ruptured his achilles and missed the remainder of the season. Buffalo now gets an ARod that is a year older and, to date, a year slower.

Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (56) sacks New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) who left the game with an injury after the play. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

AFC LEAST: We entered 2024 thinking the AFC East could be a division that gets three times into the playoffs with the Bills, Jets, and Miami Dolphins all having a shot to earn a postseason bid. Fast forward five weeks, and the Bills are the only team in the division with a winning record of 3-2. The winner of this game will sit atop the East; whether that is a 4-2 Bills team with a 1.5-game lead on Miami or a 3-3 Jets team that is tied with Buffalo but owns the head-to-head will be decided Monday night.

THREE GAME SKID: I mentioned it above, but Josh Allen has never suffered a three-game losing streak in his career. If you follow me on Twitter (@GregVorse), you see that I often preach "wins aren't a QB stat" and they aren't, but not losing three in a row is something I'd bet Allen and the Bills are proud of. In fact, the team hasn't lost three straight since a four-game stretch in 2018 when Allen was inactive.

Oct 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) rushes against the Houston Texans in the second half at NRG Stadium. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

FEELING SAUCEY: Whether it is getting burned by Khalil Shakir or getting away with holding penalties, Sauce Gardner always manages to be a storyline against the Bills. Without Buffalo having a true #1 WR to watch for a matchup against, it'll be interesting to see how the Jets elect to deploy their #1 CB.

Nov 19, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir (10) runs with the ball for a touchdown after making a catch against New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

TURF MONSTER (BONUS): The turf of Metlife Stadium has long been discussed as one of the worst playing surfaces in the NFL. I know the teams have switched providers in recent years, but it still doesn't appear to hold up like players would want. This becomes more critical when you play the second game of back-to-back dates on the field of Metlife Stadium. When the Bills and Jets kickoff for Monday Night Football, it will have been less than 24 hours since the Bengals and Giants played their for Sunday Night Football.

Met Life Stadium / Jim O'Connor-Imagn Images