Sunday, September 14, 1p.m. ET
Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Weather: Mostly sunny, 80s
Latest line: Bills -6.5, over/under 47.5
Wow. We expected a good game, and Josh Allen is racking up a crazy number of Instant Classics, but the Bills and #17 outdid themselves in a 41-40 comeback win over the Ravens. Properly savored. 1-0. On to the Jets, who look like they finally might have some stability in Head Coach Aaron Glenn. The Jets have won 2 of the last 6 in the series. Can they pull the home upset?
The Breakdown:
QB:
Yes, Josh Allen’s 4th quarter vs. the Ravens shows up when you ask AI about great 4th Quarter QB performances. Here’s a fun fact: the only Buffalo player in the major sports to win back-to-back MVPs was Dominik Hasek; #17 has an excellent chance to join him. In the context of recent Jets QB play, Justin Fields offered their long-suffering fan base a glimmer of hope in the loss to Pittsburgh last week. Big Advantage Bills.
Run Game Weapons:
Breece Hall and Justin Fields ran all over the Steelers last week. Ray Davis and Ty Johnson did not see the field much week one, combining for 3 carries, 3 receptions, and 27 total combined yards. Without that boost, Hall over Cook. Advantage Jets.
Pass Game Weapons:
Garrett Wilson with a stable, quality QB situation could be a top 5 WR in the NFL. Rookie TE Mason Taylor scored in his debut. Hall is excellent out of the backfield. But that’s it. Buffalo counters with Keon Coleman, Khalil, Shakir, Dalton Kincaid, Josh Palmer, James Cook, Ty Johnson and others too numerous to mention. It was only one game, but Keon looks to be staking his claim this season to be a true WR1. Advantage Bills.
Offensive Line:
It was amusing this week when WGR ran a poll after Week One about who would finish 2nd in the AFC East. The Jets and the Patriots basically flip-flopped positions from the entire off season based on 60 minutes of football. The best justifications for that are a solid performance by Fields; but more importantly the Jets are building an excellent OL. Even with the loss of G Ali Vera-Tucker for the season, they boast one of the better young offensive lines in the league. It might be the best line the Bills face until the Eagles in December. But the Buffalo Bills are a top 3 line in the NFL right now. Advantage Bills.
Run Defense:
The Jets held the Steelers to a measly 2.7 yards per carry. The Bills allowed the Ravens 8.2 yards per carry. The good news is four months to improve. We ought to know a lot more about TJ Sanders, Deone Walker, and Zion Logue by 5 p.m. ET Sunday. Advantage Jets.
Pass Defense:
CB1s Sauce Gardner and Christian Benford are on the same level in terms of ability, but thankfully not in salary. It was so easy for the Ravens to run, and evaluating the performance of the Bills’ secondary last week isn’t easy. Since the Steelers ran poorly against the Jets, it’s easier to ding the Jets for allowing four Aaron Rodgers TD passes. Equally shaky, but without Ed Oliver’s interior pressure, I give a slight edge to the Jets.
Special teams:
Folk vs. Folk Hero! Matt Prater had me googling the likes of Adam Vinatieri, Morten Andersen, and George Blanda. It was surprising to learn he is the oldest ever Buffalo Bill. He’s still got it. Welcome to Buffalo new Punter Cameron Johnson, who’s a mere pup at 33 years of age. Remember when we used to fuss about the holder? The Chris Tabor effect continues; will returner be the next spot they tinker with? Sam Franklin looked like a great addition week one. Even.
Coaching:
Aaron Glenn will tell you there are no moral victories, but his debut was encouraging for a franchise that has been wandering aimlessly for years. It was nice to see some of Sean McDermott’s harshest critics give him credit for the clock management in the win. Joe Brady adds to the Bills edge, but Bobby Babich needs to put the Ravens game in the rear-view mirror. Advantage Bills.
The Forecast:
Josh hasn’t thrown 5 TD passes since the “Perfect Game” vs the Patriots in the 2022 playoffs. He will match that Sunday.
Bills 35 Jets 27
The Pregame Plan:
Food:
It’s getting late in the season, but our local corn remains excellent. The farm that supplies the Pittsford Wegman’s is four minutes from my house, so tomorrow’s hasn’t been picked yet! Italian Sausage with peppers and onions and mustard potato salad round out the menu.
Beer:
Last week was PROSIT, this week is MAHALO. Kona Big Wave brands itself “Liquid Aloha”. Growing from a small Hawaiian Brewery to a nationally brewed and distributed enterprise, it’s a great tasting and not too heavy option for rare 1 p.m. ET Bills’ games.
Music:
Looking forward to the upcoming Farewell Tour for Bob Seger, with a January date at the Key bank Arena.
- Turn The Page… with a dedication to Bobby Babich and the D.
- Rock And Roll Never Forgets… with a dedication to Matt Prater.
- Like A Rock… with a dedication to our Offensive Line.
- Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man… for #17.
The Bills schedule the next month suggests a lot of cautious injury management, but so far, the offense has been mostly healthy. In an already nostalgic year, we are going to see some old time AFC scores!
Editor’s babble: That score sure looks good to me. Many thanks to Joe Reagan for his contributions to our blog. You can also find Joe on Xwitter @joer869.
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