NY Jets vs. Bills predictions: Our picks for Week 1 game
The NFL season is finally here!
Aaron Rodgers and the Jets are kicking things off with a Monday night AFC East showdown against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium.
Our staff is locked and loaded, ready to bring you all the coverage throughout the season, but what is football without making predictions? That's where we come in.
Our prognosticators for Week 1 are: Art Stapleton (Giants/NFL writer, NorthJersey.com), Bert Bainbridge (sports betting analyst/columnist, NorthJersey.com), Steve Edelson (columnist, APP.com), Vince Mercogliano (Rangers/NHL columnist, lohud.com), Brian Marron (digital producer, NorthJersey.com), Chris Iseman (Rutgers writer, NorthJersey.com), Bob Jordan (sports editor, APP.com) and Dave Rivera (sports editor, USA Today Northeast/NorthJersey.com)
We're ready for what he hope will be a great NFL season, so, let's get to it. Here are our staff picks for Jets vs. Bills on Monday night:
The Jets' hype train this summer has seemingly forgotten that the Bills are contenders as well. Josh Allen was more inconsistent last season without Brian Daboll as his OC, but all of Buffalo has to be loving the fact that seemingly everyone is predicting a coronation for Aaron Rodgers in the AFC East. Give me Allen, albeit against a very talented defense, in a close one.
The pick: Bills 31, Jets 27
Buffalo's had the Jets' number in recent years, winning five of the last six matchups. However, with the absence of Bills' pass rusher Von Miller as he starts the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, the Jets go ahead and get the job done in QB Aaron Rodgers' regular season debut at MetLife Stadium on Monday night.
The pick: Jets 28, Bills 24
From Aaron Rogers’ arrival to “Hard Knocks” episodes to Monday night’s marquee season-opening matchup with a very good Buffalo Bills team, it’s hard to ignore the buzz surrounding the Jets. Now it’s time to step into the spotlight, while bearing the weight of some lofty expectations for a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs in 12 years. What could go wrong?
The pick: Bills 24, Jets 21
Maybe I'm guilty of buying into the hype, but the Jets won their home game against the Bills last season with Zach Wilson at QB. If Aaron Rodgers is anywhere near the upgrade we think he is, I like their chances of getting it done again.
The pick: Jets 27, Bills 20
The Jets dominated headlines and overshadowed the Bills all offseason when discussing the AFC East, despite the latter having owned the division the last three seasons and easily leading the conference in point differential last year. Until Buffalo undergoes any dramatic changes in personnel or the coaching staff, there is no reason to expect any decline in its play.
The Jets have some pieces for a special season, but to expect everything to click right away in Week 1 is a bit unrealistic.
The pick: Bills 28, Jets 17
Aaron Rodgers goes 15 of 22 with 194 yards and 2 touchdowns (in other words, exactly the same line Brett Favre had in his Jets' 2008 debut).
The pick: Jets 20, Bills 14
Week 1 on Monday Night Football already has a playoff vibe, and Aaron Rodgers and the Jets will give the MetLife Stadium fans plenty to cheer about. It'll be back and forth, but the J-E-T-S get off to good start.
The pick: Jets 27, Bills 22
Aaron Rodgers debuts with a big performance, the defense proves all the preseason hype was for real and the Jets escape with a season-opening win.
