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Jets-Bills Game Preview | Striving for Greatness in the AFC East
QB Justin Fields Looks to Stay Hot; Jets Front Wants to Get After Bills QB Josh Allen
Sep 13, 2025 at 05:00 PM
Eric Allen
Senior Reporter
The Jets (0-1) and the Bills (1-0) will meet Sunday at MetLife Stadium in Week 2 action when the teams open divisional play. After their 34-32 loss to Pittsburgh in Week 1, the Jets quickly shifted focus to their next challenge.
"I do think that we have damn good players on this team, and with the coaching staff, man, we're going to do everything we can to coach these guys up to beat a good opponent that's coming into our building," said HC Aaron Glenn.
Working to Be Consistent
While reigning MVP Josh Allen and the Bills annually field one of the NFL's top offenses, Justin Fields and the Jets offense were an unknown entering the 2025-26 season. They responded early and often, scoring on their first four drives for the first time in a season-opener since 1997, winning the line of scrimmage while amassing 182 yards on the ground and producing 11 explosive plays.
"We don't want to be a flash in the pan where we're 32 [points] one week and 10 the next week," Glenn said. "And I know that happens because there are some good defenses out here, but for the most part, we're working to be consistent on all levels, in all three phases of this football team."
The Bills have been a consistent winner under HC Sean McDermott, claiming the past five AFC East titles. They pulled a rabbit out of the hat last Sunday night with an improbable 41-40 comeback victory over the Ravens. When K Josh Prater nailed a 32-yard FG as time expired, the Bills became the first team in NFL history down 15-plus points down with under four minutes left to win in regulation.
Trying to Be Perfect
But Sean McDermott sent a message to his team with a padded practice to start the week of preparation for the Jets.
"Full pads on a Wednesday after a 60-minute game where we had to play all 60 minutes," said star DT Ed Oliver. "It's a little challenging, it's trying mentally to get yourself back right and you're still kind of hurting. I know a lot of guys on the team are hurting still. You put on the full pads, and you go out there and compete because that's who we are."
While Oliver (1 sack, 3 TFL and 2 QBH) was outstanding against the Ravens, the Bills surrendered 432 yards of offense and a whopping 238 rush yards. After totaling 39 rush attempts against the Steelers and with Breece Hallleading the charge with 19 carries for 107 yards, the Jets figure to challenge the Bills early and often on the ground.
Defensively, man, we really got to watch out for Oliver, he's a disrupter, he's a penetrator," Glenn said. "They move him around quite a bit. He's very athletic. He's a problem. We have to make sure we watch out for him."
Coming off one of his best games as a pro, Justin Fields, who had 3 total TDs and connected on 72.7% of his passes against the Steelers, is looking to find another level.
"We're playing an imperfect game, but we're trying to be perfect," Fields said. "AG said that to us out there today. We're looking to be perfect, but we all understand that it's not necessarily going to be like that. but that's what we're striving for."
After sacking Aaron Rodgers 4 times and yielding 4 TD passes to the Steelers' QB, the Jets will look to slow down Allen. His remarkable fourth quarter -- 251 pass yards and 3 TDs -- vs. the Ravens was one for the ages.
"Man, he's tough, he's highly competitive, and he allows this offense to never be out of a play, if that makes sense," Glenn said. "When I say that, once he starts to move around, he does a really good job of finding guys. And I think those guys do a really good job of understanding what he's going to do and how he's going to react and they react really well off him of finding open lanes and things like that for him to deliver the ball."
The Jets' defense has Allen's respect, and it all starts with the front. Will McDonald IV, who had 2 sacks in Week 1, will match up with 4-time Pro Bowler LT Dion Dawkins while Jermaine Johnson will battle with Spencer Brown across the way. Quinnen Williams and former Bills DT Kyle Williams will look to collapse the pocket from the interior and give space for explosive LBs Quincy Williams and Jamien Sherwood to keep RB James Cook in check.
"They've got some absolute studs on this defense," Allen said. "Obviously their front is really solid -- they get after the quarterback really well. And their front and back end is working in unison right now, so we're going to have our hands full. We only have one game of tape, so we have to trust our base rules and be prepared for whatever they throw at us."
If Allen does extend the play, CB Sauce Gardner, who could see a lot of Keon Coleman after an impressive effort against DK Metcalf, says the Jets' DBs must stay on their assignments to prevent the big plays.
"If I got my man, I got my man," Gardner said said. "Because I know he's capable of doing some crazy things. When he's scrambling, he can throw across his body and throw the ball 50-60 yards or further. So, we just got to be disciplined in coverage and trust the front seven to do their thing like they did last week."
Looking Forward to the Challenge
The Jets clearly have the Bills' attention. Sean McDermott, who's led his club to seven postseason trips in eight years including two AFC championship game appearances, said "by all accounts" the Jets should have defeated the Steelers.
"You can tell they're trying to revamp things there and I respect that," he said. "It reminds me a lot of our early years here. There are good coaches really good coaches on both sides of the ball and special teams and certainly a talented roster as well."
If the Jets can trip up the Bills, they'll square their record before heading to Florida for a two-game swing against the Buccaneers and the Dolphins (on Monday night, Sept. 29). It's another early litmus for a young team that is establishing a standard and playing a physical brand of football. Glenn promises they'll be ready.
"This will be a really good challenge for us, but I know for a fact our guys are looking forward to the challenge," he said.
