Jets-Bills Game Preview (11/8)

Play MGM. Uh great brand. And now the studio has a brand new, beautiful name, all right, and the podcast keeps rolling off, Yes it does. And most of the time we are in the play MGM studio. Yes that this is true. There we got new chairs a couple of weeks ago, we got a new studio name recently, and maybe we'll have a new podcast area as well. Things are trending upwards for the pot yes they are. Unfortunately, things are not trending so upwards right now for the

New York Jets. As now, the Jets are on a three game slide three game slide for the second time this year, but this is the first time in two thousand and eighteen that the Jets are three games under because they're one that first game against the Detroit Lions followed by a three game losing streak to finish the first quarter of this season. But yeah, you're right, facing a lot of adversity right now. This team a very winnable game against the Miami Dolphins, and the defense put

them in position to win the game. But as you might have anticipated prior to the season, the offense is gonna go through some ups and downs, and Sunday was was a down. The Caruci joins the pod this week. That's the guy, that guy up in Buffalo People on Buffalo.

You know, I don't know if you like me Greens at all, but people on People on Buffalo, Um, there's a lot of good people back in the seven ones six and Vic I used to read him when I was a kid, well before we could get all the information on our phones, and you were playing on Instagram, Greens, I was playing on Instagram. I used to that even the right terminology going through, going through, scrolling, scrolling through Instagram the same thing. Come on, playing Instagram. It sounds

like a game. It is a game. I don't think a lot of time people are they're going through it for entertainment. No. Yeah, okay, you're consuming Instagram, bro, but that's not playing. By the way. By the way, people can find you on Instagram. Yes, I've heard about that. I've heard about some of your posts. Actually, yeah, so I used to when I was a kid. Uh, I would be excited for the newspaper to come out because this is how much of a sports junkie I was.

That the newspaper used to be delivering around two thirty three o'clock, so right and run you got home from school and I'd always run out there to read the paper. And Kruschi covered the Bills at the time, as he still does. Uh, he's one of the best in the business. He's a great man. Uh, somebody I look up to when I'm proud to girlfriend Vic Tara. He has great stuff to say always. He was on the pod last year, great stuff. He's on the pod this year. He had

great stuff. He talks about the Bill's quarterbacks with Josh Allen, Nathan Peterman, Derek Anderson. If Josh Allen could be set to make his return from an elbow injury against the Jets this week, there's a whole lot that we dove into with Vick. Can you believe that the Bills are everything less than a touchdown a game? No, but I can't. What I can't believe more so than that, or what

I find is shocking. And we talked about this with Vick, is that the Bills offensively are historically bad, but the defense is third in the league. They don't give up money, earths, it's a good defense. It's it's funny to look at. And this is something well we touched upon with Vic is that you kind of look at these teams and I think the Jets are definitely further along offensively, and the numbers indicate that. But there are similarities with these teams.

The Jets they have played uh, pretty good defense, and then they have the ability to take a couple steps I think here in the future. UM offensively, you know, sometimes the McGrain on the ground been very inconsistent on the ground, and the passing game of late has taken

a step back. Um with a rookie quarterback and Sam Donald, but the Jets think they had their quarterback in the future and the Bills they moved up in the draft four picks after the Jets selected Sam Donald out the USC The Bills take Josh Allen at number seven overall, but as Vic will eloquently put, I don't think anybody in Buffalo understood how bad that offense was going to

be throughout this year. The one anomaly was what they did to Minnesota, which when you look back at the NFL season, he will be like, how did that happen? Not to mention it was in Minnesota where the Buffalo just beat him down. But the one thing is if Allen does play, is you have to account for him as a runner, and that's nothing Peterman, who you know, there's a lot of jokes going around and you almost

feel bad for the guy. I have some kind of empathy for him right now because he's seems like he's walking pick six. And then Derrick Anderson is the thirty five year old journeyman who's well respected. But the guy didn't play all year. He came off his couch, like Vic will say, and he's in the starting lineup. They don't have anything to go to offensively. I still think McCoy is a great player, but he can't get anything going on the ground. Uh, this is a game on paper.

