After a long drawn out process, it was Josh McCown who emerged victorious in the race to become the Jets’ starting quarterback. The 38-year-old veteran defeated Bryce Petty and 2016 second-round pick Christian Hackenberg who disappointed in his audition for the Jets. In 36 preseason drives, Hackenberg led the Jets to points just five times (two touchdowns, three field goals) as he finished with a measly QB rating of 68. With Hackenberg misfiring, the starting gig fell on the lap of McCown who went just 2-20 the past three seasons.
The question now for Jets fans is McCown’s readiness for the Week 1 clash against Buffalo. He participated in just three series this preseason thanks in large part to the failed Hackenberg experiment. McCown completed 3 of 4 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in the preseason opener against the Titans before going 6-of-8 for 57 yards in the Jets’ finale against Philadelphia.
He’ll have a new weapon to pass to in Week 1 with the Jets’ recent acquisition of Jermaine Kearse. The 27-year-old has been a starter for Seattle since 2014 but is coming off a down season in which he caught just 41 passes for 510 yards and one touchdown. The Kearse deal came at a huge price, though, for the Jets as they traded away Pro Bowl defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson. He was part of the D-line that won the Jets 10 games back in 2015. Richardson might be coming off a down season with 1.5 sacks in 15 games but he still recorded 18 sacks for the Gang Green over the past four years.
The Jets are 4-6 SU and 3-6-1 ATS in their last 10 road games.
Ever since Tyrod Taylor went down with a concussion in the preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, he has been in a race against time to be fit for the Bills’ season-opener against the Jets. The good news for the Buffalo faithful is that Taylor appears to be right on track to make that Week 1 start. According to general manager Brandon Beane, Taylor’s ready to play for that crunch AFC East showdown against the Jets.
Taylor has been a vital cog in Buffalo’s recent success, finishing with over 3,000 passing yards and 550 rushing yards in each of his first two seasons with the Bills. In the scenario that Taylor is unable to pass the league’s concussion protocol, the Bills have no other alternative but to hand the start to rookie Nathan Peterman. He has impressed for the Bills this preseason, averaging 113.3 passing yards per contest with a decent 54.4 completion percentage.
The Bills will fancy their chances of grabbing the victory this coming Sunday as they have fared extremely well against the Jets at home of late. Buffalo has won four of its last five home games against New York. The Bills are desperate to exact some payback against the Jets who swept their season series last year. They will need to watch out for running back Matt Forte who rushed for three touchdowns in the corresponding fixture last season.
The Bills are 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Bills (-8) not only win but also cover the spread against the Jets.
