Bills vs. Jets Game Preview: Top storyline, odds, player to watch, & score prediction

Week 2 is upon us, and the Buffalo Bills are in a familiar position, sitting at 1-0 following an historic comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1.

Now, Buffalo turns its attention to the New York Jets, who are hoping to get on the winning track after a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday.

Before we reach game day, let’s dive into everything you need to know surrounding this AFC East tilt.

When and where

The Bills (1-0) and Jets (0-1) will square off on Sunday at 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ. The game will be broadcast on CBS with the network’s top broadcast team — Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson — on the call.

What’s Vegas Saying?

As of early Friday afternoon, the Bills are 6.5-point favorites entering this weekend’s meeting with the Jets, per FanDuel Sportsbook. Buffalo is also listed as a +650 Super Bowl favorite with Week 2 approaching.

The Bills met the Jets twice a season ago, winning both matchups. Buffalo defeated New York 23-20 in Week 6 and 40-14 in Week 16. The Jets last beat the Bills in the 2023 season-opener.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

Weather Report

It’s expected to be a warm afternoon on Sunday, with temperatures in the 80s for this Week 2 battle. Neither wind nor precipitation should be a factor in this one, with a 6% chance of rain and less than 10 mph winds forecasted in East Rutherford — perfect weather for another high-powered offensive performance for quarterback Josh Allen and company.

Bills jets — Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) finds an opening and runs with the ball for a gain of about six yards at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Dec. 29, 2024. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bills’ Injuries

Bills star defensive tackle Ed Oliver has been declared out for Sunday’s game against the Jets after having his foot stepped on during Wednesday’s practice. Oliver has been in a walking boot since Thursday’s practice and is expected to miss multiple weeks, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

In Oliver’s absence, it will likely be either T.J. Sanders or Deone Walker earning the start, as both rookie defensive tackles are expected to gain an increased snap share until the veteran DT can return. There is also a strong possibility that one or perhaps more of the team’s three practice-squad DTs — Zion Logue, Jordan Phillips and Phidarian Mathis — may be elevated for Sunday’s game.

Elsewhere, the Bills have four players marked as questionable, including nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, who missed Wednesday’s practice with a quad injury, but returned to limited participation on Thursday and Friday.

Outside cornerback Tre’Davious White’s status remains unclear, as he returned to practice this week but was limited on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with a groin injury that kept him out last week against the Ravens. White has appeared ready to return, but Head Coach Sean McDermott would not say if the veteran CB would return this week. If White cannot play, that would mean rookie CB Dorian Strong would get his second straight start to begin his career.

Linebacker Shaq Thompson (hamstring/hand) and defensive back Jordan Hancock (shoulder) are also dealing with injuries and have been marked as questionable. If Thompson cannot play, another candidate to be activated from the team’s practice squad would be LB Jimmy Ciarlo, who was a preseason fan favorite.

A bit of progress from Ed Oliver at Friday’s practice, ditching the medical scooter

However, Adam Schefter is reporting that Oliver’s ankle injury is expected to keep him out multiple weeks. BUF has two games in five days upcoming

Bad break for the #Bills top DT#BillsMafia https://t.co/j65QOD2IlD
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) September 12, 2025

Jets’ Injuries

There was a bit of concern on the Jets’ side regarding their top cornerback entering Friday’s practice, but Sauce Gardner addressed the media after the session, saying he is “going to be good” for the game against the Bills. He did not have an injury designation on the team’s Friday injury report.

Elsewhere on the team’s injury report, No. 2 wide receiver Josh Reynolds is listed as out with an ankle injury. Reynolds, who played 97% of the team’s offensive snaps a week ago, is a significant loss for a Jets’ receiving corps that is not necessarily bursting with talent. In his stead, Allen Lazard is likely to be activated after being inactive in Week 1. Reynolds caught two passes for 18 yards this past week.

Two others, running back/kick returner Kene Nwangu (hamstring) and defensive lineman Jay Tufele (illness), are also listed as out.

Rookie second-round pick, tight end Mason Taylor, is listed as questionable with an ankle injury that forced him to miss practice on Wednesday. Taylor, who was limited on Thursday and returned to full participation on Friday, played 88% of the Jets’ offensive snaps in Week 1, finishing with one reception for 20 yards.

Also listed as questionable is the team’s top nickel cornerback, Michael Carter II (shoulder). Carter finished this past week’s game against the Steelers with four tackles while playing 66 percent of the snaps.

