1 - McDermott prepared for motivated Jets in 'personal' matchup
Ask any player on the Jets roster, and they would tell you that the Bills embarrassed them on their home turf in Week 10.
Buffalo marched into MetLife Stadium and put up 41 points on the 3-6 Jets, winning the game by a 31-point margin. LeSean McCoy ran wild in the rout, picking up 113 yards on 26 carries.
The Bills will look to replicate this success again this weekend, as they'll host the Jets in a Week 14 battle this Sunday.
For Buffalo it's another game against a division rival, a team they've already beaten once this season.
For the Jets, there's a little extra motivation.
"Cut to the chase, man: It's personal," Jets safety Jamal Adams told ESPN’s Rich Cimini. "They came in and they whupped us. They don't like us, we don't like them, so it's going to be a tough battle."
Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott realizes that the Jets may come into New Era Field with a new energy on Sunday. He's not overly concerned, however, as he's focused on preparing his team for the matchup.
"I think that's human nature, but we're focused on us," McDermott said. "We understand that, it could be the case. The biggest thing we have to do is focus on us, our improvement, and continue to obviously get better every week."
2 - Foster talks budding chemistry with Allen
Robert Foster ran a 4.41-second 40-yard-dash at the 2018 NFL scouting combine, just .09 seconds off from the fastest recorded time at the event. And his game speed may be even faster than that.
Even though his blazing speed is a heavily advertised part of his game, Foster feels as though his quarterback could give him a challenge in a footrace.
"He can run," Foster said of rookie passer Josh Allen. "I've been wanting to race him, he's running so fast. Like I said, everybody works hard. We're all just going to feed off that positive energy."
Since returning from injury in Week 12, Allen has put his own speed and athleticism on display. He's rushed for 234 yards over the past two weeks, the third most of any player in the league over that span.
In addition to rushing for over 200 yards, Allen has passed for 391 yards and three scores since making his return. This increase in production has not stemmed from a change in preparation, according to Foster.
"He's always working hard," Foster said. "We all feed off of his energy. Hopefully we can continue to do that for these four weeks and get wins."
Allen and Foster have developed a budding chemistry with each other over the past number of weeks. The undrafted rookie out of Alabama has caught three passes for 121 yards and one touchdown since Week 12, quickly establishing himself as a reliable deep threat for the strong-armed Allen.
Though the two have already established a rapport, Foster is eager to improve his chemistry with his signal-caller.
"We've just got to keep building it, you know what I mean?" Foster said. "We missed out on a couple of plays . . . Everything takes time."
3 - Darnold has thrown 10 picks against zone coverage
A large turnover count topped the list of concerns surrounding quarterback Sam Darnold in the lead up to the 2018 draft. He threw 22 interceptions and lost 14 fumbles over his final two years at USC, good for 36 turnovers in a two-year span.
Darnold's turnover troubles have continued to haunt him in his rookie season. He's thrown 14 picks in nine starts. He leads the league in interceptions despite the fact that he's missed three games.
The majority of the signal caller's struggles have come against zone coverage. According to Pro Football Focus, the New York quarterback has a completion percentage of just 56.4 percent when throwing against defenses in zone schemes. He has a passer rating of just 56.8 against zone.
According to PFF, over 70 percent of Darnold's interceptions have come against zone looks. He's thrown 10 interceptions when the opposition is in zone compared to just one touchdown.
Darnold's turnover count may only increase in Week 14, as he'll be tasked with facing off against a talented Bills defense that deploys a zone-heavy scheme. Consistently seeing zone looks in front of a raucous New Era Field crowd could spell disaster for the rookie.
Buffalo's playmakers have emerged recently, as well, as the team currently finds itself on a four-game interception streak. Bills' defenders have picked off six passes over that stretch.
