Bills QB Tyrod Taylor Key To Road Win Vs. Jets

The Buffalo Bills will face the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Thursday night, and although the matchup between the two AFC East rivals is highly anticipated, one thing is sure to be the most eagerly awaited event of the game: former Jets head coach Rex Ryan’s return to MetLife Stadium since his new job as coach for the Bills. Bills Quarterback Tyrod Taylor has been cited as one of the most crucial players to ensure their victory over the Jets. Ryan coached the Jets from 2009-2014. Back in April, Ryan also said about his former employers: “They were trying to pull away from me. Like it was my fault, somehow, that people identified the Jets with me, and that was a bad thing and not a good thing. I was just being who I was. From that point on I knew I wasn’t going to be long for that job.”

However, Ryan did not seem genuinely interested in his return to MetLife. He seemed much more vocal about his well-known obsession with the New England Patriots: “I promise that I’ll give you an honest answer [about playing the Jets] after the game [Thursday]. Because right now I haven’t thought about it. What I’m telling you is the truth. We’re just trying to prepare for a game on a short week. Would it had been different if it was a longer [week]? Maybe. But at no point was I like, ‘Oh, I have this one circled.’ Everybody knows me. I circle the Patriots. That’s what I do.”

Ryan’s strategy with the Bills appears quite similar to his former strategy with the Jets: run the ball, play defense, keep the game close, and win in the fourth quarter. The Bills have gained the highest number of ground yards per game out of all the teams in the AFC (141.6) in 2015. In addition, no team in the NFL allows less ground yards per game than the Jets at 80.6.

Furthermore, starting Bills RB LeSean McCoy is still recovering from a shoulder injury, which Ryan has expressed deep concern about. However, the team tweeted out on Thursday that they believe McCoy will play on Thursday night. If not, the younger Karlos Williams could easily be a perfectly suitable backup for McCoy.

Extensive analyses have shown that Taylor helps his team win more when he passes less and runs or hands off more.