Road game vs. improving AFC East rival Jets up next for Buffalo Bills: Here's what to know

ORCHARD PARK — When the Buffalo Bills head down to the Meadowlands to meet the New York Jets Sunday afternoon, the two teams will be looking to improve on their Week 8 performances.

The difference, though, is while the Bills played a less-than-stellar game Sunday night at Highmark Stadium, they still didn’t have much trouble dispatching the Green Bay Packers 27-17. The Jets, on the other hand, saw their four-game win streak snapped thanks to a lackluster offensive effort in a 22-17 loss to New England.

“I don't think our whole football team right now, myself included, is where we want to be,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said after watching a sloppy second-half performance on both sides of the ball.

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We are living in a different era of Buffalo football when the head coach of a 6-1 Bills team can say that his team isn’t where it needs to be. It’s exactly where it needs to be in terms of record, but he’s correct in that the Bills need to tighten things up against a feisty Jets team that is tied with Miami at 5-3 for second place in the AFC East.

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As for the Jets, they have to be kicking themselves after losing to the Patriots thanks to a litany of huge mistakes including a game-changing roughing the passer penalty on John Franklin-Myers at the end of the first half. It wiped out an 84-yard pick-six by cornerback Michael Carter, and instead of being up 17-3, the Jets allowed a field goal which cut their lead to 10-6.

Then in the second half, quarterback Zack Wilson threw two of his three interceptions to kill any chance the Jets had of winning after the Patriots scored 16 points to open a 22-10 lead.

Top players for New York Jets on offense, defense

▶ QB Zack Wilson: The Jets are 5-3, but it certainly isn’t because of the way the 2021 No. 2 overall draft pick has played. Wilson threw for 355 yards and two TDs against the Patriots, but those three interceptions, all inside Jets territory, were killers. The Jets were lucky that they only led to two New England field goals. He’s completing just 54.9% of his passes.

▶ RB James Robinson: Acquired from the Jaguars in a trade early last week, he made his debut against the Patriots but did very little with 17 yards on five attempts. With another week in the offense, he should get a bigger workload as the Jets try to replace injured rookie Breece Hall.

▶ WR Garrett Wilson: The 2022 No. 10 overall pick caught only 10 passes in the four games before New England, then had six catches for 115 Sunday. He’s a dangerous player.

▶ WR Denzel Mims: He caught a 63-yard bomb Sunday, but his injury-plagued two-plus seasons have been hugely disappointing as the Jets are still waiting for his breakout.

▶ TE Tyler Conklin: He has become a trusted target in the Jets passing game and has 32 catches for 309 yards. He had two TDs against the Patriots.

▶ DT Quinnen Williams: He is now one of the best in the game, a dominating presence in the middle of a very good Jets defense that is playing with some fire.

▶ DE Carl Lawson: Signed as a free agent in 2021, he missed the entire season with an injury. Now he’s back and he has four sacks.

▶ LB C.J. Mosley: He is an every-down tackling machine for the Jets coming off a 13-tackle game against the Patriots.

▶ CB Sauce Gardner: Wow, what a player the No. 4 overall pick in 2022 has turned out to be. He is already one of the best cover corners in the NFL and teams have shied away from testing him, and he’s also an excellent tackler in run support. He has allowed a meager 45.5% completion rate into his coverage area and just 7.6 yards per opposing reception.

▶ CB D.J. Reed: Signed as a free agent in the offseason, he has given the Jets an outstanding 1-2 combination at boundary corner with Gardner. His completion percentage allowed is also impressive at 52.5%.

What the game means to Buffalo Bills, New York Jets

For the Jets, legitimacy. They are 5-3, a surprising record given the preseason prognostications, but they have only one impressive victory, and even that is a little questionable: They whipped the Packers at Lambeau Field on a day when Green Bay was simply awful.

They also beat the Browns quarterbacked by Jacoby Brissett, the Steelers led by Mitch Trubisky/Kenny Pickett, the Dolphins led by third-string QB Skylar Thompson, and the truly inept Broncos led by Brett Rypien.

For the Bills, they just need to keep the train rolling and continue to extend their lead in the AFC East where the three teams behind them are all 4-4 or better.

Who is favored to win Bills vs. Jets?

The Bills have been installed as an early 12.5-point favorite.

The money line is Bills minus-900 (bet $900 to win $100) and Jets plus-550 (bet $100 to win $550). The over-under for the game is 47.5.

What time does the Bills vs. Jets game start?

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at MetLife Stadium.

How to watch Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets game on TV, streaming

Cable/Network: CBS. The game will be available locally via the following stations: WROC (Channel 8, Rochester), WIVB (Buffalo area), WTVH (Syracuse area), WKTV (Utica area), WENY (Elmira area), WRGB (Albany area), and WBNG (Binghamton area).

Online streaming services: NFL.com and the NFL mobile app. Also, the NFL has a new streaming service called NFL+ which replaces NFL Game Pass, though you can’t cast the games to your TV - you must watch on your phone or tablet. The cost is $5 a month or $30 for the season, and a premium tier costs $10/$80 which includes all-22 coaches film and condensed and full-game replays. With it, you’ll be able to watch every local game on Sunday and the national games on Monday and Thursday nights as well as the playoffs and the Super Bowl. You can also stream if you have subscriptions to DirecTV, fuboTV, NFL+, Sling, Vidgo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and Paramount+.

On the radio: How to listen to the Bills vs. Jets game

How to listen: The Bills Radio Network has stations all across the state. They include Rochester (WCMF 96.5 and WROC 950 AM), Buffalo (WGR550, 550 AM), Syracuse (WTKW 99.5/WTKV 105.5), Binghamton (WDRE 100.5FM), Ithaca (WIII 99.9/100.3 FM), Bath (WVIN 98.3 FM), Newark (WACK 1420 AM), Dansville (WDNY 93.9 FM), Elmira (WNGZ 1490 AM), Auburn (WAUB 98.1 FM/1590 AM), and Geneva (WGVA 95.9 FM, 1240 AM). You can also listen on SiriusXM satellite radio on channel 225 (Bills) and channel 226 (Jets).

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana.To subscribe to Sal's new twice-a-week newsletter, Bills Blast, please follow this link: profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: When do the Bills play next? What to know about Week 9 game vs Jets