Quinnen Williams was the dark cloud over C.J. Stroud, Jets defeat Texans 21-13
New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams had his imprints written all over his team’s victory on Thursday night. With the Houston Texans frequently in plus territory, Williams and Jets defense unleashed everything they had in the tank to keep quarterback C.J Stroud out of he end-zone.
Stroud had a dismal night trying to attack the No. 2 pass defense in the NFL. Through 30 attempts, Stroud completed just 11 passes for 191 passing yards, and he was sacked eight tines.
With muddy looks for Stroud, Williams did his diligence in the pass rush, tallying 1.5 of those eight sacks on the night. Williams’ pressure and strip sack stopped a promising Texans scoring drive in the first half, setting the tone for relentlessness on defense the entire evening.
While the Jets did allowed running back Joe Mixon to get off, their ability to stall the Texans drives turned out to be a crucial component needed to help them stop their losing streak in front of their home crowd.
Bills vs. Dolphins: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 9
The Buffalo Bills (6-2) will host the Miami Dolphins (2-5) in their upcoming Week 9 matchup.
In this divisional clash, the games within the game will make all the difference.
Here are three key matchups to watch during Sunday’s Bills-Dolphins contest:
Keon Coleman/Amari Cooper vs. Miami CBs
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The Dolphins have one of the better cornerback duos in the NFL. Jalen Ramsey is still performing like one of the best in the NFL and Kendall Fuller is no slouch either. According to Pro Football Focus, Ramsey grades as the 13th-best corner in the league while Fuller grades 42nd-best.
They are going to make the Bills’ boundary receivers work for their catches. Insert Coleman and Cooper. We know what Cooper is capable of at wideout, and in the last couple of weeks, Coleman has emerged as well. These two can make catches with the best of them, and with Ramsey and Fuller in coverage, they might need to come down with some contested catches.
De’Von Achane vs. Bills’ front seven
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Running back De’Von Achane is performing well despite Miami’s recent offensive struggles. He has averaged 87 rushing yards and almost seven yards per carry in their last two games. And, when the Bills visited Miami in Week 2, he was the lone bright spot for the Dolphins on offense.
In Week 2 he accounted for 165 yards from scrimmage and scored their only touchdown. He averaged 4.4 yards per carry and caught all seven of his targets.
The Bills have had an up-and-down season defending the run. They’ve had some games where they can’t defend it and some games where they can. In all, they rank middle of the pack in the NFL, allowing 120 yards per game on the ground. Last week, they completely shut down one of the better runners in the league, Kenneth Walker III, so it will be interesting to see which form of the Bills’ run defense shows up in Week 9.
Bills offensive line vs. Dolphins defensive line
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Despite losing standout edge defender Jaelen Phillips to a season-ending injury earlier this year, the Dolphins still have a solid group on the defensive line. Calais Campbell, described by PFF as an “ageless wonder,” is still wreaking havoc on the interior of the line. Zach Sieler is another guy who can move bodies on the interior, but he is questionable with a facial injury.
On the edge, Emmanuel Ogbah and 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson have shown flashes at times. The Dolphins’ defensive line currently ranks 13th-best in the NFL according to PFF. They have dropped seven spots in the rankings after back-to-back disappointing efforts.
The Bills offensive line is looking elite at the moment, coming off of a one-sack performance against the Seattle Seahawks. They have given up only ten total sacks in 2024 which ranks best in the NFL. According to PFF, the offensive line as a whole currently ranks seventh-best. There will be a lot of talent fighting in the trenches when the Bills are on offense.
3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Dolphins in Week 9
The Buffalo Bills will play the Miami Dolphins at home at Highmark Stadium in Week 9.
The Bills (6-2) are looking to build on a dominant stretch of football. They’ve blown out both the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks in the past two weeks. The Dolphins (2-5) are looking to turn their season around after losing five of their last six.
Buffalo is favored by six points in this one. Miami will be looking to avenge their Week 2 loss to the Bills, so Buffalo will need to execute their game plan to pick up their seventh win of the year.
With that, here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 9:
Keep spreading it around on offense
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One thing that has worked in the Bills’ favor in 2024 is that defenses don’t necessarily know what to expect from them. It used to be a lot of receiver Stefon Diggs through the air and quarterback Josh Allen’s legs on the ground. Now, anyone on the offense can heat up at any moment. They have leaned into the “everybody eats” concept, and it has worked wonders for the most part.
In Week 2 against the Dolphins, the Bills had five different ball carriers and they targeted nine different players in the passing game. Given that it was early in the year, the Dolphins weren’t sure what to expect. Now, with the addition of wide receiver Amari Cooper, Buffalo added another layer of unpredictability. Not only is it good for team morale if they lean into using everybody on offense, but it will keep the Miami defense guessing.