The Jets really should be able to dictate on their terms defensively at least, all right without further ado. You know, we broke down the Bills a little bit by What better person to hear from there, Vick Carucci. All right, let's go back to EA's old stomping ground, the seven s. We're gonna bring in a friend of the pod, that is Vick Carucci. Vic, thanks so much for coming on the Official Jets Podcast. My pleasure, guys. Vick. What's going

on in Buffalo right now? With that offense? Uh? Was this part of the plan as far as they knew they were gonna take a step back. I know you're never envisioned your rookie quarterback getting hurt, But did they ever imagine that this Bill's offense would be so anemic? Well? I can't imagine that that that's what they believed at

any point, that the offense would be historically bad. I mean, they're on a pace to score the fewest points in the history of a franchise that's been around since nineteen sixty. So there's no way that that crossed the mind of the of the leadership of this football team in any way. Now, as far as the stepping back, I think that it's a separate topic, guys, because yes, they made the playoffs last year as a nine and seven team, but they

also backed in. I mean, they had a lot of help to do that, and I think in many ways it was sort of miraculous, given how the Bengals beat the Ravens in that final game after Buffalo won at Miami. Um, and it created some excitement and and the fan base was, you know, was thrilled to have a seventeen year playoff drought end. But uh, it definitely did not set the

stage for the feeling of of continued playoffs success. That's not to say that they hopeful that that they'd be even better this year, but the reality was with so much change, including the quarterback position, Um, there there was there was more reason to believe they were gonna go backwards. I just don't think they ever expected the backward move to be as extreme as it has so far. Well, why is offense so bad? I know, Brian dave Ball, he was a member of the Jets staff back in

the day with Eric Mangini. He knows what he's doing. Um, is it the offensive line? Is it the quarterback play? Is it the wide receivers. Is is it the tight ends. There's a combination of everything. Because I look on the outside and Kelvin Benjamin z A Jones, they're not producing. Um Shady McCoy is having probably the toughest rushing UH season of his career. The offensive line seems like they got a lot of backups who who are playing starting

roles right now? What do you pinpoint here? You've you've just listed at all. I mean, I'm I'm I don't want to be lazy with my answer and say all of the above, but that is what it is. Every single thing you could you could check off those boxes and say that those have contributed to the struggles of this offense. And uh, you know, the injury to Josh Allen, the seventh overall pick, a guy that made five starts and a guy that there uh that they're thinking is

their future at quarterback. The way the Jets are with Sam Donald, I think the feeling, UH is that, first of all, he has struggled as much as anyone else, uh in most of his games. He had a nice performance against Minnesota, and still it was you know, limited sort of snapshots of successful place versus a dominant showing. But it was the one thing that this offense, the only thing that this offense has really been able to

hang its hat on overall. Um, Yeah, they they need they need more, they need better players, they need upgrades pretty much everywhere. Uh. And on offense again on the assumption that Alan is the answer at quarterback. Um, he also wasn't expected to play at least by them as much as he even did before getting hurt. Uh. They went into the year uh expecting to have a bridge guy play for four or five games. They identified that guy as Nathan Peterman. Uh. It backfired horribly on them

with his four showing at Baltimore. And then they were stuck because they had traded a J. McCarron to the Raiders and they were in a hole. They they they had to kind of you know, grope around and find something and found uh, Derrick Anderson off his couch Basically, Hey, I want to get to the couch. And he was comfortable, but they gave him a million plus reasons to get off the couch. And but to really be the mentor for for Alan, he wasn't even brought into play and

and that should tell you something too. And then he ends up playing and and of course you get the kind of performance that a thirty five year old journeyman backup is going to give you who hasn't had any offseason work. So between that and and most of Peterman's struggles, which has been pretty much every time he's been on the field, um, that's contributed. But like you said, the receiving corps is woefully below par. I mean, I can tell you right now there isn't a guy I'd probably

keep in that core for next year. I'd I'd replace them all, and that includes a Jones. I don't see much in any of those guys that's worth retaining. Uh, you know, the old line definitely needs to make over. So there's a lot of work guys. And and yes, Brian dave Ball is getting a lot of heat too from fans, uh for you know, not being creative enough or not doing the right things. I'm not entirely sure what Brian can or any coordinator can do with what

this offense offers. But everybody is being piled into the to the heap, if you will. Given the quarterback carousel per se that's been under center for the building, who do you think starts this Sunday against the Jets. That's a good question. We're gonna hopefully, we're gonna hopefully find out more about that. Um today, We're gonna have a conversation with h the head coach later today and he'll he'll Uh, I don't know if he's gonna totally shed light on it, guys, frankly, but um, he did say

