Of everything going on with the Jets right now, the Will McDonald story is the biggest. The edge rusher asked for a trade after the Chiefs loss because he's frustrated with how little he's being used, with Tuesday's deadline right there. The team has reportedly said it has no plans to move him. Whether McDonald is on this roster Sunday and how much he plays is one of the real open questions for a Jets pass rush that's already missing Joseph Ossai. That rush is about to face a Buffalo line playing without its starting tackles.
As of today, Buffalo's form looks strong. The Bills have won 4 straight, and the last 2 weren't close: 36-10 over Baltimore and 23-6 in Minnesota. The run before that was messier. They outscored the Rams 37-34 and the Raiders 33-30, so this defense has given up points in bunches this season too. The Vikings managed just 178 yards on 46 plays with 3 turnovers, and that's the version Sean McDermott will want to bring east.
The Jets keep finding new ways to lose. They dropped one-score games to Miami and Las Vegas, then got blown out in Kansas City, where they were within reach at halftime and got outscored 21-0 after the break. Jason Sanders went 4-for-5 on field goals in that game, and all 12 Jets points came from his leg. That's what a red zone with no Garrett Wilson looks like. The defense is thin too, with Nahshon Wright and Trevin Wallace out and Jamien Sherwood and Dane Belton making a pile of tackles because the ball keeps ending up in front of them.
The forecast calls for 48 degrees, partly cloudy and about 15 mph of wind at MetLife, which favors Buffalo's Cook-heavy approach from Minnesota more than a downfield passing game. The Jets have to finish drives instead of settling for 3. The Bills have to protect Allen with backup tackles on 6 days' rest. If Buffalo's line holds up, it has the clearly better roster.
