Bills Jets Week 9

-Coast

The Bills Jets game on Sunday afternoon is one of the 3 biggest games in Orchard Park since the turn of the century. The Bills are sitting at 5-2 and in my opinion, are in a must win situation. The Bills could easily go into Foxborough at 6-2 and one game clear of New England (who play at Lucas Oil Stadium Sunday Night against a desperate football game), but with a loss, they fall behind the Jets and Patriots and will go into Gillette in a tail spin.

The Bills just did not show up last week, simple as that. Fumble, interception, safety, fumble, muffed punt...that is what happened the last 5 time the Bills had the football. That is not going to get you any 4th quarter comeback wins. Now that we have had 5 days to recover though, let's look at this realistically. The Bills are 5-2 and in first place through 8 weeks and if you would have told me this before the season, I would have loved it. No divisional road game is an easy win...and Miami plays up (and down) to their opponents.

The Jets meanwhile survived Kansas City at home. Brett Favre threw 3 interceptions against the vaunted 1-6 Chief defense. The week before that, the Jets lost to the Raiders in the Black Hole. Favre threw another 2 interceptions in that game. That is 5 interceptions to the Raiders and Chiefs, two teams with a combined 3-11 record.

The gameplan seems simple...pressure Favre and he will make mistakes. The only problem is, the Bills have had a pathetic pass rush. The Bills have 12 sacks this season through 7 games and 5 of those came in week one. 7 sacks in the past 6 games...that is bad. Schobel will be out once again. This hurts us as much as I think Schobel is overrated. Ryan Denney is a terrible player and should not be playing ever. Chris Kelsay is making 5.5 million dollars per year or something close to that and he is invisible out there. He has one sack and really has just been invisible. Copeland Bryan and Chris Ellis will be the reserve ends...Ellis, the rookie, has barely played if at all...I'd like to see him get a snap or two to see what he's got. The Bills need to Blitz and when they blitz they need to get in Favre's face...or else he could pick us apart. McGee is playing and is feeling better and has a lot to prove this week...he will have to cover Coles who is a much better player than Ginn. Wasn't this Bills defense supposed to be a defense that forced a lot of mistakes on the opposing offenses? They have 4 interceptions the entire year. Ugly.

On offense, I better see more of number 23 this week. Only 13 carries last week? On the sideline inside the 10 yard line on our first drive? Lynch was averaging 5 a pop and somehow only got 13 carries. That is a joke. Bills running hacks have had a history of torching the New York Jets and tomorrow better be more of the same...although the Jets do have the 4th ranked rushing defense in the NFL allowing 82.6 yards per game. Trent Edwards hopefully will forget about that ugly 4th quarter last week and go back to being the Trent we knew weeks 1 through 7. The Jets pass defense ranks 23rd in the league...and allowed a very respectable day to Tyler Thigpen last week, 280 and 2 Tds, with no Ints. So hopefully Trent and Lee Evans can make some big plays.

On the injury front, Josh Reed will be out as well as Schobel. That means Hardy will see more time. It is about time for him to start to make a larger contribution. Brad Butler is also out, Duke Preston will be starting at center which means Jason Whittle will get the nod at right guard. The healthy Melvin Fowler has finally been relegated to bench where he belongs. McGee and Youboty are both playing this week. Hopefully they are both getting back to where they were in the beginning of the season. Without these two guys healthy, this secondary is very week...they have gotten lit up big time recently. The number 11 overall pick can't even get on the field when McGee is obviously much less than 100%. What a bad draft pick...Can be at least break a kick return at some point or do something? The 2008 draft class is MIA.

On a side not, USA today selected their all pro team at the seasons mid point recently. Donte Whitner was selected as the strong safety. He has made one play this season that I can remember. This is the excerpt next to his name: "No questions now about whether Buffalo reached to draft him eighth overall in 2006." Are you serious?
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-10-29-midseason-all-pro-team_N.htm

Last week I predicted a Bills 31-9 rout...but I only picked that because I felt like I had to pick the Bills to win...if you read my preview blog, I said I thought the Bills would lose. This Sunday though, I can't imagine a scenario that results in the Bills losing this game...they can't lose this game...can they? If the Bills are a playoff contender they will undoubtedly win because let's face it, the Jets just aren't that good at all. I am still worried that the Bills are the same old Bills. We have the same coach who kicks field goals on 4th and goal from the 1 and wastes challenges more than anyone in the league. This time I really do think the Bills will win and if they don't that would suck because we just dropped 7 hundo on 5 tickets to Gillette. The Bills will win and cover the number...27-17.