Buffalo News

‘Through five games, the Bills’ longest offensive drive was 75 yards. They had touchdown possessions of 90 and 80 yards in the second quarter. The first was capped by an 8-yard catch by receiver Mack Hollins, who left from the right slot and used a nifty juke move to easily beat safety Ashtyn Davis. The second was completed by Allen’s 12-yard pass to tight end Dawson Knox (4.73 seconds from snap to throw).’

‘Aaron Rodgers made one superhero play on a Hail Mary touchdown pass but tried a little too hard to be Superman late in the game. It cost his team a critical interception.’

‘It is a bit of a mystery as to why the Jets didn’t run the ball more. Breece Hall, as he seems to do every time he plays the Bills, piled up 113 yards on just 18 carries – a healthy average of 6.3 per rush. New York ran the ball just seven times in the second half. Three of the Bills’ top four tacklers were members of the secondary – Taron Johnson, Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin. That’s not a good sign for what was happening up front on the defense. Linebacker Terrel Bernard made a great play, shooting the gap to drop Hall for a loss of 5 yards in the first half. At the time, the Bills’ defense needed something to go right. As he so often does, Bernard delivered.’

‘According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the Bills are averaging only 4.6 “air” yards per completion, tied for 24th in NFL. Allen is 6 of 23 passing for 179 yards and no touchdowns on attempts of at least 20 “air” yards, according to charting by The Buffalo News.’

‘Establish balance. Allen was asked about the challenge of attacking New York’s secondary. He pivoted in his answer. “No. 1, I think establishing the run and making sure we can try to commit to that,” Allen said Wednesday. The Bills will need to pose a threat in both the run game and the pass game to keep the Jets on their toes. History shows they can do it. “I think we ran it well last year. But it wasn’t like this crazy 300-yard run or pass game,” Allen said. “It was just kind of a good balanced attack that we’re going to have to utilize going forward, and especially against this team because they’re playing some really good football right now.”’

‘74.3 – Allen’s quarterback rating against the Jets the past two seasons. Allen’s QB rating against the rest of the NFL was 97.0. Allen has five TD passes and six interceptions in the last four games vs. New York.’

‘This has got the potential to be an ugly prime-time affair. The Bills’ offense has been borderline unwatchable the past two weeks. Things could get uglier without running back James Cook and wide receiver Khalil Shakir, both of whom are hurt. They have been, by far, Josh Allen’s most consistent offensive weapons. Figuring out how the Bills are going to move the ball on offense without them against a defense that has given them fits is hard to do. Defensively, the Bills should be able put a good game together, even without Ed Oliver (injured) and Von Miller (suspended) on the defensive line. Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks washed, but the Bills have to worry about running back Breece Hall. I don’t trust the Buffalo run defense against an elite running back, and I don’t trust the offense at all right now. Jets, 20-17.’

‘Cooper is making just $1.2 million in base salary this season, which would mean the Bills would be on the hook for the remaining portion whenever the trade was made. That makes him an affordable option, should Cleveland be willing to trade him. The Browns are dead in the water and Cooper is a pending unrestricted free agent, so it’s logical to think Cleveland would be willing to shop him.’

‘Carter, 23, got his first start with the Bills last week against the Houston Texans. He needed just one play to make an impact. On the Texans’ first play from scrimmage, Carter tallied a 2-yard tackle for loss in his first start.’

‘Bills coach Sean McDermott ruled defensive tackle Ed Oliver out of the game. Oliver missed last week’s game after injuring his hamstring during practice.’

‘It was the second concussion of Rapp’s career that caused him to miss time. He was injured in the Los Angeles Rams’ regular-season finale against San Francisco in January 2022 and was inactive for three playoff games before returning in their Super Bowl win over Cincinnati.’

‘“I know that was talked about a lot, I think, by the media,” McDermott said Wednesday. “You know, ‘Hey, they’re going to go two tight ends over here and this and that.’ I get it. I mean, that’s the natural thought. What really happens inside may be exactly that, or sometimes a blend of that, right? So I can’t say that hasn’t materialized because Dalton’s only in his second year.”’

‘The run game ranks 32nd in the NFL at just 80 yards a game. That is despite the fact the Jets have a star talent in running back Breece Hall, who ranked fourth in the NFL last season in yards from scrimmage. The Jets also have a promising 235-pound backup in rookie Braelon Allen, a fourth-round pick from Wisconsin.’

‘“I would say the passion, man, like why there’s so much tension is, I feel like there’s a lot of passion from both teams,” Dawkins said. “There’s a lot of passion from their line and our o-line. So, they do a good job, running around and chasing after the quarterback and making guys uncomfortable. When it comes down to it, like, that’s what football is. The d-line’s supposed to go out there and make our quarterback uncomfortable.”’

‘“It’s different when you’re playing against him, and you got the scouting report of this is who he is,” Douglas said. “And then actually like seeing it in practice, you just understand, this is why he’s considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time.”’