We know at least one New York team will win on MNF…
the MLB League Championships are looking less clear.
Bills, Jets Meet on MNF
What Happened: Does any team actually want to win the AFC East? The Patriots and Dolphins present no threat, while the Bills (losers of three straight) and Jets (do we really have to explain?) aren’t exactly asserting their dominance either. The winner of tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup will sit atop the division, although we’ll forgive fans of either team if that doesn’t stir much excitement.
Why It Matters: For Buffalo, getting healthy is the biggest key early in the season. Vegas still likes this team quite a bit more than the Jets; as of this morning, you can get Buffalo to win the division at -250 at FanDuel, with the Jets much longer at +350.
Josh Allen is coming off a putrid game against the Texans and was clearly missing WR Khalil Shakir. Absences from DT Ed Oliver and CB Taron Johnson were also felt, although Johnson may return to the lineup tonight.
As for the Jets, what did firing Robert Saleh do? We’ll find out tonight, but an early guess: the defense will still be good, the offense will still have its issues, and the team may get a temporary lift from having a new voice in the locker room.
About that temporary lift: over the last 20 seasons, in the first game since firing a coach mid-season, teams have gone 17-20, with an against the spread record of 22-15. Gang Green is a home underdog, and with no previous experience as head coach, we don’t know what to expect from Jeff Ulbrich.
The narratives are ready to go: the Bills get back on track or the Jets are energized by the coaching change and ready to rule the East. Whichever team loses will have some serious questions to answer though.
What Weâre Watching Today
Bills at Jets (8:15 PM ET) – Who will viewers be subjected to on the ManningCast for this game? Anyone but Bill Belichick, please. Neither fan base wants to deal with him anymore than absolutely necessary…
Mets at Dodgers (4:08 PM ET) –Â The Mets better find some new viral sensation to latch onto after last night’s shellacking. The mojo levels are at a dangerous low for a team that squeezed Grimace for all they’re worth.
Guardians at Yankees (7:38 PM ET) –Â Both starting pitchers tonight (Alex Cobb for Cleveland, Carlos Rodon for the Yanks) have had rough playoff outings so far. But with the weather cooler, it wouldn’t be a surprise if batters struggled in this spot, despite the less-than-stellar pitching matchup.
The Look Ahead
Dalton Kincaid ANYTIME TOUCHDOWN – The Bills tight end has found the end zone just once, back in Week 3. But he’s garnered plenty of targets, especially over the last few weeks, when Josh Allen looked his way seven times in Week 4 and six more in Week 5. The Jets will get C.J. Mosley back tonight, but the linebacker isn’t the most sound in coverage. If Khalil Shakir is out or limited, Buffalo will lean on Kincaid in the pass game, so he seems like a nice bet to find the end zone as the focal point of the offense.
