After a tumultuous summer (an injury to rookie LB Reggie Ragland, the suspension of DT Marcel Dareus and the suspension and release of RB Karlos Williams), the Bills got off to a bad start against a mediocre Ravens team.
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If New York were to start 0-2, the sad truth is that the sky would be falling down way too soon. Last season, he went 0-2, throwing four touchdowns and five interceptions.
CBS has the rights to air the first five Thursday Night Football games, and NBC will broadcast the remaining five Thursday night games. Rookie Kevon Seymour makes his planned debut tonight, and Jerel Worthy is also active after injuring himself during the Ravens game.
Still, it figures to be a defensive struggle. Watkins had a team-best 43 yards receiving against the Ravens, and spent this week trying out a new, wider set of cleats to ease the pain. Squaring off against the Jets in a primetime Thursday night game the Bills must look to finally make some noise within the division.
Watkins got the better of Revis last season.
The Bills success is reliant of that on a strong run game led by Lesean McCoy who helped lead the charge on offense a year ago.
Earlier in the week, Watkins told ESPN that he would be on the field against the Jets.
He has far more pressing concerns facing a short week of practice and questions about an offense that sputtered in a season-opening 13-7 loss at Baltimore, and could be missing two key starters to injury. The Jets lost to the Bengals after giving up a 47-yard field-goal in the last minute.
Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is not going to be as easy to take down, however, as he is one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the league. It was Rex Ryan’s first time back in NY since the Jets fired him and the end result was exactly what everyone was hoping for.
Translation: Rex Ryan has Fitzpatrick’s number. Nobody on either team needs to be reminded that the Bills swept the Jets previous year, with Rex extra-fired up each time (especially in a November Thursday night win at the Meadowlands), and it pretty much cost the Jets the playoffs. The Bills’ front seven is still missing Marcell Dareus (suspended) and Shaq Lawson (injured). It’s hard to see Fitzpatrick having a big night.
Lose to Buffalo Thursday, and this would put them 2-4, and remember, they have two games left with New England later in the season. The Bills generally run the ball better, but part of that comes from being more committed to it.
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The Jets have to be ready with a counter to the Bills’ initial defensive attack. Against the Bengals, Fitzpatrick’s timing was off on a lot of passes, and that cost the Jets multiple times. Yet he stays inactive for a second week, while the Bills made a roster move to sign (and activate) Gabe Ikard today as their interior depth, as Ryan Groy was needed for tonight’s swing tackle job.
