How the Jets Can Defeat Josh Allen and the Bills
The Jets (5-3) are coming off a deflating loss and the Bills (6-1) are in first place after winning four in a row.
It would seem these two organizations are headed in two different directions.
Not only is Buffalo the class of the AFC East, but they are arguably the class of the entire conference.
Meanwhile, New York has certainly had some success this season, but it feels like they are coming back to earth.
Leading the Bills is quarterback Josh Allen, who has developed into an elite talent in this league.
Allen's statistics are astounding.
In seven games, he has thrown for the third-most yardage (2,198 yards), tossed the second-most touchdowns (19), while completing 65.5% of his passes in the process.
The game film confirmed the numbers.
I went back and watched Allen do his thing against PIT (10/9), KC (10/16) and GB (10/30). While I knew Buffalo's QB was good, I was surprised at just how good he really looked on game film.
Allen looks like he is in the midst of an MVP season.
Even the announcers were blown away during the telecasts watching him sling the football all over the field.
There's really nothing Allen can't do.
The thing that stands out the most is how deliberate he has looked in the pocket this season.
He is showing excellent poise, and he is making quick decisions.
Allen is incredibly focused downfield. He unpredictably spreads the ball around to a variety of receivers in a variety of ball locations from sideline to sideline, which is exactly what makes Buffalo so darn tough to stop.
He operates best while throwing aggressively out of an upbeat offensive tempo.
Said another way, he keeps throwing and throwing relentlessly like a machine.
Allen throws it short to his left and then to his right. He comes back and flat-footed strong arms it into the intermediate route levels on a rope. Then for good measure, he drops in dimes deep and threads it through the tightest of coverages.
If you don't believe me, ask Pittsburgh. From his own two-yard-line, Allen dropped back and gunned a tightly wound spiral into the wind to wide receiver Gabe Davis for a 98-yard touchdown.
Allen loves to throw deep and go for the kill.
The thing that makes Allen so dangerous is he sees the field exceptionally well and he has the athleticism to slide around and buy time. He climbs the pocket with ease and he can evade the pass rush and roll out.
This is where he is most dangerous.
Did I mention Allen can run too?
I don't mean just run for a couple yards here and there, I mean he is a tough physical runner who can hurt a defense and pick up good chunks of yardage.
Allen showed off he could actually hurdle a defender downfield against Kansas City.
During the Packers' game the announcer mentioned that Green Bay's Defensive Coordinator Joe Barry said he had never seen anyone who's been able to throw and run the way Allen can.
There is no question Allen's signature ability to extend and create can carve up a defense like a Thanksgiving turkey, so then what chance do the Jets have?
New York's only chance is to be more aggressive than Allen.
Buffalo loves to soften up defenses with their slashing running backs Devin Singletary and James Cook, before shredding secondaries through the air.
The Bills sport the No. 14 rushing attack in the league.
Allen and the Bills love to be in control and dictate the flow of the game.
This is what keeps defenses off-balance and vulnerable.
New York must suffocate Buffalo's run game and interrupt their offensive rhythm. They must shake Allen out of his comfort zone.
Allen showed a chink in his armor and got erratic with his ball placement at times. Believe it or not, he even threw some interceptions.
The Chiefs showed that Allen is human when they blitzed him. The Jets need to follow suit and send the kitchen sink.
To win this one will require the Jets to be more aggressive defensively than they have ever been during the Joe Douglas and Robert Saleh regime.
MORE:
- NFL Trade Deadline: Jets Choose Not to Move Elijah Moore, Denzel Mims
- Jets Trade Jacob Martin to Broncos For Future Draft Pick
- Ex-Jets Scout Says New York Must Make Drastic Changes, Starting With Zach Wilson
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