ESPN’s Football Power Index has given the Bills’ a 63.2% chance of beating the Jets on Thursday night, but the oddsmakers now have the home side listed as 1.5-point favourites for the battle.
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After a disappointing loss against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 01 on Sunday, they opened the league Week 02 on Thursday night against division rival Buffalo Bills. Marshall immediately grabbed his knee and lay on the field for a few minutes before getting up on his own and slowly making his way to the sideline.
After punts by both teams, the Jets put together a lengthy drive which resulted in the second of three Forte touchdowns.
About last year’s fourth quarter in Buffalo, about how he couldn’t beat a Rex Ryan defense. Fitzpatrick completed 24-of-34 passes for 374 yards and a touchdown, and three of his receivers had at least 90 receiving yards.
Marshall limped back to the locker room.
The Bills offense found little else offensively besides a field goal late in the second quarter in the first half.
But Ryan said it’s not as simple as him having Fitzpatrick’s number.
With an 84-yard touchdown pass to Marquise Goodwin and a 71-yard TD pass to Greg Salas, Taylor became Buffalo’s fifth quarterback to throw two touchdowns of 70-yards or longer in the same game. Ryan was justified: Both Gilmore and Darby ranked in the top 15 in Pro Football Focus’ grading of cornerbacks last season, and both were within the top 11 of passes defensed among NFL defensive players. Lineman Sheldon Richardson and linebacker Darron Lee met him there. If Sammy Watkins is out I’m not sure how the Bills have any shot at winning.
Crisis averted. Marshall finished with six receptions and 101 yards. The three of them averaged 17.7 yards per catch.Matt Forte had 100 yards and scored three touchdowns, but he only averaged 3.3 yards per carry.Rex and Rob Ryan gave up 493 yards to an offense quarterbacked by Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The Jets (1-1) are at the Chiefs in Week 3. LeSean McCoy, who’s run for 1,000 yards four times in his career, will test the Jets all game long.
The Jets responded to score 17 consecutive points, capped by Matt Forte’s third touchdown on a 12-yard run.
Once again Fitzpatrick led a scoring drive, putting the Jets ahead 37-24. New York’s Ryan was able to find Quincy Enunwa, 24, and Eric Decker, 29, for a pair of touchdowns, but some critically dropped passes and an interception (courtesy of Josh Shaw, 24) sealed the Jets’ doom.
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I’m personally not very high on Buffalo this season, and as a Lions fan I’ve seen what a tough start of schedule can do to a decent team, and can see that if the Jets lose tonight, their chances of going 0-6 to start the season are very real.