on Monday that Josh Allen, you know, is throwing. UM. I think he said upwards of a hundred passes and practice over the weekend. So he thinks he's got him back on pace to be ready. And I think if the medical he said he would defer to the medical people, if they said that that elbow, the sprained elbow that he had on his right throwing arm, H is working well enough and he gets the clearance, then I think it's all systems go and that he will be back

in the starting lineup. Vick, what do you make of Allen and the limited sample size that you've seen of him? Obviously we knew he was gonna be a little bit raw coming out of Wyoming. And if the Jets face Josh Allen this week, uh, what kind of deef? What

kind of problems. Could this defense post for the Bills? Yeah, well what were you know, certainly if if Alan um, if Alan does start, uh, you still have a rookie and you still have the mistakes that go with playing the position, and on top of that coming back from being away for several weeks. So uh, I think there's some hope on the there's a lot of hope on the part of the Bills that him watching and and and absorbing learning will contribute to a better effort once

he's back on the field. But you know, we'll see. Um. The other thing is uh, athletically, I mean, I liked the guy coming out. I I didn't you know, I wasn't all that troubled by as many others were about the accuracy problems and the and just the maybe the

lack of development that might have been there playing at Wyoming. UM. I know he had problems with footwork, and Jordan Palmer, the quarterback guru, worked with him on that extensively, and and from what I understand, the Bills, you know, we're also doing the same things with him, uh, as far as focusing on not over striding, which led to him you know, led to some of his accuracy problems. But more than that, too is how I think, you know,

his understanding of the Bill's offense is fine. He's absorbed that, he's he's a smart play here. The question is how well does he read? How quickly does he react? And and I think that you know, getting rid of the ball on time, and and you know, getting the field for what the defense is adjusting to, how they're trying to pool him with disguising coverages all that. Those are the things obviously, and again you're you're watching that there

with Sam Donald. Those are the things that present problems. It's gonna be a good storyline this week because these guys grew close in the spring, didn't they Vic because you just mounted Jordan Palmer. They both actually lived with Jordan for a period of time and got ready for the draft exactly. And you know, I I've talked with Jordan's multiple times in the uh this well yeah, before the season and then early in the season about Josh.

But in in those conversations he brought up Sam and and his close you know ties there with all of his pupils and clients and and uh and and how much you know, how how confident I think he believes that this group of quarterbacks not naturally the guy that he's working with, he's gonna pump him up. You know. I I hear what he says, and it sounds it sounds plausible to think that there is a new you know, there will be new faces in the a f C East,

especially that that will have longer runs. What I don't know, guys, is you know what we're gonna see this year. But I will say this, A two and seven Buffalo team, um that that has just been horrific to watch the Jets who have had their problems and struggling. Uh, this is the kind of game where you know, you really hope these two young quarterbacks are facing off because that would frankly give it um any any level of interest

of making it interesting. I think, yeah, that's fair. And the Bill has got a major overhaul on their hands in terms of the offense and off season to get some pieces around A four Munch and Josh Allen. What are on McDermott and Leslie Fraser gonna dial up against a rookie quarterback who is and during his bumps in the road right now in Sam Donald at Leeds, the

National Football League fourteen interceptions. Yeah. Look, I'd say this is the side of the ball that has given the Bills and their fans at least something to smile about, because they played pretty well. Uh. And and when you hold Tom Brady and and that Patriot offense to one touchdowner was a rushing touchdown and really frustrate uh, you know, the best quarterback ever. Perhaps, uh, you should feel pretty good.

And they did, except that the offense did nothing. Uh in that Monday night game against the Jets as crazy as the sound guys to nine laws, where where nothing can be good from that? Uh. In this game they just played against Chicago, Uh, Bills out gained the Bears. They the yards total than the Bears. And I'm not even sure I've been trying to look that up. How how many teams have scored forty one points and still

had fewer and lost the yardage battle? But as you know, a couple of those touchdowns were defensive touchdowns by the Bear. So um, this defense uh is and this is the other thing, you know, how how much more can it take? You know, psychologically, I think I been saying the right things, but man, it's it's got to get frustrating. They will dial up some different kind of pressures. Uh, they will disguise coverages Leslie playing at two deep zone. Uh, there will be a lot for Sam Donald to kind of

look at and I think trying to process. Uh, and he's gonna have his issues, not just you know, based on what he's already done, but this defense has made it hard for quarterbacks to get into any sort of rhythm. It's crazy to think about that. The Bill's offense, like you said, are historically bad, yet the defense is performing pretty much from what you're saying and what statuos lights out.

