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Bills vs. Jets preview

When: 7 p.m. ET Monday. Where: Ford Field, Detroit. TV: CBS.

It's Monday night football in Motown.

After several feet of snow were dumped on the Buffalo area this week, the snowed-in Buffalo Bills (5-5) will dig out Friday and shift their operation to Michigan in advance of Monday's rescheduled game against the New York Jets (2-8).

While the Jets are looking for back-to-back wins for the first time this season, the Bills are desperate for a victory after dropping their past two games. ESPN Bills reporter Mike Rodak and ESPN Jets reporter Rich Cimini break it all down:

Rodak: How has this affected the Jets' preparation? What has been their reaction to all of this?

Cimini: This has been a normal week for the Jets. Cynics might say there's no such thing, but you get my drift. They practiced outdoors on Wednesday and Thursday, thinking the game would be at Ralph Wilson Stadium. On Friday, they practiced in the field house, knowing, of course, the game will be indoors at Ford Field. With the extended week, the plan is to have two "Saturday" practices -- one Saturday, one Sunday. A Saturday practice is a light workout, basically a walk-through. Rex Ryan says he wants to keep the players' legs fresh. I don't know why that would be a concern, considering they're coming off the bye week.

I guess the obvious question is, how has the storm affected the Bills' preparation?

Rodak: It's been a week unlike any other for the Bills. Most coaches were able to make it to the facility at some point Monday night or Tuesday, and have slept there since. Players, on the other hand, have been stuck at home. Team president Russ Brandon estimated that 85 percent of players live in the towns south of Buffalo, the area hit hardest by the storm. They've been able to receive film and game plans on their iPads from the coaching staff, but that obviously isn't the same as being at practice and seeing the scout team's looks on the field. Getting to Detroit for some players will be a challenge; wide receiver Chris Hogan tweeted Friday morning that he had to walk to the stadium. However many players the Bills are able to round up, they'll hold a practice Friday evening and perhaps another over the weekend. That will put them on somewhat of a normal schedule heading into Monday night's game.

Does moving this game favor the Jets? Do you anticipate that they'll tweak the game plan?

Cimini: When Chris Johnson found out Detroit was a possible site for the game, he called over to Michael Vick in the locker room, excitedly telling him they could be playing indoors. Makes sense, right? Fast guys want to play on a fast track, especially indoors.

I absolutely believe this works in the Jets' favor. Not only do the Bills lose their home-field advantage, but now they have to defend Vick in a climate-controlled environment. Vick doesn't like bad conditions. I remember one day in training camp, when he had a brutal practice in rainy, windy and unseasonably cool conditions. I'm sure he's thrilled to be going to Ford Field. Yes, they could tweak the game plan. Why not? I would think they'd try to force-feed the ball to Percy Harvin, who has the speed to cause problems for the Bills' defense.

Are the Bills upset the league put this game indoors?

Rodak: I think the Bills are just happy that they're able to play this game, period. Of the three sites that ESPN's Adam Schefter reported were in play Thursday, two of them -- Washington and Pittsburgh -- had natural grass fields. So the feeling here is that the Bills are happy this game is being played on an artificial, indoor surface where field conditions won't be a factor. This is the second time the Bills played in Ford Field this season; the last was a Week 5 win over the Lions. Sammy Watkins caught seven passes for 87 yards in that game, a reflection of how the faster surface could benefit the Bills' passing game.

What's the outlook for the Jets the rest of this season? Was last week's win over the Steelers a fluke or are there encouraging signs that they could turn things around?

Cimini: I'd say it was a mix -- some encouraging signs and some stuff I’d characterize as lucky. Offensively, the Jets are taking baby steps. They’re three games into the Harvin experiment and, while I wouldn’t call him a game-changing player, he has brought balance to the passing game, forcing opponents to respect both sides of the field. Vick, too, has helped. Unlike Geno Smith, Vick isn’t a turnover machine -- two straight games without committing one. He’s a steadying presence, if not a prolific passer. Vick and Harvin are reasons the offense has hope. Defensively, I’m not sure how they managed to slow down Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown. I mean, their cornerbacks were Marcus Williams and Phillip Adams and they received an out-of-nowhere, career game from Jaiquawn Jarrett. I don’t think the secondary will be able to sustain it for the remainder of the season; it’s just not good enough.

So, what happened to the Bills' offense?

Rodak: There are unconfirmed reports that it fled to the Caribbean to avoid the impending snow in Buffalo.

The Bills haven't scored a touchdown in 21 consecutive drives, dating back to the first possession of their loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9. As Doug Marrone astutely pointed out earlier this week, the Bills' "main problem is scoring." That's broad, obviously, but the offense hasn't been able to do too much right the past two weeks, and to a lesser extent, since the beginning of the season. With Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller both injured, the Bills haven't been able to get much going with Bryce Brown and Anthony Dixon. That duo combined for zero yards on five carries in the second half of last Thursday's loss. Meanwhile, Kyle Orton's Total QBR is sinking lower and lower. His 38.7 QBR is ahead of only one quarterback who still has his starting job, and that's Blake Bortles (25.6).