Week 6 pregame: Will things be different in the Jeff Ulbrich era?
Everything you need to know ahead of tonight's game between the Jets and Bills. Plus, weekly odds and game predictions!
What’s Up with the Jets? 🛩️
The Jets (2-3) will try to end their two-game losing skid as they face the Buffalo Bills (3-2) tonight on Monday Night Football
Jeff Ulbrich will be making his head coaching debut tonight, becoming the 21st head coach in franchise history
Earlier in the week, OC Nathaniel Hackett was officially demoted from play-calling duties – quarterbacks coach Todd Downing will now call the plays on offense
QB Aaron Rodgers denied having any influence over the team firing head coach Robert Saleh last week (The Pat McAfee Show)
OT Morgan Moses is slated to return to the starting unit after missing the last two weeks with a knee injury
DE Haason Reddick hired agents Drew Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha who released this statement: “We look forward to working with the Jets to get this resolved as soon as possible. Haason would like to be a New York Jet for years to come and our goal is to make that happen.”
Injury Report 🏥
❌ OUT
DB Michael Carter II (back)
❔ QUESTIONABLE
LB C.J. Mosley (toe)
TE Tyler Conklin (hip)
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Jets (2-3) vs. Bills (3-2)
Where: MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ
When: 8:15 PM EDT
Where to Watch: ESPN
The Odds 🎲
ESPN Analytics: Jets 44.3% chance to win
Line: Jets +1
Over/Under: 41.5 points
Postseason Odds: +110
⬇️ from -125 last week
Super Bowl Odds: +3000
⬇️ from +2000 last week
Our Predictions 🔮
Rich MacLeod
After the last two weeks of despondent losses, I told myself that I wasn’t going to pick the Jets to win this week… and then they fired Robert Saleh.
As we discussed on last week’s emergency podcast, while I do not believe that everything will just suddenly be magically fixed with the removal of Saleh as the head coach, I am anticipating a major shift in energy. Throughout training camp, the preseason and the last month-and-a-half, Saleh’s energy has been lacking in a major way. He often seemed uninspired and dour, refusing to hold anyone on the team – player or coaching staff – accountable when it was sorely required. It was a negative energy that was beginning to infect the rest of his team, and it showed in the way that they were playing and conducting themselves.
Jeff Ulbrich is a breath of fresh air when it comes to that, and I expect to see this team play better tonight. With one last fresh start for this Aaron Rodgers era – and this truly the last opportunity for a redo that they get here – I think this team is going to show up hungry, energized and prepared for this game in a way that we have not seen for quite some time. Especially with first place on the line.
With the Bills stumbling a bit themselves and having some health questions, in addition to this Jets staff giving Josh Allen plenty of issues on defense over the last few seasons, I would not be remotely surprised if the Jets pulled out a big win on a national stage tonight and showed us all that it’s too soon to write this group off.
For the sake of my own sanity, however, I think I have to pick against the Jets for the first time this season as they lose by a skinny point at home. Maybe picking against them will shift the juju a bit, or maybe I’m just starting to emotionally protect myself from this football team again.
Score: Bills 21, Jets 20
Ryan Marcone
Following one of the most tumultuous weeks in recent Jets history (that honestly felt like about three weeks), Gang Green faces off with the division leading Buffalo Bills with first place in the AFC East on the line. With how down we’ve all been on the team this week, it is pretty wild to think that a win on Monday night can 180 the narrative. But the Bills come into the game with desperation of their own, looking to defend first place and avoid their first three game losing streak with Josh Allen as their starter. And while I’d love to buy into the storybook narrative that the Jets whacking Robert Saleh like a scene from ‘Goodfellas’ is the secret that will turn this season around, I just don’t see it in Jeff Ulbrich’s first game as a head coach on prime time. The Jets issues run much deeper than Saleh’s ineptitude as a game manager. Aaron Rodgers has been bad since the New England game, the Jets’ top two playmakers feel like they still haven’t started their seasons in Week 6, and a defense who has been bad at stopping the run and limiting mobile quarterbacks has to welcome Josh Allen and James Cook (health pending) into MetLife Stadium. I’d love to be wrong, but this Jets team hasn’t earned my confidence that they’ll show up in any kind if big way in a possible big-time, get-right spot. Maybe it starts next week.
Score: Bills 27, Jets 19
Ras Guevara
Aaron Rodgers prefers to be in control. We’ve talked on the podcast a few times this season about the unchecked control he wields and how dangerous it can be when no one challenges his decision-making. With that in mind, for me, the biggest question heading into Monday night’s game vs. the Buffalo Bills isn’t who the head coach of the Jets is or who’s calling the offensive plays — it’s whether Aaron Rodgers will accept the necessary changes. Having a balanced attack will be critical.
In the Jets' two wins this year, they maintained a 35-33 and 30-24 pass-run split. However in their three losses, they heavily favored the pass, with splits of 29-19, 42-23, and 54-14. This imbalance has hurt them.
Regardless of what play is called from the sidelines, Rodgers has the authority to change it at the line of scrimmage based on what he sees. If Rodgers doesn’t buy in and accept that this offense needs a different approach, we’ll likely see more of the same struggles from this team.
Luckily for the Jets, they’ll face a reeling Buffalo Bills team that recently lost on a 59-yard field goal to the Houston Texans after a disastrous performance by Josh Allen. Allen completed just 9-of-30 passes for 132 yards, with one touchdown and a passer rating of 56.4. Health concerns also loom over the Bills, with James Cook’s status still uncertain. On the other hand, the Jets will benefit from the return of Morgan Moses, who should help bolster the offensive line, and C.J. Mosley.
Score: Jets 17, Bills 9
Mark Levine
The Jeff Ulbrich era begins on Monday night, and when the clock strikes midnight, we could be looking at the head coach of a first place team.
The Bills offense is a little difficult to predict, as we don’t know whether James Cook – who looks to be trending toward playing – and Khalil Shakir will be healthy enough to suit up at MetLife. Last week, Josh Allen completed just 30 percent of his passes with Shakir sidelined. Even though Michael Carter II will miss his second straight game, the secondary should be good enough to shut down that passing attack. The expected returns of Leki Fotu and C.J. Mosley will also bolster a run defense that has really come on the last couple of weeks.
Todd Downing said in his first press conference as the new offensive play caller, “You look for ways to create advantages and put stress on the defense.” If one of those advantages is actually giving the ball to Braelon Allen on the goal line, then he is already a million times better than Nathaniel Hackett. Aaron Rodgers cannot be forced to throw the ball another 50+ times, so the Jets need to get back to effectively establishing the run. The Bills 26th ranked rushing defense coupled with the return of Morgan Moses should help with that. This would be the perfect time for Breece Hall to replicate his Week 1 performance against the Bills in 2023, where he ran for 127 yards. First place in the division is within reach, go out and grab it.
Score: Jets 27, Bills 20