It has been a wild, wild week for the New York Jets.
Head coach Robert Saleh was fired at the beginning of the week, sending shockwaves across the team and the NFL as a whole. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was immediately tapped as his replacement.
Week 6 Matchup
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Ulbrich then decided to demote offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and promote passing game coordinator Todd Downing to play-caller. This all occurred in the midst of swirling rumors and speculation about how these decisions came to pass.
And now, if that wasn’t enough, the Jets have to play a game for first place in the AFC East.
New York welcomes the Buffalo Bills to MetLife Stadium for Monday Night Football this week. The AFC East showdown has high stakes for the Jets; a win thrusts them into first place, whereas a loss would put them two games behind Buffalo for the division lead.
Can the Jets pull off the victory with Ulbrich at the helm? Or will they fall flat at the hands of their division rival? Follow along as we preview the Jets’ big Week 6 matchup.
Jets vs. Bills Game Info
- New York Jets (2-3)
- Buffalo Bills (3-2)
- 2024 NFL Week 6
- Monday, October 14th, 8:15 p.m. EST
- ESPN
- MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
For the fourth time in six games, the Jets will play in a standalone window.
New York and Buffalo will close out Week 6 on Monday Night Football. The divisional clash can be viewed on ESPN on Monday, Oct. 12 at 8:15 p.m. ET. Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters are set to be the broadcast team for the pivotal matchup. ESPN2 offers the alternate “Manningcast” broadcast.
The Jets are going with a throwback combination. New York is wearing “The Classic,” which features a mix of uniform aspects from the team’s long history. The uniform contains elements from the team’s Super Bowl era in the 1960s and the uniforms worn from 1998 throughout 2018, complemented with the more brother Gotham Green shade.
If you didn't already know the uniform this week, now you know. pic.twitter.com/gFWuhRCg8i
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 11, 2024
Jets vs. Bills Game History
- Buffalo leads the all-time series over New York 69-58-0
In the all-time series between these two rivals, the Bills have a considerable advantage.
Buffalo leads New York 69-58 in the history of these two teams playing against each other. However, the matchup has been very close in the past two seasons.
New York and Buffalo have split the season series 2-2 from 2022-2023. In 2023, the Jets won their Week 1 matchup against Buffalo in crazy fashion, as rookie Xavier Gipson returned a punt for a touchdown in overtime. It was also the game where Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles and was lost for the season.
Buffalo rebounded resoundingly later in the season, defeating New York by a score of 32-6.
Jets vs. Bills Odds (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Ahead of the Monday night showdown, the Jets are once again slight underdogs.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Jets are 2.5-point underdogs as of the writing of this article. The Bills also hold a slight advantage regarding the moneyline; Buffalo is a -130 favorite, while New York is a +110 underdog. Regarding the expected point total, the over/under sits at 40.5 points.
These lines are perfectly reasonable for both teams. Throughout the first five games of the season, the Bills have been slightly better than the Jets. However, they are generally very even when it comes to their teams’ overall construction.
Jets vs. Bills Injury Report
New York Jets
- CB Michael Carter II (Back) – Out
- LB C.J. Mosley (Toe) – Questionable
- TE Tyler Conklin (Hip) – Questionable
On the positive side of things, offensive tackle Morgan Moses is set to be back in the lineup on Monday night. He brings his veteran presence back to an offensive line that has struggled in the past few weeks.
Defensive tackle Leki Fotu will also make his debut for the Jets against the Buffalo Bills. As a player who primarily focuses on stopping the run, Foptu should help a defensive line that has struggled to do so at times this season.
Unfortunately, the Jets will be down star slot cornerback Michael Carter II. Without his high-level tackling or coverage in the lineup, New York will have to rely on Isaiah Oliver and Brandin Echols to step up.
Buffalo Bills
- DT Ed Oliver (Hamstring) – Out
- RB James Cook (Toe) – Questionable
- WR Khalil Shakir (Ankle) – Questionable
- DT Austin Johnson (Oblique) – Questionable
- CB Taron Johnson (Forearm) – Questionable
The Bills are very banged up heading into a Monday night matchup with the Jets.
Talented defensive tackle Ed Oliver is officially out for the game. His absence is a huge loss for a unit that has already faced its fair share of struggles through five weeks this season.
James Cook and Khalil Shakir are two vital pieces of the offense. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cook is planning to play, although he remains listed as questionable.
Taron Johnson has a shot at returning from his forearm injury against the Jets on Monday. If he plays this week, it will significantly boost Buffalo’s tackling and slot coverage.
Jets vs. Bills Game Prediction
- New York defeats Buffalo 26-24
More so than any Jets game this season, predicting the result is extremely difficult.
There is no basis to judge Ulbrich’s coaching style or how Downing will implement his offensive scheme. There is also no sample size to determine how the players will respond to the changes or adjust in-game under the new coaching system.
However, I am banking on the Jets coming out and playing one of their better games of the season.
There is no more comfortability or excuse-making for the Jets, as one of the most important heads in the organization has rolled five games into the season. New York needs to come out fast and play to its talent level on Monday night.
The Jets have the talent to beat the Bills. And for one of the rare times this season, I do expect the coaching, play-calling, and discipline to follow suit. Give me the Jets in a close one over the Bills, 26-24.
