In a lot of ways, this is a really evenly matched football game. Both the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets are good up front on both sides of the ball. Both defenses are also strong, which makes sense since both teams have defensively-minded coached in Sean McDermott and Todd Bowles.
The big thing, though, is that it's hard to score points on Buffalo. The Bills utilize a bend-but-don't-break pass defense that holds teams to field goals or knocks them out of the red zone more often than not. That's going to continue in this matchup.
Now, Buffalo does give up yards against the pass, but the Jets aren't built to take advantage of that. On the other side, the Jets run defense—which is 27th in the NFL—is a liability against the Bills running game.
One team has a formula for winning football games. That's the Bills. They know what they want to do, they're hot, and that's why they're 5-2. Look for Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy to make a few more plays than anyone on the Jets offense is capable of making.
Prediction: Bills 20, Jets 17
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CBS Sports, Pete Prisco](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/features/writers/prisco/picks)
The Bills are one of the surprise teams so far at 5-2, but this is a division rival on a short week. That can be a problem. I think the Jets are playing feisty football and will do so here. In fact, I think the defense leads them to an upset victory.
NY Jets 21, Bills 20
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Beating the Jets on opening day didn't seem like an omen for the start the Bills have gotten off to. In hindsight, though, all the elements were there: tough, opportunistic defense, LeSean McCoy piling up yards, Tyrod Taylor making the most out of limited weapons, Steven Hauschka upgrading the kicking game. The Jets have not been awful, but they have not overachieved the way the Bills have.
Prediction: Bills, 27-17
Don't look now, but it would appear the Bills might be the real deal. They have won four of their past five and have allowed the second fewest points in the league. After winning three in a row, the Jets have lost three in a row, though by a total of 15 points. And they have some injury problems at cornerback.
Prediction: Bills, 23-18
Buffalo at home: 4-0. Buffalo on the road: 1-2. The Bills are one of the NFL's biggest surprises, but don't be shocked if a road game on a short week vs. a rival trips them up.
THE PICK: Jets.
MDS's take: The Bills are a run-first team, but against a weak Jets pass defense I see Tyrod Taylor hitting some deep balls, and Buffalo putting a lot of points on the board.
MDS's pick: Bills 31, Jets 21.
Florio's take: Buffalo keeps finding ways to win, the Jets keep finding ways to lose. The Bills may be finding their way back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999.
Florio's pick: Bills 24, Jets 20.
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