At 1-4 and 9 1/2-point underdogs, here come the offensively challenged Bills to Giants Stadium, limping in today to play the angry 3-2 Jets.
Jets blowout, right?
“Miami didn’t have a good record either,” Jets linebacker Bart Scott said, referring to the 1-3 Dolphins who beat the Jets 31-27.
Indeed, the Jets had best not sleep on the Bills considering Buffalo’s obvious desperation. A loss to the Jets today pretty much wipes out any playoff hopes Buffalo has. A win could save the Bills’ season.
Sound familiar?
It should, because the Dolphins were in very much the same situation, and that should make the humbled Jets rather aware.
“We were 2-3 at this point last year in Baltimore and won 11 games,” linebacker Bart Scott said. “You want to make sure that you learn these lessons, because these are the lessons that make you a better football team later in November and December.
“I always thought the worst thing that happened to the Patriots the year they didn’t win the Super Bowl (two years ago) was that they didn’t lose. A lot of little things go unnoticed. You learn a lot more from losing than you do from winning. I said that last week and I’d hate to lose three to finally get it.
“There’s so much to be learned from losing. It’s all about how you respond.”
BEST MATCHUP
Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis vs. Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens. Revis was having a Pro Bowl season until he gave up the 53-yard touchdown pass to Miami’s Ted Ginn Jr. last week. Owens has just
12 catches and no TDs, after having made 38 TD receptions in his previous three seasons in Dallas. The last time he faced Revis and the Jets was in 2007, and he had six catches for 65 yards and a touchdown.
SACK DANCE
For all of the problems the Bills have had this season, their pass rush has been stout. They’re fifth in the AFC with 12 sacks, helped by the three that defensive end Aaron Schobel, a perennial Jets killer, has posted. Schobel has seven career sacks and five forced fumbles against the Jets.
PICKY, PICKY
Mark Sanchez needs to be at his best with ball security today because, of the Bills four interceptions this season. They have returned two for touchdowns — one by Donte Whitner for 76 yards and one by Schobel for
26 yards. The Bills, too, have forced four fumbles this season.
SCREEN DOOR
Look for Bills quarterback Trent Edwards to throw a lot of short screen passes to running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch to offset the Jets’ aggressive pass rush. Jackson leads the Bills with 20 catches and Lynch has
11 receptions in the last two games. That puts pressure on the Jets linebackers to cover them tightly out of the backfield.
DISCIPLINE
The Bills are the most penalized team in the NFL with 44 for 336 yards, so the Jets can gain some decent hidden yardage here if that trend continues.
SPECIALTY
The Jets’ special teams, which played marvelously last week with the two fake punts and strong kick coverage, could have a distinct edge today considering the Bills are allowing 26.7 yards per kickoff return and Leon Washington, who averages 25.2 yards, still is waiting to break a long one for the first time this season. Though the Jets are second in the NFL in opponents’ starting field position after kickoffs (the 21.4-yard line), the Bills are 28th (28.8-yard line).
RUSH JOB
The Jets, determined to get their running game going more consistently, could get fat today considering the fact that the Buffalo defense is allowing 4.7 yards per carry and already has given up seven rushing touchdowns. On the opposite side, the Bills haven’t scored a rushing touchdown all season (they have just six offensive touchdowns).
SLIPPERY FINGERS
The Bills have fumbled eight times and lost five of them and are 30th in the league in turnover ratio at minus-6. The Jets have forced six fumbles and recovered four of them.
FEELY-ING GOOD
If the game is close, the Jets have to feel good about kicker Jay Feely, who has made all eight of his attempts and 20 in a row dating back to last season — two shy of the Jets’ record of 22 by Pat Leahy.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com
CANNIZZARO’S CALL
The Jets defense, still angry about its poor performance in Miami, will be swarming and vent on Trent Edwards. Buffalo, which has had all kinds of problems scoring this season, is going to find points hard to come by today.
JETS 31, BILLS 9