Jets WR Josh Reynolds (hamstring) declared OUT Sunday vs. #Bills

After not practicing Thursday, Jets rookie second-round TE Mason Taylor (ankle) was a full participant on Friday and is questionable to play against BUF Sunday

NCB Michael Carter II also questionable#BillsMafia
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) September 12, 2025

Coaching Matchup

The discrepancy in experience between the two head coaches in this game is vast.

McDermott is one of the most experienced coaches in the league, with 132 regular-season games and 14 playoff games under his belt since coming to Buffalo in 2017. His overall winning percentage of 64.4% ranks seventh among active head coaches.

On the other side, the Jets’ Aaron Glenn is entering just his second game as his team’s head coach, having fallen to 0-1 to begin his career last week. Glenn was previously the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, helping Detroit reach the 2023 NFC Championship Game and earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC last season, when Detroit ranked seventh in the NFL in scoring defense. He had served as Lions DC since the 2021 season.

Top Storyline

One of the many concerns for the Bills’ defense coming out of the win over the Ravens was the unit’s inability to slow Baltimore’s rushing attack, which went for 238 total yards rushing during Week 1. There will be no rest for the weary in Week 2, as Buffalo is once again matched up with a talented running game that is sure to present challenges for an undermanned Bills defensive front.

The Jets ran for a combined 182 yards rushing on 4.7 yards per rush against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, with New York’s top running back, Breece Hall, finishing with 19 carries for 107 yards. First-year Jets quarterback Justin Fields added 48 yards rushing on 12 carries, including a couple of touchdowns rushing, adding 218 yards and one touchdown through the air. In front of the Jets’ ball carriers, the team’s offensive line also performed well, led by rookie first-round pick, right tackle Armand Membou.

With Buffalo missing one of its key pieces up front in Oliver, that will force the two rookies — Sanders and Walker — to step to the forefront. Much more will also be needed from DaQuan Jones than what we saw the veteran defensive tackle produce in Week 1, as he came away with just one tackle despite playing 69% of the team’s defensive snaps. But the question remains, can the Bills’ defense stop the run well enough to put its offense in a position to win this game?

Time will tell.

Player to Watch

Coming off a phenomenal performance in Week 1 against the Ravens, it will be interesting to see if Bills second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman can provide an encore this week against the Jets.

Baltimore has one of the more talented secondaries in the league, featuring a fearsome safety tandem in All-Pro Kyle Hamilton and first-round rookie Malaki Starks. Still, Coleman totaled a career-high eight receptions for 112 yards and a game-saving touchdown reception that came off a deflected pass, with much of that production coming in the second half. It was about as good a start from the former second-round pick as anybody could have imagined.

This week, Coleman will once again have a tall task in front of him, as he will go up against one of the most talented cornerbacks in the NFL, two-time All-Pro Sauce Gardner. As is the case for the Bills’ run defense, there will be no rest for the weary when it comes to Coleman’s expected matchup in the passing game this week.

We could see Gardner travel with Coleman on Sunday afternoon, which would make things exponentially more difficult for the young pass catcher as he looks to build on his strong start to the season. On the other side of the Jets’ secondary, opposite the team’s star CB, is Brandon Stephens, who struggled mightily in Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for 244 yards and four touchdowns to help guide his team to a win.

If Coleman is matched up with Stephens, he will have an excellent opportunity to feast. But if he is lined up against Gardner more often than not, it will take another big-time effort for the former second-round pick to impact the game in the same fashion he did a week ago.

Whatever the case may be, Coleman is likely to see his fair share of targets once again this week, and the pressure is on for him to continue to prove himself as a reliable target for quarterback Josh Allen, who finished with a league high 394 yards passing and four total touchdowns in Week 1.

Prediction — Bills 27, Jets 17

I picked against the Bills last week, and for three quarters, my prediction looked good.

But then came the Josh Allen explosion.

I am not making the same mistake in Week 2.

In this game, I see Allen and company wasting no time in getting going immediately, with Offensive Coordinator Joe Brady calling the game much more aggressively in the early going than we saw a week ago. That will lead to another 300-plus-yard passing day for the Buffalo quarterback, who should have no trouble moving the ball against what proved to be a porous Jets’ pass defense in Week 1.

— Enjoy free coverage of the Bills from Buffalo Bills on SI —

More Buffalo Bills News:

America's interest in Buffalo Bills produces mega NBC viewership rating

NFL officiating crew on Bills' next game will bring back bad memories for Buffalo

Hailee Steinfeld's vintage gameday fits will make Buffalo Bills' fans wanna shout

Bills' punter went from playing with toy cars to playing for Super Bowl contender

Josh Allen, Sean McDermott focus on fixing Bills' two-point problem