At this point, it just feels as though the New York Jets are the sheep being led to the slaughterhouse.
Week 7 brings a matchup with the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS), who already took care of the Jets 27-17 to open what has now become a hellscape of a 2020 season for Gang Green.
While the Jets are playing for nothing more than the No. 1 draft pick and the job security of a few coaches or players, the Bills are looking to right their ship after losing two-straight games following a 4-0 start.
Buffalo was easily handled by the Tennessee Titans in Week 5, 42-16, before a nine-point loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday evening.
Normally, a shortened preparation schedule would bode well for their opposition, but the Jets are such a mess that this game could have been played on Tuesday and the Bills would still be favored.
The Bills’ main calling card last year, which saw them win 10 games and make the playoffs, was a stifling defense that was ranked second overall in the NFL.
It’s been far from the case this year, though. Buffalo’s defense is ranked 24th in points allowed, 25th in yards yielded, 27th in passing, and 27th in rushing.
Luckily for them, they’re playing the Jets, whose offense has been so lifeless that they’ve combined to score just 10 points combined over their last two games, including that Week 6 shutout loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Jets head coach Adam Gase continues to expose himself as a sham when it comes to directing an offense, getting next to nothing out of a shorthanded and unimpressive unit, to begin with.
They’re ranked dead-last in points scored this season, 29th in total yards gained, and second-to-last in passing yards accrued.
Needless to say it won’t be difficult for the Bills’ defense to gain some confidence this weekend, but against which quarterback is an entirely different question.
Jets starter Sam Darnold has missed the previous two games because of a shoulder injury, giving him a reprieve from playing with the worst team in the NFL while giving former Super Bowl MVP, Joe Flacco, to get his first starts with New York.
They weren’t good ones, though the immobile veteran was always set up to fail behind a poor offensive line and an offense that’s purging talent — like releasing Le’Veon Bell.
Flacco has completed just 51.9% of his passes this season for 397 yards, a touchdown, and an interception while getting sacked five times as the Jets have scored, as mentioned earlier, just 10 points in his two starts.
Still, there is no rush to get Darnold back on the field considering this season is already lost. Even more so because the Jets could be without their best remaining wide receiver in Jamison Crowder, who picked up a groin injury on Wednesday.
On the opposite sideline, Bills quarterback Josh Allen has experienced the same two-week swoon that his defense has. After a blistering start to the year, the Wyoming product has plummeted back down to earth with a 58.82% completion percentage, four touchdowns, and three interceptions against the Titans and Chiefs.
Expect him to rediscover the right stuff against the Jets, who rank 20th in the league with 378.8 total yards allowed per game. They also give up an average of 30.8 points per game, fourth-worst in the NFL.
