What to Expect when Jets Battle Bills plus 'How to Watch' MNF
This matchup is loaded with meaning and the pre-game excitement is well warranted.
The New York Jets will kick off the Aaron Rodgers Era at home against a divisional opponent on Monday Night Football. The visitor happens to be the three-time defending AFC East champion Buffalo Bills, who have stacked 37 regular season victories since the start of the 2020 campaign.
"They are three-time defending champs," said Jets' third-year head coach Robert Saleh. "They are going to have some good stuff for us and we just have to be good with our in-game adjustments."
Bills' veteran left tackle Dion Dawkins, who hails from Rahway, NJ, recognizes the added importance of facing an AFC East opponent.
"It’s a division game, early, so this is a playoff game early for us," said Dawkins, who played his college ball at Temple. "Intensity is gonna be high and it’s gonna be fireworks."
The September 11 matchup will cap the NFL's Week 1 slate, airing live on ESPN and ABC. Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (analyst) will be on the call for an 8:15 pm ET kickoff in East Rutherford.
In addition to Rodgers's debut, former NFC North star Dalvin Cook will appear in Green & White for the first time in a game setting. The four-time Pro Bowl running back signed with the Jets last month and is expected to share the primary ball carrier role with Breece Hall.
"It's a great time to be alive. I feel great, ready to go have some fun," said Cook following Thursday's practice in Florham Park.
Further supercharging the expected emotions in the air on Monday at MetLife Stadium, which lies a 14-mile drive away from the World Trade Center site, the game will be played on the 22nd anniversary of the terrorist attacks on America.
"It’s gonna be a great atmosphere. Monday Night Football opener in New York City on 9/11 that’s big-time football that you can get right here," said Bills' starting strong safety Jordan Poyer.
Saleh anticipates a potential boost from the home crowd for his Jets, who enter the weekend as a 2.5-point underdog to the Bills on the SI Sportsbook betting line.
Jets vs. Bills (Week 1)
Monday, Sept. 11 • 8:15 pm ET
Location: East Rutherford, NJ (MetLife Stadium)
Watch: ESPN / ABC / fuboTV (start your free trial)
Point Spread: Bills -2.5
Money Line: Bills -137; Jets +115
Total (Over/Under): 45.5
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-522-4700.
"It is opening day. It is always live," said Saleh on Thursday. "Every stadium in football that is hosting a game is going to be live, but I am really excited about getting those Jets fans out there and hearing that chant and all that good stuff. It will be fun."
In addition to the somber September 11 anniversary, emotions will run high for the Bills as they welcome back safety Damar Hamlin to regular season game action. The last time Hamlin played on Monday Night Football, he suffered cardiac arrest on the field and was revived by the team's training staff.
"We'll be focused on the task at hand, the challenge. That said, there's a lot of those things that are that are going to be going on. 9/11 [is] one of them and, then Damar [Hamlin's comeback]," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott.
Bills' safety Damar Hamlin (3)
© Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Another main attraction to Monday night's heavyweight bout is the quality of quarterback play expected from Rodgers and Bills' starter Josh Allen.
“These are the games that you play for. This is what makes our game great. You got Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers on Monday Night Football," said Buffalo defensive end Von Miller, who is on short-term IR and will not appear in the season opener.
Allen has averaged 4,411 pass yards and 36 TD passes per season over the past three years. He finished second to Rodgers in the 2020 NFL MVP voting.
"A quarterback that can absolutely make things happen," said Jets' defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. "It doesn’t matter, at times, if you execute at the highest level, if you finish, you do all the things you practiced and got ready for. He has the ability to improvise and extend plays and make magic on those second plays, so it’s a great challenge."
Featuring the NFL's fourth-ranked defense, the Jets kept the Bills' high-octane offense at bay in 2022. Buffalo, the second-highest scoring team in the NFL (28.4 ppg), put up only 37 combined points in two head-to-head meetings.
"It’s a great barometer for this defense and where we’re at to play a high-level opponent like this," said Ulbrich.
READ Week 1 Injury Report: Becton Misses Friday Practice, Two Others Limited
On the other side, the Bills' defense must find a way to contain a four-time NFL MVP. Rodgers ranks ninth amongst all-time NFL career leaders in pass yards and fifth in touchdown passes.
"They already had a talented roster, and now, they added a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback, a guy we have a lot of respect for," said McDermott. "He’s extremely smart. He’s tough to go against.”
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