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The New York Jets are far better than anybody anticipated. Their record of 3-5 doesn’t indicate how well they have played, and they could easily be sitting at 5-2 with the Buffalo Bills. The short week will make it tough for both teams, but Buffalo will have to pay special attention to these five Jets.
WR Robby Anderson
Last year Anderson signed with the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Temple. Now he is the Jets’ leading receiver. Anderson has good speed and should be able to stretch the Bills secondary. Anderson will give their offense an opportunity to throw up deep shots, as well as catching underneath routes. In their first matchup the Bills were able to contain Anderson to only four catches for 22 yards.
RB Bilal Powell
Powell has emerged as the best running back on the Jets roster. In Week one, the Jets gave the Bills defense a heavy dose of Matt Forte, who has since been relegated to backup duties. Powell has become the leading rusher on the team and is averaging 4.3 yards per carry. The Bills defense has made their name stopping the run this year and Powell will try and make that difficult tonight. Back in Week one, Powell still produced meager numbers, only gaining 22 yards on seven carries.
QB Josh McCown
McCown is a different kind of quarterback. He has been the model of inconsistency throughout his career; while he has been very productive this season, he always seems prone to throwing an abysmal interception at some point during the game. This season he has thrown seven interceptions, the eighth-most in the league. However, McCown also boasts one of the highest completion percentages in the NFL at over 70%. The defense has to be prepared for their chance for an interception, because McCown will probably complete nearly everything else.
CB Morris Claiborne
Claiborne, the Jets leading CB, has been listed as questionable on the injury report all week after suffering a foot injury. If Claiborne is able to play though, he’ll prove to be a difficult CB to get open against. So far in 2017 he had 6 pass breakups and one interception. With the lack of production from the Bills wide receivers this season, Claiborne playing could be terrible news for Tyrod Taylor and company.
DE Leonard Williams
With defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson doubtful to play, Williams is the best defensive lineman the Jets have. Williams usually shifts around the offensive line to find the best match up that he can exploit. This season, it has resulted in 27 tackles and 11 QB hits. Although he doesn’t have any sacks yet this season, Williams will make Taylor uncomfortable and force him to make throws earlier than he wants.