Buffalo @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 24, 2014 ) N.Y. Jets 3, Buffalo 38

Rex Ryan makes his much-anticipated return to MetLife Stadium on Thursday night when he guides the Buffalo Bills into a matchup with the host New York Jets in a key AFC East tilt. The bombastic Ryan was fired by the Jets in December following a 4-12 campaign - his sixth season with the club - and was scooped up by the Bills two weeks later.

Ryan told the media on Tuesday that he's attaching no special significance to facing his former team. "What I'm telling you is the truth," Ryan said. "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 did managed to tweak the Jets by naming linebacker IK Enemkpali a team captain for Thursday's matchup - a move that New York safety Calvin Pryor termed "kind of disrespectful." Enemkpali was released by the Jets after breaking quarterback Geno Smith's jaw during a locker-room skirmish in August.

TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network. LINE: Jets -2.5. O/U: 43

ABOUT THE BILLS (4-4): Buffalo got some of its top players back coming of its bye week and ended a two-game skid with a 33-17 romp over Miami as quarterback Tyrod Taylor returned from a two-game absence and continually hooked up with wideout Sammy Watkins, who had eight catches for 168 yards and a score. LeSean McCoy rumbled for 112 yards and a touchdown - his first 100-yard game with the Bills - before hurting his shoulder in the fourth quarter, but Karlos Williams picked up the slack with 110 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries. Buffalo had the league's fourth-ranked defense last season but is lagging behind the Jets in all major categories.

ABOUT THE JETS (5-3): New York was near the top of the league in a number of defensive categories before surrendering 87 points in its last three games and barely avoided a third straight defeat by holding off Jacksonville 28-23 last week. Ryan Fitzpatrick, who played four seasons with Buffalo, is playing with a torn ligament in his left thumb but still threw for 272 yards and a pair of touchdowns last week despite the fact that leading wide receiver Brandon Marshall was slowed by an ankle injury. The Jets need to find a way to get running back Chris Ivory untracked - he has been limited to 43 yards on 38 carries the past two games - an average of 1.1 yards per carry.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Buffalo outscored the Jets 81-26 in sweeping the season series in 2014.

2. New York placed Nick Folk on injured reserve and replaced him with former Houston K Randy Bullock.

3. Williams is one of seven players in league history to score a TD in each of his first five games.

PREDICTION: Bills 23, Jets 20