#Preview, predictions, what to watch for

Costello’s Call’s

I keep waiting for the Jets to be more competitive. I think it will happen this week. Sam Darnold returns with more healthy bodies around him. They’ll keep it close, but still lose.

Bills 26, Jets 21

Marquee matchup

Bills quarterback Josh Allen vs. Jets defensive line

Allen killed the Jets with his legs when they met in Week 1. He ran the ball 14 times for 57 yards and a touchdowns. He has not had as much success running since, but the Jets are going to have to watch out for him taking off and running through their defense. It is not easy to bring down the 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback.

“You’ve got to tackle the guy when you get your chances,” linebacker Jordan Jenkins said. “I was one of the guys who let one slip. You’ve got to treat this guy like you’re tackling a tight end in the open field. The problem is a lot of guys go after him and they get ready to tackle him like a quarterback. He’s a stockier guy. He’s a bigger guy. … You’ve got to come knowing he’s not going to go down easy.”

Allen has had an MVP-caliber season so far. He has faltered a bit in the past two weeks, against the Titans and Chiefs, but he will be trying to get back on track against the dismal Jets.

Four downs

Sam’s second season: Quarterback Sam Darnold gets to restart his season, in a way, on Sunday. He missed the past two games with a sprained right shoulder. He is still experiencing pain, but will play through it (probably with help from pain killers).

Darnold’s third season has not gone the way he hoped. He has three touchdown passes and four interceptions, and is being asked questions about the team drafting Trevor Lawrence to replace him.

“I don’t think I’ve played well enough to win,” Darnold said. “That’s just shooting straight. We haven’t won any games yet, so obviously, I haven’t played well enough.”

Darnold has 10 games left to impress general manager Joe Douglas and convince him he is the future of the franchise. If the Jets wind up with the No. 1-overall pick, then Lawrence would be in play, and Darnold could be on the trade block.

The big Diggs: The Bills pulled off a blockbuster trade for wide receiver Stefon Diggs this offseason, and it is paying dividends already. Diggs leads the AFC with 555 receiving yards and has caught three touchdown passes. He had eight catches for 86 yards against the Jets in Week 1 and has gotten better since then. He has three 100-yard games and is averaging 13.2 yards per catch.

“I mean there’s a reason why in four of their wins, they had all of those explosive plays, and in the two losses, they didn’t,” Jets coach Adam Gase said. “He’s made a huge difference for them. But anytime you get a No. 1 receiver added to the group that he already had. You put him and John Brown on the outside, you’ve got some real speed.”

Complete corp: The Jets may have their starting wide receivers on the field for the first time this season against the Bills. Rookie Denzel Mims is ready to make his debut after missing the first six games with hamstring injuries. He will join Breshad Perriman, who returned to the lineup last week after missing three weeks. The only question mark is Jamison Crowder, who injured his groin in practice on Wednesday and is questionable.

If the Jets can get Crowder on the field, the offense will look more like what they envisioned this offseason. They hoped the combination of Perriman and Mims could replace the speed element Robby Anderson brought to the team. But it has been a struggle for them to get on the field. We’ll see if they can make a difference.

Line dancing: The Jets will have their fifth different offensive-line combination in seven games. Left guard Alex Lewis will miss this game with several issues in his shoulder. That means Josh Andrews will start for him.

Rookie Mekhi Becton will be back at left tackle, which should help things. The line struggled last week against the Dolphins. Quarterback Joe Flacco got beat up in the game. The Bills have a strong defensive front, presenting another challenge for the Jets line.

“We’re playing better individually than we are as a group,” offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains said. “It’s not one player playing poorly it’s us playing together as a unit. … Unfortunately for us the continuity has not been what we would like, but we have to make the most of the situation. There are no excuses.”