Monday Night Football Week 6 Preview
Buffalo Bills (3-2) vs New York Jets (2-3)
- Spread: Bills -1.5
- Over/Under: 40.5
Breakdown
This AFC East battle is a significant game for both teams, even if it is only week six. The Jets are under the leadership of new interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich, while the Bills are looking to get a win after dropping their last two games. The Bills lost a tough one in week 5, as the Texans beat them on a last-second field goal. They are looking to bounce back against a Jets team that has not quite clicked this season. Josh Allen will have to do plenty of the heavy lifting as he has had to do all season. Top receiving option Khalil Shakir is listed as questionable and is a true game-time decision. Running back James Cook is also questionable to play with a toe injury, although it is looking like Cook will play in this contest. The rest of the Bills pass catchers are going to have to take a big step up to compete with this solid Jets defense. Rookie receiver Keon Coleman, along with tight end Dalton Kincaid, look to be the top pass-catching threats, and Josh Allen needs them to take the next step. Allen is averaging 189 yards passing per game through the first 5 weeks.
The Jets have dropped their last two games by 1 score and would like to get off to a good start under their new head coach, Jeff Ulbrich. The Jets lost to the Vikings in week 5 and fired head coach Robert Saleh soon after. Aaron Rodgers has been alright to start the season but he has had to do most of the heavy lifting. Rodgers has averaged 218 yards a game while throwing 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Breece Hall is supposed to be one of the league’s premier backs but has not shown it yet. Hall is only averaging 39 rushing yards a game and 29 receiving yards. If Hall can get going on the ground, that will be vital for the long-term success of this Jets offense. Top pass catcher Garrett Wilson has had an up-and-down season yet finds himself 3rd in the league in total receptions with 33. Wilson needs to continue to be Rodgers go-to target and chain mover. Allen Lazard has proven to be a very good number 2 target and has already brought in 4 touchdowns.
Keys To Victory
Bills: Get Allen in a rhythm early. Get Allen and his pass catchers settled into the contest early and often. Quick passes and easy completions before getting too complex. Allen only completed 9 passes in their week 5 loss. Getting the Jets defense to respect the passing game of the Bills will open up both James Cook and Allen in the ground game.
Jets: Establish the Run. Breece Hall and Braelon Allen need to be involved in this offensive scheme from the get-go. Hall has elite playmaking ability but has yet to showcase his game-breaking ability. With a positive rushing attack, Rodgers can utilize the play-action and unlock this offense. The Jets defense has been solid all season, averaging 17 points against per game.
Prop Bet Pick
Josh Allen Over 34.5 Rush Yards (-113)
The Jets play very good defense so Allen may need to scramble consistently to move the chains. James Cook is also a little banged up heading into this game so that can mean a couple more designed runs for Allen. The Bills are short on proven pass catchers and Allen has no problem trying to take the game over with his legs. This line has hit in 3/5 games this season.
DFS Sleeper Picks
Bills: Tyler Bass. The Bills pass catchers are a mess and it’s tough to predict who will be involved. Bass has been solid this season, scoring 8 or more fantasy points in 4/5 games this season. It’s not flashy but taking a shot on Hollins, Samuel, or Knox seems very risky.
Ray Davis has the second most carries on the team and I expect him to be the next man up if Cook cannot suit up. It will be split with Ty Johnson, but Davis has outpaced him to start this season. Davis only played 2 snaps in week 5 but received targets on those 2 plays. The backup running back position is up in the air, but Davis is the more exciting pick.
Jets: Braelon Allen. Allen has been getting more and more involved and I see that trend continuing. The rookie has shown major flashes and Rodgers trusts him in the passing game as well. Allen has 2 or more catches in 3/5 games this season. The Bills rank dead last at defending the running back position and Allen is much cheaper than Hall to put into your lineup.
