With Sunday's win over Buffalo (27-11), the New York Jets have now won six of the last seven against their division rival dating back to the 2008 season. Four of those games have been decided by less than 10 points, while the other three were more lopsided. One prevailing problem for the Bills in all of them has been taking care of the football.
In their last seven games against the Jets, the Bills have an astounding 22 turnovers averaging better than three per game. In contrast, New York over that same stretch with Buffalo has just 12 total giveaways, with a half dozen coming in one game.
Buffalo committed a high of six giveaways in their season finale at MetLife Stadium last season. In each of those seven matchups with the Jets the Bills have committed at least two turnovers.
Ten of Buffalo's giveaways have happened in the four home dates against the Jets. In those games New York turned it over just three times. Not surprisingly, the Jets won all four of those games on the road against the Bills, including Sunday's 27-11 final.
The Bills had a pair of interceptions and a second-half fumble Sunday. Though the three giveaways only resulted in seven points for the Jets the players know that trend has to stop.
"It was just how I got hit," said Fred Jackson of his third quarter fumble. "I'll take that one on the chin. That was my fault. I let my team down when I let the ball go. I can't do that. We can't have turnovers like that."
Buffalo is still very healthy overall in the takeaway-giveaway ratio this season as they currently sit at a plus-8 at the midway point of the season. Still, there is no denying that the Jets have a way of getting the best of the Bills when it comes to getting the ball back.
The only game the Bills have won in this seven-game stretch dating back to 2008, was the six-turnover game against the Jets that Buffalo won in 16-13 on Oct. 18, 2009. Buffalo picked off then rookie QB Mark Sanchez five times in that game and needed overtime to pull it out.
The Bills haven't been careless with the ball this season, with the exception of the Jets with Buffalo's three giveaways Sunday a single-game season high.
"They're an aggressive team," said Ryan Fitzpatrick. "We knew what they were going to do coming in. We knew they were going to play man coverage. That's what they did in the first half and unfortunately some of the stuff we had planned and prepared for that really didn't pan out. We didn't make the throw. We didn't make the play."
Knowing they face the Jets in three weeks time better ball security will be essential knowing the Bills haven't finished a game against New York without a turnover since Nov. 7, 2004.
"Nobody wanted to lose against the Jets," said Stevie Johnson. "So when the time comes we've got to be ready for them in three weeks."