Limit chunk plays
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Although the Dolphins’ offense has struggled mightily in recent weeks, with QB Tua Tagovailoa under center, Miami can put a ton of stress on the defense. They still possess an absurd amount of speed at the skill positions. They have a handful of running backs and pass catchers that can take one touch to the house at any moment.
Linebackers and cornerbacks especially will have to stay disciplined and not fall for some of the eye candy that the Dolphins offense has shown in the past. Also, although it is hard to get hands on some of these guys, tackling needs to be consistent. Having sound tackling from the defense, much like last week against Seattle, will limit big gains from their speedsters.
Throw off Tagovailoa’s timing
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Tagovailoa is a pure rhythmic and anticipatory thrower of the football. He likes to get the ball out quickly and throw it into passing windows. They are at their best when he has a clean pocket and can just take a quick drop back and get rid of it. What can throw off the timing of that offense is giving some unusual looks that make him pat the ball for an extra half-second.
The Bills don’t blitz much as a team, and they probably won’t completely change their identity based on just one opponent. But, a few more blitzes and some creativity in the front seven would go a long way. Linemen dropping into coverage, stunts, and blitzing/bluffing from linebackers could cause problems for the timing of the Dolphins’ offense. Getting hands up on the defensive line will also make it harder for Tagovailoa to navigate some of the passing lanes.
This crazy stat makes the AFC East look very bad (except the Bills)
The Buffalo Bills are sitting pretty.
The rest of the AFC East is not.
We can talk about passing yards, points scored and more. But in the NFL there is only one that matters: Wins.
The Bills have six… just like everyone else… combined.
That’s right, heading into Week 9, the Bills are 6-2 overall, meanwhile, the rest of the AFC East with the Miami Dolphins (2-5), New England Patriots (2-6) and New York Jets (2-6) only total that amount if you add them all together.
That could all change as early as “Thursday Night Football” as the Jets play… but that’s against the 6-2 Houston Texans…
Let’s see how long the Bills can hang on to having more wins than everyone else. Of course, with the Dolphins on deck for Buffalo on Sunday, the Bills can at least have that portion of it in their own hands.
(And for those curious… the Pats face the 1-6 Tennessee Titans…)
AFC East roundup: What happened in the division in Week 8
The Buffalo Bills defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8 by a score of 31-10. With the win, the Bills remain atop the AFC East with a record of 6-2.
Like Buffalo, the rest of the AFC East was in action. How did each fare last week, and how does the division stack up right now?
Here is a quick recap of what went down in Week 8 with the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and New England Patriots:
Miami Dolphins
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The good news for the Dolphins is that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned to action in Week 8. The bad news is that it wasn’t enough to fend off a streaky Arizona Cardinals team. The Dolphins lost a heartbreaker at home, 28-27.
Tagovailoa had been out since Week 2 when he suffered his latest concussion. He looked pretty good in his return and Miami looked like a competitive ball club again. They scored 27 points after they went the previous four games without scoring more than 15 points.
The Dolphins are now 2-5 on the year and have to travel to Buffalo in Week 9.
New York Jets
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The Jets lost to the Patriots on the road in Week 8, 25-22. It’s been a rough stretch of football for the Jets. They have now lost five in a row after starting the year 2-1.
Trading for wide receiver Davante Adams and firing head coach Robert Saleh was New York’s best attempt at turning things around. It hasn’t worked yet. With the new faces, they’ve lost their last two.
The Jets are now 2-6 and are backed up to the ledge of their 2024 season. They need to go on a historic run to not fall off the cliff. They will host the 6-2 Houston Texans in Week 9.
New England Patriots
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The Patriots had a great day at Gillette Stadium in Week 8. They beat the Jets on a rushing touchdown from Rhamondre Stevenson with just 22 seconds left.
Unfortunately, rookie quarterback Drake Maye was forced to leave the game due to a concussion. Veteran Jacoby Brissett took over early in the second quarter and led the offense to victory.
With the win, the Patriots improve to 2-6. Maye’s health will be something to monitor as he navigates through concussion protocol this week. His status is up in the air for Week 9 when the Patriots will head to Tennessee to face the 1-6 Titans.
Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker doesn’t let offensive players cross the Red Sea without feeling his physical presence.
Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker and the defense weren’t flawless in the 28-27 win over the Miami Dolphins, but they did just enough to get their offense the ball back in clutch time.
Baker leads the Cardinals with 79 total tackles through eight weeks and hasn’t been shy about sticking his nose in on every down. Once rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson returns, Baker will be able to increase his utility, working as a blitz component, quarterback spy, or stealth robber in shell coverage to confuse opponents.
The Cardinals are struggling to stop the run and Robinson was drafted to help in that department but the unit is showing glimpses of determination.
