Jets Country

Jets Seeking 'Redemption' Against Bills in Week 18

New York is eager to defeat their division rivals in a rematch on Sunday, growing as a team while keeping the Bills from winning an AFC East title.

Max Goodman

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Last time the Jets went to battle against the Bills, back in Week 10, New York suffered one of their worst losses of the season.

Buffalo whooped the Jets at MetLife Stadium, dropping 45 points in a blowout victory.

The Bills had everything going that afternoon. Quarterback Josh Allen was practically perfect, completing 21 of his 28 passes for 366 yards. Wideout Stefon Diggs was unstoppable, racking up 162 receiving yards on eight catches. Buffalo's dangerous defense showed out as well, picking off New York's backup quarterback Mike White four times, holding the Jets to three points through the first three quarters. 

Eight weeks later, the Jets are set to travel up to Buffalo, ready to redeem themselves against a familiar foe that's playing for a division title in the final game of the regular season.

"Any time you get to strap it up against a division opponent, you take those games really, really serious," Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Rankins told reporters earlier in the week. "Also understand what they're playing for and being able to go up there and potentially spoil something for them or change some seeding for them would be good for us. And obviously, we know how the game went the last time we played them, when they were able to score all those points against us. 

"Redemption is definitely in our hearts, understanding that when you play this game, the tape is your resume. We're not trying to stand on the fact that they put up all those points on us last time. We're trying to write the ship and come out with a better effort and hold that offense to as minimal points and as minimal yards as possible."

The fact of the matter is that the Jets are a different team now than they were midway through the season. Sure, they've lost a handful of key pieces to injury since then and plenty of players have missed time on the COVID-19 list, but New York has taken strides in the right direction these last several weeks.

Buffalo is still the superior team, though. The Bills enter play in Week 18 with a 10-6 record, the league's top defense (allowing just 286.5 yards per game) and the third-best scoring offense in the NFL (28.5 points per game).

It won't be easy for New York's battered defense to keep a lid on this unit on Sunday, but defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich explained that these are the types of games that are crucial in developing a rebuilding roster. 

"I think the stage of our development, as far as a defense is concerned, like improvement, progress, that is the absolute biggest thing that we’re trying to achieve," he said. "To go out there and play against a team that is competing for a better playoff spot, seeding, whatever the case may be in a very hostile environment. To me, it’s like the ultimate measuring stick of where we are, how far we’ve come. I think that, especially the last four games, I feel like there has been improvement. I know that hasn’t always been illustrated in the statistical part of it, but guys are starting to gain a better understanding of what we’re trying to get accomplished."

As the Jets aim to show their rivals that this isn't the same old lowly opponent they're used to facing, they'll have a bit of a not-so-secret weapon at their disposal. 

In Week 10, White got the start (and Joe Flacco played in the fourth quarter) in place of an injured Zach Wilson. Now, the rookie quarterback is riding the best streak of his young career, eager to surprise a dominant defense with another promising performance.

"The challenge for me is how cleanly can I play, how efficient can I be, how can I just see enough to just play the play how we need to play it and just put my team in the best position that I can, just be sharp in decision making and just let the guys around me do what they do best and let them make plays," Wilson explained. "It’s going to be a great opportunity for us as a team in general to play against these guys again and we’ll be playing against them for a long time after this."

Perhaps the biggest test for Wilson, in a playoff-like atmosphere and frigid temperatures, is to limit turnovers. The rookie hasn't thrown an interception in his last four games, but this week he'll be facing a defense that has the third-most picks in the sport (19 and counting thus far).  

Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur called Buffalo's defense the best-coached unit in football, a talented group that's been evolving together for four-plus years. 

"It’s my job to work and put our guys in the best position to be able to beat those coverages and Zach’s job is to deliver the ball and our guys to make plays when that ball is in the air," LaFleur said.

Easier said than done. 

A loss for the Jets on Sunday would be beneficial to their draft position, but don't expect New York to roll over and allow their rival to walk all over them once again.

As Rankins put it, all these games are meaningful. Not just for the individuals in green and white, but for this franchise as a whole.

"With the amount of young guys that we've had playing and the amount of different guys we've had going in and out of the lineup, guys are getting meaningful snaps," Rankins said. "Not only for their career, but for this team, to go into the future and understand the type of identity—and the type of defense—we want to be."

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Jets for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. He also covers the New York Yankees, publisher  of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Yankees site, Inside The Pinstripes. Before starting out with SI, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. While at school, Goodman gathered valuable experience as an anchor and reporter on NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. Goodman previously interned at MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman and connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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