So what is the strength of this Bill's defense and what the steps have you seen from someone like Davis White and someone who was nineteen at the time that he got drafted, his Tremaine Edmunds. Yeah, well, I think White's played very well. Um he's been one of the highlights. I think the safeties have been good. Uh not maybe not as impressive as as they were last year, but but solid enough and and coverage especially Um. Edmunds was

in concussion protocol and missed the last game. Um, he's been you know, he's been a little up and down. He's played like the young man that he is. UM. I think athletically the talent is just incredible off the hook, but in terms of his actual uh steady contribution there, you know, there's more that that you need to see from him before I think he's ready to kind of

take off. The front has been impressive. Starlottola, after a slow start, has played well at tackle and as part of a rotation uh, I mean he and Kyle Williams as starters have played well. And then as part of a rotation that involves h Jordan Phillips uh and Harrison Phillips. Uh. Harrison is a rookie from Stanford. Jordan's they picked up

from Miami. You know him, you've seen him. Uh and and he seems to have found a new life with this Buffalo team after being claimed off waivers from the Dolphins. And uh and I think in general, uh, Lorenzo Alexander, my god, at at thirty five, that guy is playing like a like twenty five years old. He's been all

over the place, has pursued his pass rush, forcing turnovers. Uh. He's he's been a beast and he'll be a handful I think for this Jets offense to handle as well, last one, VIC, big picture, do you think the Bills and the Jets are in similar situations as far as not just this year but short term long term. The Jets under of this ball game three and six and the three games lies Bills are two and seven. They're

on a four game losing streak themselves. They're both uh, probably gonna enter free agency with a ton of money and wanting to add some pieces around their young quarterbacks and try to get some experience for those quarterbacks down the stretch. And also on the other side of the ball, I think these are pretty solid defenses. Yeah, I think. I think everything you've hit there is is spot on

as far as the comparisons uh and the Bills. Remember when you when you clean out, you know, when you send players packing and you clean uh, you sort of do that that clean up if you of your of your salary cap you have a lot of debt money, and they do. Uh. They're strapped with that this year. So that's been a problem that will go away next year, or most of it will, and then they will have, as you mentioned, to a lot of room to spend

a lot of cap room. Uh, And I would I would envisioned I mean, you still can't fix everything in one off season. But I think between the draft, uh and then and then, and I think their their position, they're gonna be position for a pretty high pick. You know, we assume they're not going to do a quarterback because

that was done last year. Uh, so they can maybe address other key areas that we mentioned on offense and UM and like the Jets, uh, you know, just methodically try to build UM and I you know, and I do think that they get that chance, certainly, Sean McDermott and Brandon Bean at least another off season in season to get this thing right. E A talked about it

earlier on the pod. For the Jets defense and the Bills offensive matchup is what part of the Jets defense do you think could give whoever starts at quarterback fits. I gotta believe it's the safety play. Um. I always believe that. And you know, and I think that pairing with the Jets, you know, certainly is one that's always been formidable or has been for me a bowl um. And I think when you look at whoever is there, I mean, the problems have been you know, let's say

it's I'm just gonna go down the list. If it's Derrick Anderson, who's who's a possibility if he's out of concussion protocol, his his delivery has been late at times. Uh. And then with with you know the same thing with Nathan Peterman. Late deliveries with good safeties usually lead to bad things for quarterbacks. Thick. Well, we're looking forward to seeing this weekend, buddy. Thanks so much, my pleasure. Guys, see you Sunday. And you can follow Vic Caruci on

Twitter at vic Caruci. He can fit his name there. That's good and it's a good thing when you can just put your name in Twitter. I have too much of a common name for that? Is that a common name? Ethan Greenberger was probably common? Yeah, yeah, Ethan's pretty common, so I can't I can't do it. But regardless, it's

since pretty common. Huh. Yeah, it's irrelevant. But m given this matchup this Sunday, you talked about it a little bit before that, and on paper, the Jets should be able to dictate this game defensively, yes, I think they should. But given the offensive struggles for the Jets this past couple of weeks, what do you expect from the Jets offense? Bills defense matchup. I don't really know, to be honest

with you. Um, the Bills gave up less than two hundred yards against the Bears, like thick with saying, and they lost nine. Uh, this score ky get out of whack if you create takeaways. But for all the good the Jets defensively have done of late, they haven't had a takeaway the last three games. And that's not a knock. They play winning football against Miami. I don't know what was Miami three sixteen a third down three of sixteen.

