Previewing the New York Jets’ opposition: Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills have been dethroned as the AFC East champions but are still heading to the postseason, so the Jets could see plenty of rotation from a team than beat them 30-10 back in September.

Let’s break down the Bills’ roster going position by position:

Quarterbacks

The reigning MVP, Josh Allen, hasn’t been as good this year as he was last year, as he’s thrown 10 interceptions. However, he’s actually posted better numbers for completion percentage, passing yards per game, yards per attempt and quarterback rating. He has also rushed for more yards and touchdowns on his way to another pro bowl appearance.

Reports indicate that Allen might not play the whole game on Sunday, which potentially puts backup Mitchell Trubisky into the spotlight.

Trubisky has 57 starts in his NFL career but is just 0-2 in the past three seasons and last won a start back in 2022 with Pittsburgh. He’s thrown just six passes all year.

The Bills don’t have a number three on the roster or practice squad, so Allen may be need to stay alert if he leaves the game, in case Trubisky gets hurt.

Offensive Line

Buffalo has had a healthy offensive line for most of the year, as they brought back a group that already had plenty of experience of playing together.

The interior trio of David Edwards at left guard, O’Cyrus Torrence on the right and Connor McGovern at center have all played over 1,000 snaps for the second year in a row. McGovern has yet to give up a sack.

The tackles are Spencer Brown and Dion Dawkins. For the fifth straight year, Dawkins was voted to the pro bowl. That’s despite the fact that he leads the Bills with six sacks allowed and 10 offensive penalties.

The only reserves to start any games were backup tackle Ryan Van Demark and Alec Anderson, who each started against Pittsburgh when Dawkins and Brown were both out. Van Demark also started two other games in place of Brown. Anderson can also play inside or as a jumbo package tight end.

Backup center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger has only played 22 snaps all year and sixth round rookie Chase Lundt has played just three snaps. Lundt is now on injured reserve so Tylan Grable is now on the roster in his place.

Running Backs

James Cook is heading back to the pro bowl as well, as he leads the NFL with 1,606 rushing yards this year. He also has 14 total touchdowns and has caught 33 passes.

Ray Davis rushed for 442 yards as a rookie, including 97 against the Jets, but he hasn’t played as much this year and has less than 150 rushing yards. Davis and Ex-Jet Ty Johnson might get more action than usual on Sunday if the Bills opt to rest Cook down the stretch. Johnson is a solid third down back who has accounted for 19 first downs this year.

Fullback Reggie Gilliam has touched the ball just once all year, on a two-yard catch.

Pass catchers

Wide receiver Khalil Shakir and tight end Dalton Kincaid have been Allen’s most reliable weapons this year. Shakir leads the team with 72 catches and over 700 receiving yards, while Kincaid has a team-high five touchdown catches.

There is good depth at the tight end position with Dawson Knox and rookie Jackson Hawes having caught three touchdowns each, and they could be needed this week with Kincaid listed as questionable. However, at the wide receiver position the Bills have had a variety of options that have failed to maintain a starting role.

Keon Coleman looked like he was going to break out earlier in the season but he’s been increasingly unreliable over the course of the year and was recently benched for disciplinary reasons. He has 36 catches, though.

Josh Palmer has 21 catches, Tyrell Shavers has been in and out of the rotation despite averaging over 16 yards per catch, Curtis Samuel is on injured reserve and Elijah Moore was released. Due to this uncertainty the Bills added veteran Brandin Cooks and re-signed Gabe Davis in the middle of the season. Cooks stepped up with a 100-yard game last week against the Eagles.

Ex-Jet Mecole Hardman has also seen action off the practice squad in recent weeks and undrafted rookie tight end Keleki Latu was recently added to the roster.

Defensive Line

Buffalo’s big offseason addition – Joey Bosa – has formed a good partnership on the edge with Gregory Rousseau. While Rousseau leads the team with seven sacks and 23 hits, Bosa leads them in tackles for loss and leads the entire league with five forced fumbles. He is listed as questionable though.

Former starter AJ Epenesa provides useful depth along with Javon Solomon. However, third round rookie Landon Jackson is now on injured reserve, as is Michael Hoecht, who played in just two games after coming off the suspended list and then tore his Achilles.

The Bills have been without Ed Oliver for most of the season, forcing rookie Deone Walker into the starting lineup alongside veteran Daquan Jones.

Buffalo has plenty of experienced options on the bench with Larry Ogunjobi, Jordan Phillips and recent Jets cast-off Phidarian Mathis. Rookie TJ Sanders has also featured in the rotation and started on Sunday with Jones inactive. Jones is out again and Phillips is questionable, so Sanders may get another start.

Linebackers

Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard are the starters at the linebacker position with Milano currently playing a full-time role. However, Shaq Thompson and Dorian Williams also get regular playing time and that will be the case again on Sunday because Bernard has been ruled out.

Milano has 3.5 sacks in 12 games but Williams and Bernard have seen a drop in playing time and production as each had over 100 tackles in 2024.

Joe Andreessen is also on the roster but his primary role is on special teams.

Defensive Backs

The Bills have a solid trio of cornerbacks with Christian Benford and Tre’Davious White on the outside and Taron Johnson in the slot. White leads the team with 10 pass breakups and Benford has two defensive touchdowns.

The only backup to receive any significant playing time has been first round pick Maxwell Hairston. Cam Lewis and fifth round rookie Jordan Hancock can also back up at the cornerback positions although each has played more at the safety position.

Cole Bishop, who leads the team in tackles and interceptions, starts at safety with Jordan Poyer, although Poyer was inactive and Lewis started in his place against the Eagles. Poyer is out again on Sunday.

Darnell Savage and Sam Franklin are also available to provide depth at safety but Damar Hamlin is on injured reserve.

Special Teams

The Bills have been without injured kicker Tyler Bass all season and his replacement Michael Prater missed the last few games due to injury. In his absence, Michael Badgley had a key missed extra point in a one-point loss to the Eagles and was released a few days ago. Prater, who has missed five kicks all season, is expected back on Sunday.

Punters Brad Robbins and Cameron Johnston were released earlier in the season with the much more effective Mitch Wishnowsky taking over that role.

The Brandon Codrington experiment is basically over as the Bills have had Shakir as their punt returner and Davis as the kickoff returner for the bulk of the season. Davis, who is backed up by Johnson, currently leads the league in return average and had a 97 yard touchdown.

Franklin has been productive in a primary gunner role. Andreessen, Gilliam and Williams are the Bills’ other leading tacklers in kick coverage.

Previewing the New York Jets’ opposition: Buffalo Bills

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