Archives for September 2017

'The Bills outgained the Jets, 408-214, and had 190 yards rushing. LeSean McCoy gained 110 yards rushing. Since 2010, McCoy leads the NFL with 34 games with at least 100 yards rushing, and his teams have a 29-5 record over that span. Shady also leads the league with 2,272 yards rushing since joining the Bills.'

'“He’s a special back. Barry Sanders-like,” Jets cornerback Buster Skrine said of McCoy, who repeatedly dangled the ball away from his body without fear of being touched or tackled, en route to 159 total yards in the Bills' 21-12 win. “I’ve never seen a guy hold the ball with one hand and run the ball like that.”'

'Sorry to spoil the party, but there were some troubling signs in the opener. Keep in mind, the Jets are probably the worst team in the league. Their passing game is putrid. Their running game isn't any better. Their defense, while stout up front, is young and vulnerable in the secondary.'

'And the Bills didn’t take any stupid penalties or mismanage coach's challenges, hallmarks of Rex Ryan-coached teams over the previous two seasons. Buffalo did what was required to win.'

'More impressive: Opponents know what to expect when they play the Bills, and yet the Jets and their vaunted defense couldn’t corral the 29-year-old back, who passed 12,000 total scrimmage yards in his career and topped 100 yards from scrimmage in his seventh straight game.'

'The immediate concern was on McCoy – who before getting hurt had produced 153 yards from scrimmage on 21 touches. McCoy went to the trainer’s tent on the Bills’ sideline, and emerged a short time later with his helmet in hand, taking a seat with his teammates on the bench. The team announced a short time later McCoy had been cleared to return with a wrist injury, and all of #BillsMafia exhaled. He finished the game with 110 rushing yards on 22 carries and added 49 yards on five receptions.'

'The Bills' new defensive secondary played fundamentally sound. There were no blatant coverage mixups and finger-pointing after long gains allowed. Rookie cornerback Tre'Davious White had a strong debut. New safety Jordan Poyer was sensational in coverage and in attacking the backfield. New outside linebacker Ramon Humber – a big who's-he signing by the new regime – was all over the field.'

'Enjoy the win, Bills fans, but don't gloat too much. The Bills defeated the Jets, and that's no jackpot.'

'The Bills were mostly solid, which was good enough to escape with a fairly comfortable win but probably wouldn't have allowed them to beat any of the better opponents remaining on their schedule. LeSean McCoy's running and receiving accounted for most of their offensive success, and their defense predictably limited the Jets' pathetic offense to 214 yards and intercept Josh McCown twice.'

'Living down to expectations: This didn't figure to be all that scintillating a display of football, and it wasn't. The Jets looked every bit as awful as anticipated as they begin their tank. At times, the Bills, who are taking a little less of a future-based approach, played down to the Jets' level, missing on a pair of scoring opportunities.'

'The Jets' two star defensive linemen – Leonard Williams and Muhammad Wilkerson – were mostly neutralized by the Bills' offensive linemen. Williams was the Jets' best defensive player last season and one of the top 10 interior defensive lineman in the NFL. He was kept out of the Bills' backfield. The sixth overall pick in 2015 had four tackles two quarterback hits. Cordy Glenn did a good job walling off Williams on the backside of LeSean McCoy's 27-yard run in the fourth quarter. Wilkerson, a first-round pick in 2011, had just two tackles and didn't get into the backfield. The Bills gained 4.5 yards a carry on 42 attempts and finished with 190 rushing yards, the most allowed by the Jets' defense in the last 28 games. The Jets' defensive front wasn't awful. But it needs to be outstanding-to-great in order to carry this cast of Jets' misfits.'

'The Bills forced the Jets to respect LeSean McCoy's ability to get outside on zone-blocking stretch plays. Then new offensive coordinator Rick Dennison hit the Jets with counter-punches.'

'Poyer's pick of Josh McCown on the Bills' 23-yard line with 6:44 to play turned the tide for good. He made an excellent play on the ball, stealing it away from Robby Anderson for the Bills' first turnover of the season.'

'The Jets' touchdown drive was their first solid possession of the game. They drove 75 yards in 11 plays after Holmes' touchdown – almost exclusively through the air – while picking up five downs, which doubled their total on the day.'

'Wide left: Stephen Hauschka missed his first field-goal attempt as a Bill, hooking the ball wide left from 46 yards out.'