Buffalo Rumblings
The New York Jets host the Buffalo Bills this week in their second consecutive home game to start the 2025 NFL season. Last week, they hung tough against old friend Aaron Rodgers and his new team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, before dropping a hard-fought 34-32 contest. This week, they’re dealing with a Bills team that came back to beat the Baltimore Ravens 41-40 in a wild game.
Buffalo has beaten the Jets in their last three meetings, last losing to them on opening night in the 2023 NFL season. The Jets, though, have won two out of the last three meetings between these two teams at MetLife Stadium.
Can the Bills beat the Jets to go 2-0 on the season? Can they improve on their horrid run defense from last Sunday night? How will they be able to emerge victorious this weekend? Here are the five Jets players we think are the keys to Buffalo attaining those goals—and for the Jets to spoil them.
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QB Justin Fields
Fields had a great game last week in his Jets debut, completing 73% of his passes for 218 yards and a score. He also rushed for 48 yards and two more touchdowns. If that sounds like something that could give the Bills trouble, well, it’s because it could, as the Ravens and 2023 MVP Lamar Jackson were able to do similar things. Granted, Fields isn’t the passer Jackson is, especially when under pressure, but he is a phenomenal weapon with his legs, and he throws a good ball when he has time to let it go.
The Bills will have to be much more disciplined in their read-option defense, as the edges were horrible for much of the night last Sunday. They’ll also need to vary their looks and send some pressure from different angles to keep Fields uncomfortable. Otherwise, we could see some familiarly frustrating drives from a Bills’ opponent this week.
RB Braelon Allen
Breece Hall is the starter, and he is both explosive and tough. He rushed for 107 yards last week, and he’s had plenty of success against Buffalo in his career (48 carries for 308 yards in four games). However, I’m going with the bruiser in Allen as the player to watch this week due in part to the Bills’ struggles last weekend with the powerful Derrick Henry.
Is Braelon Allen Derrick Henry? No. Allen isn’t nearly as talented as a future Hall of Fame player. However, it’s that size that worries me, especially if the Bills crash and sell out on keeping Fields from running in formations where Allen is on the field. If he’s running against a nickel defense, his eyes will light up once he makes it to the secondary. The Bills need to keep the Jets ground game from taking off this week, and stopping the three-headed monster of Fields, Hall, and Allen is essential to victory.
WR Garrett Wilson
This guy is just flat-out good. Buffalo’s defensive backfield is still a little bit...
