3 Reasons the New York Jets Beat the Buffalo Bills
If the New York Jets win the AFC East Division Title this year, something they haven't done since 2002, Week 9 of the NFL season will be the week they will look at as the week that everything changed. Week 9 will be the week the Jets transformed from a mediocre, loud-mouth team to a team that is once again a contender with a suffocating defense and hard-nosed running game.
Coming in to week 9, the Jets were coming off a bye week and they were set for a head-to-head match up against the division-leading Buffalo Bills, who just finished laying the wood on the Washington Redskins in a 24-0 blowout in Toronto.
The cards were stacked against the Jets. They were winless on the road, going against the leading rusher in the NFL, and still searching for a true identity.
So how did the Jets pull out a win?
1. The New York Jets rushing attack came to play.
Everyone following the Jets for the past three years has heard this term hundreds of times- GROUND AND POUND. To start the 2011 season, the Jets offense was all ground and no pound. Shonn Greene took over the role of feature back in what was supposed to be a seamless transition. Didn't work out that way. Him and future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson struggled mightily to move the rock. On the season, the Jets averaged 96.9 rushing yards per game. Coming into cold-weather Buffalo, an effective rushing game was a must. How did they respond? Collectively, the Jets rushed for 126 yards and the offensive line just blew back the D line of the Bills with ease. The offense of the Jets was balanced with a healthy mix of rushing and passing plays but when the Jets decided to run the ball, they did it effectively.
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