The Bills were complete control all after in their season-opening win against the Jets. However, a series of self-inflicted wounds left the scoreline looking much closer than it should have been.
The first half was smooth sailing for Buffalo. Quarterback Josh Allen contributed to all three scores on offense, throwing for two and rushing for another touchdown. He was the most important part of Buffalo’s offense, going 20-of-26 for 161 yards in the passing game while rushing 12 times for 59 yards. The Bills offense had 19 first downs as compared to the Jets’ five first downs. Buffalo also out-gained the Jets to the tune of 223-102 total yards in the first half.
Buffalo did allow the Jets to hang in this game even though the Bills were far superior for most of it. Allen fumbled twice, essentially taking points off the board for the Bills. Rookie kicker Tyler Bass pushed two kicks wide of the right post, giving the Jets a glimmer of hope.
Buffalo’s defense gave up one big play to New York, as receiver Jamison Crowder took a short pass in the flat 69 yards to the house. Otherwise, the defense kept Jets quarterback Sam Darnold in check. Early in the fourth quarter, Bills safety Jordan Poyer stripped Chris Herndon on a tight end screen, getting the ball back into Buffalo’s hands. The Bills got three points off of that turnover, putting Buffalo up by two scores.
Final Score: Buffalo 27, New York 17
Keys to the game
The Josh Allen Show: It’s clear that Buffalo has decided that Allen is the focal point of the offense. Even with the improved weapons on the Bills offense, Allen was part of 38 plays in the first half alone (26 passes and 12 rushes). With the lead, Buffalo allowed Allen to take some more chances, which unfortunately only landed the Bills three points…First half success: It was smooth sailing for the Bills offense early on. They scored on three drives and moved the ball well on their other two first-half possessions. Buffalo out-gained the Jets by a two-to-one margin and took a 21-3 lead into half. Defense wins championships: Buffalo’s defense kept the Jets under wraps all afternoon. With the exception of one big play, New York struggled mightily to move the ball…Solid debuts: Several newcomers to the Bills roster made significant contributions in the game. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs caught eight passes for 86 yards. Zack Moss caught a four-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. Defensive end Mario Addison recorded a sack…Mistakes don’t hurt: The Bills left several points on the board during the game. Allen fumbled twice while the offense was moving the ball well. Kicker Tyler Bass missed two field goals. Even after these miscues, the defense kept everything under control, limiting the Jets to 254 total yards on offense. For their part, the Bills defense forced an interception and fumble.
It was over when…
In the first half, it looked that the game was over once Buffalo’s offense took possession of the ball. However, the Bills’ miscues kept the game from becoming a blowout. Officially, the game was out of hand when the Buffalo’s offense bled the clock down on an effective 11-play, six-and-a-half-minute drive which culminated in a short field goal by Bass. This gave Buffalo a three-score lead with just over three minutes remaining in the game.
3 stars of the game
- Josh Allen-Allen had a career day contributing to all three of the Bills touchdowns. He threw for a career-best 312 yards on a 33-of-46 passing day. He opened the scoring with a two-yard bootleg run. He followed that up with touchdown passes to Zack Moss and John Brown.
- Buffalo’s defense–outside of garbage time, the Bills defense crushed the Jets offense. The Jets could only muster 52 yards on the ground. The unit forced two turnovers to keep New York from getting close on the scoreboard.
- Stefon Diggs–Diggs had a solid debut with the Bills, catching eight passes for 86 receiving yards. He took some hits, and he bailed out his quarterback on a few occasions. This is a great start as the Bills’ WR1.
Reset the 300-yard passing list back to zero
The Bills did not have a 300-yard passer for 49 games. That streak ended Sunday afternoon, as Allen passed for 312 yards on the day. The streak, which has been looming over Allen and the Bills, has not evaporated. In a league where 300-yard passes are becoming the norm, Buffalo has finally found a way to break this miserable drought. This progress is promising and may mean something for the Bills offense moving forward. As much as Sean McDermott discussed how the run game will be in control, the passing attack was on display Sunday.
What’s next?
Buffalo travels to Miami to faceoff in their second consecutive AFC East clash against the Dolphins. Miami makes their home debut after falling to New England 21-11 in Week 1 action. Last season, Buffalo dominated the Dolphins, sweeping the series by a combined score of 68-41. In both games against Miami, Bills quarterback Josh Allen went 37-of-59 for 458 passing yards, five touchdown passes, and no interceptions.
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