Playing the lowly New York Jets was just what the Buffalo Bills needed to return to their winning ways. Buffalo manhandled New York, 45-17, in a game that really didn’t challenge the Bills too often on the afternoon.
The Bills defense put a kibosh on the talk of Mike White against a strong defensive unit. White, who put up an astounding 405 passing yards the first time he touched the field, was overwhelmed.
White doubled his interception total from the season, throwing four picks during the game. Taron Johnson, Levi Wallace, Tre’Davious White, and Jordan Poyer recorded interceptions during the game for Buffalo (6-3).
The Bills’ Micah Hyde added to the turnover total, stripping Corey Davis on a long pass from White. To top it off, Hyde recovered the fumble.
Buffalo’s defensive line put pressure on White all afternoon. Ed Oliver dominated in the interior of the line, providing a push up the middle that has been absent over the past few games. Efe Obada, Boogie Basham, and Harrison Phillips did a good job in place of Star Lotulelei.
Even though the defense did not record a sack, they did put enough pressure on White to force inaccurate throws. Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, and Gregory Rousseau consistently won battles on the edge.
Buffalo was without middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who missed the game due to a hamstring injury. AJ Klein filled in admirably, racking up seven tackles and registering two tackles for loss along with a pass defensed.
While the defense pulled off another dominant performance, the big change in this week’s game was the offensive responding favorably throughout the game. In past weeks, Buffalo’s offense stalled multiple times, squandering opportunities and handling looking like the juggernaut from last year:
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The Bills offense flipped that script, returning to their explosive play. Buffalo’s wide receivers hauled in several nice catches throughout the game. For the most part, the offensive line looked more cohesive in pass protection, trending in a better direction from past games:
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Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, and Emmanuel Sanders all had spectacular catches on the day. Diggs caught a game-best 57-yard bomb from Allen, as he smoked the secondary on a double move.
Diggs put his hand up ✋ @StefonDiggs
📺: #BUFvsNYJ on CBS
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/I0pf67JDV8— NFL (@NFL) November 14, 2021
As with the defense, an offensive player stepped up as he took on more snaps in the game.
Running back Matt Brieda found the end zone twice during the game. He scored the game’s first touchdown, as he came out of the backfield and continued his route into the end zone, where Allen bought some time and found the veteran for six points.
Brieda added a 15-yard touchdown rush. The former 49er provided a bit more speed in the backfield. Brieda’s only downfall: he fumbled in the fourth quarter.
It was a good response from Brian Daboll with the offensive play calling as well. Daboll was creative in getting the ball into the hands of players in the backfield.
The aforementioned Brieda helped a little bit. The Bills also used Sanders and Isaiah McKenzie in the rushing game, with the latter scoring on a jet sweep. Buffalo scored four touchdowns on the ground. Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, Brieda, and McKenzie all scored as part of the run game “explosion” against the Jets.
Buffalo takes on Indianapolis next Sunday at Highmark Stadium. It’s another big game, as both teams are jockeying for position within the AFC playoff standings. The Bills are trying to move up to the No. 1 spot in the conference, while the Colts are vying for playoff legitimacy.
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