The final week of the 2019 regular season is upon us.
The Jets will take the field for the final time this season on Sunday when they travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills. New York is looking to exact revenge against Buffalo after blowing a 16-point lead to the Bills in Week 1, but it’s not going to be an easy task with Buffalo now established as one of the premier teams in the AFC.
The Bills are known for their defensive dominance, but their offense is not a unit that can be taken lightly. Josh Allen has done a nice job leading Buffalo in his second season under center, but he’s not at world-beater status quite yet.
What’s it going to take for the Jets to slow down Allen and company? Let’s take at what New York will have to do in order to accomplish that feat in Week 17.
Force Josh Allen into mistakes
For as much progress as Josh Allen has made this season, it’s important to remember he’s still a second-year signal caller.
Allen is susceptible to mistakes as any young quarterback is. He’s managed to limit the head-scratching decisions that plagued his rookie season this year, but that doesn’t mean he won’t make a mistake or two if he’s forced into a corner.
Whether it means sending some extra heat or getting creative with defensive fronts, Gregg Williams is going to have to do everything in his power to force Allen into uncomfortable situations on Sunday. If the Jets let him sit in the pocket or let him use his legs to make plays, it’ll be a long afternoon.
Limit chunk plays
A big reason why Buffalo was able to come back from 16 points down against the Jets in Week 1 was its ability to rip off chunk plays at key points in the game.
John Brown torched New York for seven catches, 123 yards, one touchdown and 17.6 yards per reception. Devin Singletary averaged 17.5 yards per carry on four rushes for 70 yards and tight end Tommy Sweeney, who serves primarily as a blocker, averaged 17.5 yards per reception on two catches for 35 yards.
If the Jets want to have any chance at winning on Sunday, they’re going to have to eliminate costly chunk plays. It was their downfall in September and it’s safe to assume Gregg Williams is game planning to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Take away Cole Beasley
Beasley only had five catches for 40 yards against the Jets in Week 1, but times have changed since the two teams last met.
Beasley has emerged as arguably Josh Allen’s favorite target over Buffalo’s last five games, hauling in 24 passes for 329 yards and three touchdowns. Beasley has become somewhat of a safety blanket for Allen working out of the slot. His ability to make plays after the catch has also helped Buffalo move the chains effectively.
The Jets already contained Beasley once this season, but the circumstances are different now. Beasley now has a solid rapport with his quarterback and Allen is looking his way with increased regularity. New York will have to ensure the shifty slot receiver doesn’t burn them at any point on Sunday in order to achieve defensive success.
Bring the heat
The Bills are a different team when Josh Allen spends a lot of time on his back.
In Buffalo’s five losses this season, Allen has been sacked 19 times. In those losses, he has failed to complete over 50% of his passes once, as he has not had time to sit in the pocket and scan the defense.
It’s not rocket science. Get to a quarterback and odds are he’ll struggle. Gregg Williams is well aware of his heading into New York’s rematch with the Bills. Expect Gang Green’s already blitz-heavy defensive play caller to turn up the heat even more on Sunday.
