Jets-Bills preview for Thursday Night Football

Jets at Bills

8:25 p.m. Thursday, CBS, NFL Network

RETURNING TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME

A playoff berth was there for the taking. And they blew it.

Had the Jets beaten the Buffalo Bills in Week 17, they would have been postseason-bound for the first time since 2010. But instead, they self-destructed when it mattered most and lost to Rex Ryan’s team for a second time in 2015.

Eight months have passed since that season-finale loss, but the memory still lingers.

“We have a bad taste in our mouth from last year,” cornerback Darrelle Revis said. “And I’m sure it’ll carry over into this game.”

SEE PHOTOSHistory of the Jets-Bills rivalry

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick acknowledged “it’s a new year,” but said Thursday night’s prime-time matchup against their AFC East rival is “an important one for us.”

It’s important for both teams, who are 0-1.

To win, Fitzpatrick will need to be on his game — something that didn’t happen in either Bills game last year. He had a combined 49.9 rating in both losses and three fourth-quarter interceptions in Week 17. One of those picks came on an end-zone pass attempt to Eric Decker while trailing 19-17 with 10:45 remaining.

“It definitely still stays with me,” Decker said. “To turn it over, being down, getting a last-second opportunity? It’s an adjustment I wish we would have made.”

And they “definitely don’t want to go down 0-2 to start the season,” Revis said. “We do have a tougher schedule than last year . . . So we definitely have to have a sense of urgency from here on out.”

HOSTILE TERRITORY

Ralph Wilson Stadium’s name may have changed to New Era Field, but it’s still the same hostile environment it’s always been for the Jets. The Bills are 32-23 at home vs. the Jets (regular season and postseason). The Jets haven’t won in Buffalo since the 2011 season.

MISSING WIDEOUTS

Five. That’s all the receptions Brandon Marshall and Decker totaled against the Bengals Sunday. Save for Decker’s 15-yard touchdown catch, the Jets’ two biggest stars were non-factors in the 23-22 loss.

One reason?

The emergence of Quincy Enunwa, who had a career-high seven catches and first NFL touchdown. The other? Matt Forte’s 155 all-purpose yards. But in order to win consistently, offensive coordinator Chan Gailey has to make in-game adjustments and the big-money guys have to make plays, especially near the goal line.

“It’s just execution,” Fitzpatrick said of the offense scoring only two TDs in five trips into the red zone vs. Cincinnati. “Everybody being on the same page, being crisp in our routes . . . There were opportunities. I just wasn’t able to take advantage of them.”

X’s-AND-O’s

Would coach Todd Bowles consider putting Revis on the opponent’s No. 2 receiver and double-covering the No. 1 receiver? In recent years, there have been questions about Revis’ ability to shut down No. 1 receivers without help. Bengals star A.J. Green had 12 catches for 180 yards on Sunday.

“We’ve done it before and we’ve looked at it. We’ve talked about it. Certain games will require that,” Bowles said.

SACK PARTY

Sheldon Richardson is ready to “eat” too. After watching his fellow defensive linemen sack Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton seven times, he’s eager to join the fun.

Now that he’s served his one-game suspension, the defensive end is ready to roll, and the drama of facing Ryan and the Bills is only a fraction of his motivation.

Said Richardson: “I’ve got enough fuel for Thursday.”

QUOTABLES

“If he’s slipped at all as a player, he’s coming down from the very tip of Everest.” — Ryan on Revis.

“We have unfinished business because we lost on Sunday, not because of last year.” — Bowles on facing Ryan and the Bills.

NUMBERS GAME

1 — Wins Fitzpatrick has in nine starts against a Ryan defense.

5 — Consecutive wins the Bills have against the Jets.

26 — Teams that have made the playoffs after starting the season 0-2 since 1990, according to the NFL. That’s only 12 percent.