Top 3 Individual Matchups
1. Terrell Owens vs. Darrelle Revis –In the first meeting Revis held Owens to three catches for just 13 yards. But Owens appears back to form of late with 14 catches for 293 yards and two TDs in his last two games. It is the marquee matchup of the game.
2. Aaron Schobel vs. D'Brickashaw Ferguson –Schobel considers Ferguson one of the top three left tackles in football, but it doesn't mean he hasn't had success against him. Still in the first meeting Schobel wasn't able to get a whole lot of pressure on Jets QB Mark Sanchez. Will the rematch be different?
3. Jonathan Scott vs. Calvin Pace –Despite missing the first four games due to suspension, Pace still leads the Jets in sacks. Scott had a pretty good performance last week against Jason Taylor, which will serve as good preparation for what Pace can dish out.
Bills Top 2 Advantages
Good advantage –Kick return – Buffalo's return unit has been top 10 caliber as Fred Jackson has served admirably in the role averaging almost 26 yards a return. The Jets meanwhile have been uncharacteristically struggling in coverage ranking 27th in the league.
Best advantage –Pass defense – The Bills rank seventh in the league in pass defense, and it's not just because teams have been able to run against them. Buffalo is second in the league in interceptions with 21 and ranks second in passes defensed with 62. Conversely, New York stands 29th in passing and quarterback Mark Sanchez has the third highest interception total in the league with 17.
Bills Number 1 Must
Neutralize Thomas JonesCompletely shutting down the Jets' feature back might be a bit unrealistic, but if they can hold Thomas Jones to around 100 yards and not give up any long runs, similar to their performance last week they'll have a good chance of coming out on top. Yes, Ricky Williams rushed for 115 yards last week, but his longest carry went for just 11. That kind of performance by Buffalo's run defense could be enough to put the Bills in position to win.
Scouting Eye
Color codedIn an effort to help rookie QB Mark Sanchez's decision making as to when to take a chance and when not to, the Jets coaching staff color coded his play call wrist band last week. Plays shaded in red mean don't take any unnecessary risk. Plays shaded in yellow mean you need to proceed with caution before you let it fly. Plays shaded in green mean taking more risk is acceptable. The results were better. Sanchez completed 13-17 passes and had just one interception in a win, as opposed to six INTs in the two games prior, both losses.
Jet's 'D' stingyNew York's defense hasn't been quite as dominant in terms of big plays since the loss of NT Kris Jenkins in Week 6, but they're still keeping yards and points to a minimum. The Jets currently rank second in the league in yards allowed per game (283.6), and rank seventh in the NFL in points allowed (17.7). New York has surrendered an average of just 4.54 yards per play, which is a league best.
Opposing QBs struggleNew York's defense has done a good job of confusing opposing quarterbacks this season. It's why the Jets rank third in the NFL in opponent passer rating (65.9). Quarterbacks have completed just 55 percent of their passes against the Jets this season with seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Only two quarterbacks have posted a passer rating of better than 100 against the Jets this season.
Keller catching onJets tight end Dustin Keller was not much of a factor in the first meeting with the Bills, but has become a more frequent target of Mark Sanchez of late. In his last four games, Keller has caught 21 of his 36 passes this season with three of his six longest pass plays taking place over that span as well. Keller stands second on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards.
Ground and poundBehind an experienced offensive line Thomas Jones is still pounding out yardage as he's just 41 yards away from his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season. Jones ranks 6th in the league in rushing and is tied for 4th in touchdowns with nine. The Jets average over 160 yards rushing per game (161.3) good for second in the league.
Jones ran for a career-high 210 yards in Week 6 against Buffalo, which included the two longest runs of his career (64, 71). The 71-yard run went for a touchdown. The 318 yards gained on the ground by the Jets was the second-highest total allowed by the Bills in franchise history.
Washington replacementsSince Leon Washington suffered a season ending injury in Week 7, the Jets have struggled to replace his versatility. Shonn Greene has served most often as the complementary rusher to Jones, with reserve receivers Brad Smith and Danny Woodhead also serving in rushing and receiving capacities.
Buffalo Chips
Quote of the week"I'm not a stranger to competition, I know it was pretty physical the first time we faced them, so again, they're not going to be faced with the team that they saw the first time. I hope they don't think they're going to see the same me that they saw the first time. So I'm definitely looking forward to it and really preparing myself for a four-quarter fight."
--WR Terrell Owens
Stat of the weekBuffalo's Week 12 win over Miami marked the first time the Bills scored touchdowns on all of their red zone opportunities (2-2) since Week 1 at New England, when they also went 2-2.
Milestones in reach
Lee Evans needs 115 receiving yards to move into sole possession of third place on the team's all-time receiving yardage list.
Rian Lindell needs one point for 700 in his Bills career.
Terrell Owens needs nine receptions for 1,000 in his career.
Final NoteThe Bills are 4-1 this season in games in which they have posted two interceptions or more.
