Smith, Manuel Back at it

Just like the title and picture depict, Smith and Manuel will go back at it in
week eleven at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
(Source: Richard Schultz/Getty Images)

Week three was one the Buffalo Bills would like to have back, falling 27-20 to the New York Jets. The first meeting in East Rutherford, NJ, showcased the top two quarterbacks taken in the 2013 NFL Draft, Geno Smith of the West Virginia Mountaineers and E.J. Manuel of the Florida State Seminoles. In their first meeting, Smith looked like a superstar due to a beat up Buffalo secondary, as a result, Manuel had to play catchup all game long. The rematch will be held this Sunday, as Buffalo looks to crash the Jets' dream of a playoff birth. 

The 3-7 Buffalo Bills come into this week eleven matchup extremely thin at the wide receiver position. Top two receivers, Robert Woods (ankle) and Stevie Johnson (groin) are banged up and were unable to practice all week. Head coach Doug Marrone announced earlier in the week that Woods is still not ready to play, while the team is prepared to face the Jets with four wide receivers. This meaning along with Woods, Johnson will most likely be watching this game from the sideline as well. Buffalo's speed receivers T.J. Graham and Marquise Goodwin will have to step up big, along with their physical tight ends Scott Chandler and Chris Gragg. Manuel will have to play smart, yet be aggressive at the same time with his receiving core quickly dwindling. In the previous meeting against New York, Buffalo was down to the bottom of their depth chart, searching for a healthy cornerback. Players were playing out of position and former 7th-round pick Justin Rogers was placed in an unfair situation. Rogers was absolutely embarrassed on two long touchdown passes that game, which resulted in the benching of Rogers in the games that followed. This time Buffalo is healthy and sound in the secondary, so don't expect Smith and company to have a repeat performance.

Gang Green is currently 5-4, sitting in the final wildcard spot in the AFC. The team is coming off a bye week, with their previous game being a shocking victory over NFC powerhouse New Orleans Saints. Led by head coach Rex Ryan, the New York Jets have been on a nine game roller coaster ride. One game the Jets look like contenders and the next they look like pretenders. Regardless of how they do it, the Jets have put themselves in a place to make a late season playoff push. Majority of the credit has been given to the first ranked rush defense, who just got better with the acquisition of future Hall of Fame safety Ed Reed. Even though Reed practiced throughout the week, it's not clear as to how much Reed will play on Sunday. With his talent and experience, Reed will add much needed leadership to the Jets secondary. This week also marks the return of former Bills wide receiver David Nelson. Nelson was a fan favorite in Buffalo with his ability to find ways to get open, especially on third downs. With a wounded Jeremy Kerley, look for Nelson to get an extended amount of targets.  

In order to steal a victory, Buffalo will have to extend their time of possession on offense by running the ball effectively. Big plays early by running backs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson will be key to get the offense going and the crowd of Ralph Wilson Stadium into it. While the defense needs to put pressure on Smith and the Jets offense. Smith has looked like a deer in headlights while under duress, making poor decisions and turning the football over.

Here's how the two teams rank in the NFL heading into week eleven:

Passing Yards: Bills 192.2 YPG (29th) vs. Jets 202.2 YPG (26th)

Rushing Yards: Bills 140.7 YPG (7th) vs. Jets 129.0 YPG (9th)

Passing Yards Allowed: Bills 238.6 YPG (17th) vs. Jets 251.4 YPG (24th)

Rushing Yards Allowed: Bills 117.3 YPG (22nd) vs. Jets 73.8 YPG (1st)