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Week 17: Bills vs. Jets
 at 
Sunday, Jan. 2nd
1:00pm ET
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The Bills head to the New Meadowlands Stadium for the first time to play the Jets to close out the season. New York has clinched a playoff spot but could possibly move up to the fifth seed with a win. Coach Rex Ryan has flip flopped on if he would play his starters or not. Right now it appears like he will play them, including QB Mark Sanchez, for at least some of the game. A victory for the Bills could have a major adverse impact on their draft position.
FACTS AND FIGURES
| Matchup: |
Buffalo (4-11) vs. N.Y. Jets (10-5) |
| Place: |
New Meadowlands Stadium |
| TV/Radio: |
Network: CBS; DirecTV: 705; Sirius: 129 |
| Announcers: |
Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker |
| Spread: |
No Line |
| Series: |
Bills lead 53-46 (Bills 1-0 in playoffs) |
| Streak: |
Jets Won 2 |
| Last Meeting: |
Jets 38-14 in Buffalo (2010) |
| Jets Offense: |
Rush (6th); Pass (20th); overall (13th) |
| Jets Defense: |
Rush (5th); Pass (9th); overall (4th) |
| Bills Offense: |
Rush (15th); Pass (24th); overall (24th) |
| Bills Defense: |
Rush (32nd); Pass (4th); overall (24th) |
INJURY UPDATE
The Bills should go into the finale fairly healthy. David Nelson is expected to miss the game with a rib injury. Geoff Hangartner may play after missing three games with a knee injury.
The Jets are fairly healthy as well. SS James Ihedigbo will be out with a knee injury. OT Damien Woody and FS Eric Smith are likely to return to the lineup if necessary. Woody has a knee injury and Smith has a concussion. DL Trevor Price is currently sidelined with a hip injury. DL Shaun Ellis is bothered by a back injury. They will err on the side of caution with the playoffs ahead.
Check out our  Bills Daily Injury Page throughout the week for the latest updates on the injured players.
KEY MATCHUPS
S Donte Whitner vs. TE Dustin Keller:
Whitner may be playing his last game in a Bills uniform as the two sides are reportedly $2 Million apart on a new contract. He will have his hands full in the finale as Keller leads the Jets with 55 receptions.
CB Drayton Florence vs. WR Santonio Holmes:
Florence will go up against Holmes who has had a good year after an early season suspension as he is second on the team with 729 yards receiving.
Kick Coverage Units vs. KR Brad Smith:
The Bills coverage units have been average this year but will face a very explosive returner in Smith who is average 28.6 yards per return which leads the league for players with as many returns as he has.
RB Fred Jackson vs. MLB David Harris:
Jackson needs 108 yards for his second straight 1,000 yard season. that would be a great feat considering he was barely used the first month of the season. Harris is the leading tackler for the Jets.
WR Stevie Johnson vs. CB Darrelle Revis:
Johnson is finishing out a breakout season and has gone over the 1,000 yard mark receiving. He closes his season against who many think is the top cover corner in the league in Revis.
GAME PLAN
When The Bills Have The Ball: It will be tough going against a very strong Jets defense that has struggled recently and desperately wants to get back on track before the playoffs. Look for the Bills to run a lot to try to get Jackson his 1,000 yard season but they won't resist trying to take shots downfield to stretch the defense.
When The Jets Have The Ball: They will likely run a lot to protect Sanchez for the playoffs. They should have a very basic offensive gameplan as they look ahead to the playoffs. Look for the short passing game to mixed in with the running attack.
BILLS DAILY PREDICTION
This is the toughest game of the year to predict. Will the Bills run for the bus? Will the Jets really try hard just to move up one spot in the playoffs and have the privilege of likely playing Indianapolis? How long will the Jets starters play? I believe the starters will be out by halftime and that the Bills won't run for the bus but in the end the Jets will hold on for a win because they are the better team and want to go into the playoffs on a high note after losing three of their last four games:
Jets 24, Bills 17
Season Prediction Record: (11-4)
Season Record Against The Spread: (8-7)
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