Buffalo Bills at New York Jets Preview
By Sydney Hunte
Two rookie quarterbacks square off in an AFC East showdown, as EJ Manuel and the Buffalo Bills travel to MetLife Stadium to take on Geno Smith and the New York Jets.
Buffalo (1-1) is coming off an emotional 24-23 win against the Carolina Panthers in Orchard Park last week. In that game, the Bills trailed 23-17 with 1:39 to go following a Graham Gano field goal, but Manuel’s TD pass to Stevie Johnson with two seconds left capped a game-winning drive and gave the Bills the win. Manuel’s performance earned him Rookie of the Week honors, as voted on by fans.
Meanwhile, for the Jets, they are 1-1 as well after falling to the New England Patriots 13-10 in Foxboro. Smith would throw three interceptions, but the New York D would hold Tom Brady and New England to just 13 points on the day. Unfortunately, the Jets’ offense couldn’t get off the ground, either, as neither team was able to gain any traction.
The quarterback situation is much more stable in Buffalo than it is in New York. Smith, starting in place of an injured Mark Sanchez, has to tread lightly or he may find himself benched for Brady Quinn, or Sanchez once he gets healthy. For both teams, it’s a chance to get back in the AFC East race; the loser drops to 0-2 in the division while the winner moves to 1-1, a half game behind the Patriots.