The Jets outgained the Dolphins. The Dolphins the doll Fins had thirty four yards in the second half total or thirty four yards, and the Jets abused a backup right tackle when Juwan James went out of the lineup of Jordan Jenkins that pick us up paras sacks. They had four sacks, and also the pass rush was there. Um, you can't fault the defense for what happened against the Dolphins. Uh. With that being sad, I think there was an element

of accountability and locker room after the game. I didn't sense any of the defensive guys while they were frustrated. I think they were encouraged by the way they performed, and they also know it's a team game and they were not going to point any fingers. And everybody in the locker room has a great amount of respect for Donald because of his workout, his approach, the way he is a studious about the game and really wants to be a great player and really helped his team win.

So I don't I don't sense that the locker room is anywhere close to splinter splinterating. The Bills might have some issues there where Vick said they're holding it together. But while the Jets have had offensive problems of late, it's nothing compared to what's going on. I can't even begin to imagine what what the offense defense discrepancy looks like, especially in Buffalo. So but to your point, I don't know.

I will turning the question on you, Uh, how do you think the Jets moved the ball against the Bills? I think that well, first of all, I think the Jets play much better at home, and you saw that even when their home stretch. Yeah, so that the Jets defense, I believe is gonna be flying around. I mean we saw last year when the Bills came to MetLife. I was a stomping but it's very different teams and I'm not bringing up last year. I just think that this

defense is going to continue doing what it's done. But to answer the question is how do you move the ball? I think that I think that you gotta try to establish Quincy early because last week he I don't I don't even know at the top of my head, but he definitely had two receptions. One was on the third down play when he's when he skied to grab uh high pass from Donald. The other one was the screen when he took like the entire Dolphins defense up the

field highlighted the game. Yeah, so I feel like that you have to get him going early and then maybe you get Isaiah Crowel and Eli McGuire going early. I will say that Eli McGuire I did like what I

saw out of him. It wasn't a whole lot of run game for the Jets against the Dolphins, but yeah, I thought Eli looked pretty fresh as you would as you would expect, but I thought he had a nice burst and for someone that we were excited to see after a good spring, and unfortunately he heard his foot the first practice of training camp I'm excited to see what the Jets can do with him. I would agree with all that. So I don't know how many Russia temps.

So we're against the Dolphins, I would anticipate, and we talked about these numbers every week. Red it's that I think the Jets will want to get their rushed total up. It doesn't even matter with the arts. Yes, you want to have the ards, but you have more of an opportunity to spring along one the more carries you have. So I like what I saw Eli McGuire and Quincy and Nona is energy and he provides a spark and

he would get the fans in this game. And it's jaf Pennington continues to say every week Jets flight Plan, Sunday Morning, CBS inside the Pocket. So Jets are a good screen team, so maybe you see some more screens. Well remember in week three against the Browns, it seemed like the Jets always ran the screen. It was screen here, screen there, but not buster And the screens can set other things up per se uh. For example, Chris Herne's

touched on. Oh yeah that was but that was a beautiful play, right, so put everybody in Indianapolis was like, okay, screen gets a running on the screen, and then they're running a bunch of goals and there's Chris Herton in the first first professional touchdown. So what you do successfully can lead to something off of that, So screens that also gets the quarterback comfortable. He obviously didn't see the field really well against the Dolphins, and he hurried some things. Uh,

and he was very hard on himself. It's very rare in today's day and age where a professional athlete will say it played stupid. Yeah, it was probably over the top part on himself, but I think that people in the locker room don't respect that because he's honestly assessing himself even though he's been too harsh of a greater. And he also said everybody around him was doing their jobs. That wins a locker room. And that's how we closed the Official Jets Podcast. Don't think you will have a

problem closing this one. We'll see you next week.