Sam Darnold and Josh Allen are two of the best young quarterbacks in the league right now, and they duke it out again right in the very first week of the 2020 NFL season, as the New York Jets pay the Buffalo Bills a visit in Orchard Park. Join our 2020 NFL Survivor Pool contest and check out our preview of this game below.
The Jets are entering Year 3 of the Sam Darnold, and so far, it’s hard to say that they are undoubtedly happy with their experience with the quarterback. Mostly, it was Darnold’s inconsistency, but that can’t be entirely blamed on the quarterback, as the Jets didn’t have much top talent around him. The one true star on offense together with Darnold is running back Le’Veon Bell, who suffered as well from poor run-blocking. The Jets averaged 17.2 points, 273.0 total yards, and 78.6 rushing yards per game in 2019. Those numbers are expected to be better for the Jets after the team shored up its offensive line in the offseason. The defense was much better for the Jets last season and will continue to be a strength of the team this year, with CJ Moselyand Avery Williamson both healthy to start the 2020 campaign. The Jets were seventh last season in total defense with just 323.1 yards allowed per game. They held Buffalo down to just 309 total yards in a 13-6 road win in Week 17 of last season.
The Jets are 2-0 against the spread in their last two games.
Compared to Darnold, Josh Allen made quite a leap last season, as he finished the 2019 campaign with 3,089 passing yards and 20 touchdowns with nine interceptions. He also had 510 rushing yards and nine rushing scores. There are lots of reasons for Buffalo fans to assume that the Bills’ offense to improve further. For one, the Bills’ front office made sure to spend money on a big-time playmaker in the offseason, trading for former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs to give Allen a true elite target downfield. In five seasons with the Vikings, Diggs had 4,623 receiving yards and 30 touchdown grabs. The passing attack of Buffalo should be livelier this time around, though, the Bills did well with just John Brown and Cole Beasley when they defeated the Jets last year on the road, 17-16. Brown torched the Jets’ defense for 123 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven catches, while Beasley had 40 receiving yards on five receptions.
The under is 4-0 in the Bills’ last four home games.