Fans know that Baker aims to make defenders pay for coming across the middle of the field and he finished NFL Week 8 with 12 total tackles. Thus far Baker has shown to be the most physical player on the Cardinals defense and trying to cross his path is like the Egyptians trying to cross the Red Sea.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTubeor Apple podcasts.
For clarity, New York’s defense forced five punts, yet the offense, which tallied more first downs and total yards than the Pats, still somehow loss the time of possession. The Jets offense scored an average of 6.5 points per quarter, keeping the game well in reach despite several opportunities to extend the lead.
Don’t mistake Gardner’s humble decision to self-reflect as a gesture of oblivion. Jets fans, especially quarterback Aaron Rodgers backers, have been excessively oblivious to the clear offensive struggles that continue to hold the team back. Gardner ultimately shouldn’t feel sorry at all.
Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. overwhelmed the Miami Dolphins defense in Week 8.
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. made light of the Miami Dolphins’ pass defense in NFL Week 8. With an average of 18.5 yards per catch, Harrison Jr. finished his day of work with six catches for 111 yards receiving.
In order to neutralize the scrambling ability of quarterback Kyler Murray, the Dolphins knew they would need to bring extra blitzes from the secondary. Not only did the Dolphins fail to sack Murray in Week 8, they consequently left their defensive backs 1-on-1 with the Cardinals’ receivers.
Coverage voids gave way for Harrison Jr. to get loose at the second and third levels of the defense. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing sequenced in Harrison on crossing and stem routes, shaking the defense out of man on early downs, and nullifying their zone schemes on down and distance.
Ultimately, with Harrison Jr. playing as a complement to Murray’s primary target, tight-end Trey McBride, the Cardinals offense can almost bank on being able to get a few chunk plays every week. Surely, covering Harrison Jr. 1-on-1 might not be a valid solution for opponents.
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTubeor Apple podcasts.
Aaron Rodgers isn’t premium and the Jets need fuel after 25-22 Patriots loss
New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has fully consumed the mental capacity of fans and teammates in 2024. Yet, his leadership has only led to a spiraling losing streak and increased dissonance from the Jets franchise.
Jets fans may want to blame the defense following a 25-22 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 8, but Rodgers and the offense have been a complete drag, continuously starting games slow. Statistical showings may hint that Rodgers was more effective then in prior weeks but with a 40% conversion rate on third down on Sunday, the Jets are spending far too much time racking up yards and not touchdowns.
Rodgers went 17 for 28 and featured two touchdowns through 57 total plays, leaving just enough room for New England’s tentative backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett to steal the win. Rodgers and the offense averaged 5.9 yards per play and both running backs in Breece Hall and Braelon Allen shared a decent volume of carries. So why is everything on Rodgers one might ask?
Well, with Rodgers’ name undeniably set on the NFL’s Mount Rushmore due to his career success, critics have been totally dissonant towards his indicatively mediocre play of late. Rodgers’ one touchdown per half contribution is not sufficient enough for the Jets who need premium passing to compete in the AFC this season.
Sauce Gardner and the Jets’ defense is suffering Jet lag and here’s why
Injuries, fatigue, trauma, and locker room unrest all have worked to depreciate the New York Jets defense led by All-Pro Sauce Gardner.
After building rapport under Jeff Ulbrich as the former defensive coordinator in 2022, Gardner and company were forced to compromise Ulbrich’s leadership due to his transition over to interim head coach just weeks ago.
Countless Jets players suffered injuries on defense this season including defensive end Jermaine Johnson, defensive back D.J Reed, safety Chuck Clark, and linebacker C.J Mosley who missed three of the Jets’ seven games this season.
Gardner hasn’t missed any games this season however, and him and all-pro linebacker Quincy Williams have done everything in their power to maintain Ulbrich’s standard. Thanks to Gardner and others, the Jets still rank No. 2 in the NFL in opponent pass yards allowed per game and rank No. 16 in opponent rush yards per game.
It doesn’t end there. What about the excessive offensive turnovers yielded by quarterback Aaron Rodgers? Those Jets’ turnovers have a trickle-down effect, playing against both the attrition and morale of the team defense. Since Gardner’s youth doesn’t merit him the vocal platform to scorn a teammate of Rodgers’ magnitude, he and others have been forced to suffer in silence internally.
Whether Gardner, Ulbrich , or Jets fans admit it or not, Rodgers’ inflated ego has fully consumed the Jets’ locker room. With a offensive third-down conversion rate of 31% over the last three games, Gardner and the defense haven’t really gotten much from their hall of fame quarterback, one they believed would take them to the next level.
Offensive struggles have only perpetuated a undertone of pessimism and if the Jets’ defense doesn’t get a tangible (not vocal) contribution from Rodgers in week 8, their jet lag may continue.
