Sunday, December 30, 2012

Week 17 AFC East game picks: Jets at Bills

Lead writer Nick St. Denis and AFC East Daily contributors Dan Begnoche and Sean Donovan pick the New York Jets' AFC East road contest with the Buffalo Bills.

Nick's take:
There once was a game this season that saw Mark Sanchez throw three touchdowns and complete over 70 percent of his passes -- Week 1 against the Bills. Sanchez has fallen quite hard since then but gets the season-finale nod against those same Bills, this time in Buffalo. Chan Gailey and Ryan Fitzpatrick's inability to get into any type of rhythm against a stout defense is good enough for a Gang Green victory despite one of the saddest offenses in recent memory taking the field.
Prediction: Jets 20, Bills 14 (Nick's record: 36-13)

Dan's take:
The Jets' quarterback situation right now is downright ridiculous, but hey, they have won eight of the last nine against the Bills. Buffalo’s offense has been spotty of late — not counting C.J. Spiller — and the Jets shouldn’t have a problem making them one-dimensional. Look for Sanchez to be quiet in his return and Shonn Greene to hit the century mark with ease, putting him over 1,000 yards for the second straight season.
Prediction: Jets 21, Bills 17 (Dan's record: 29-20)

Sean's take:
Two dismal seasons, two coaching staffs under fire and two quarterbacks that have a good chance of losing their jobs this offseason. Yet before any of that happens, these two teams must play one more game. The overall-better Jets condense all of the season's frustrations into a hearty beatdown of their division rivals, with the defense leading the charge by limiting Spiller and overwhelming Fitzpatrick.
Prediction: Jets 34, Bills 30 (Sean's record: 39-10)