The Buffalo Bills (5-5) face a must-win game against the New York Jets (4-5) on Sunday, November 19.
The AFC East rivals faced off back in Week 1, during which the Jets unexpectedly defeated Buffalo 26-22. After New York beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6, Jets head coach Robert Saleh was feeling himself.
“Through these first six weeks, we’ve played a gauntlet of quarterbacks. I know we haven’t gotten all wins, but we’ve embarrassed all of them.” While Saleh’s comment was a bit overstatement, the Jets defense picked off quarterback Josh Allen three times in the season opener, and he fumbled twice.
The Bills season has been a rollercoaster ever since and the Jets aren’t doing any better. Speaking to reporters on November 17, Saleh was asked about his previous comment on Josh Allen and he sang a very different tune.
“Embarrassing was probably the wrong choice of words in the heat of the battle,” Saleh said. “Josh is a phenomenal quarterback. He’s one of the Top 10 best quarterbacks in ball. Take a lot of pride. He’s a one-man wrecking crew and a damn-near Superman on the football field. So tons of regard for him.
“Everything we do, it’s about Josh. And they’re talented all around him… They have a very, very talented football team. And Josh has also punched us in the mouth a couple of times. So, he’s well deserving of all the respect he gets.”
The Jets Don’t Think the Bills’ New OC Will Have a Major Effect
GettyBills quarterback Josh Allen at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2023.
With their playoff hopes dwindling, Bills head coach Sean McDermott made a drastic move to fire offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey earlier this week. While McDermott hopes interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady will breathe fresh energy into their struggling offense, an immediate turnaround is unlikely.
Saleh told reporters on November 15 that the coaching change has little effect on how they’ll prepare for Allen & Co.
“Brady is a very talented young man. From a schematic standpoint, we have our thoughts, I’m not going to get into it here. From a play-calling standpoint, we have our thoughts, not going to get into it here. Obviously, there is going to be some nuance and some change. You don’t change coordinators unless you’re expecting something to be different.
“At the same time, to expect them to reinvent the wheel on such short notice, they are who they are. It’s an extremely talented football team. They are still a top-10 offense despite changing coordinators.”
Jordan Whitehead just got his THIRD interception off Josh Allen
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The No. 1 change Allen is looking to make in Week 11 is to stop turning the ball over. It’s the main reason Dorsey was fired. He leads the league with 11 interceptions. The offense ranks second in giveaways (18). Allen has 17 career giveaways against New York, his most against any opponent.
Jets safety Jordan Whitehead, who’s intercepted Allen four times over the past four years, agrees with Saleh. “It’s our [10th] game. You can’t switch up too much,” Whitehead told reporters.
“He’s the same coach that was there a couple of weeks ago. They can’t change the whole playbook. There might be a different order to how they run things, but football is football. You read your key and you take it to the play.”
Josh Allen Is Focused on Defeating the Jets
Beat. The. Jets.
Josh Allen appeared pretty dejected speaking to reporters after Dorsey was fired. However, the 27-year-old knows if Buffalo wants to make it to the postseason, they must beat the Jets
“The fact is we’re 5-5 and our backs against the wall,” Allen said. “The clock’s ticking on what we can do this season and it starts this Sunday to try to turn this thing around. It’s no secret in terms of how many wins you probably need to get to the playoffs, and we don’t have much more wiggle room.
“So, we understand that. But again, we can’t focus on the next week or the week after that and we can’t focus on the end of the season. We got to focus on the here and now and that’s Sunday.”
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Jets’ Robert Saleh Retracts Comment on ‘Embarrassing’ Bills QB Josh Allen