WGR

‘It would be tough to ask for a better start to the first game of 2020. At least as far as the scoreboard and stat sheet go, anyways.’

‘The Jets offense began to come alive in the fourth quarter and made things somewhat interesting in the final minute with a two-yard touchdown run from Josh Adams to make it 27-17, but the Bills easily held on to best their AFC East rival and start the new campaign 1-0.’

‘After putting up 21 first half points – that frankly should have been 35 – the Bills were only able to muster six second half points leading to a lot of second-half nail biting.’

‘Unfortunately, Milano suffered a hamstring injury and left the game right before halftime. But in one half of play, he was all over the defensive side of the field, collecting 4 total tackles with a pass breakup and a terrific, athletic interception.’

‘All of this means the Bills now have an open roster spot. They’ll go into the game with 54 players on the active roster. They can have either 47 of them active for the game, or 48 active if they choose to activate an eighth offensive lineman.’

‘There was very little on-field offseason time this year due to the Covid pandemic. There were no preseason games. So the teams with the most turnover on their roster and/or coaching staffs will have to play catch-up a little bit, while the teams who have more returning players and coaches should have a competitive advantage. The Bills have that advantage, and need to use it. Buffalo returns 37 players from last season’s opening day active or practice squad roster. The Jets return a lot of defensive players, but only two wide receivers and two offensive linemen. So the Bills need to take advantage of a group of wideouts and an offensive line that will largely be playing together in any sort of NFL game for the first time by using different coverages, stunts up front, and other new wrinkles the Jets may not have prepared for.’

‘Defensive tackle Vernon Butler, also with a hamstring injury, is listed as questionable for the game.’

‘”We’ve had, even before Stef [Stefon] arrived, good players on our offense, so I don’t want to slight those guys in any way. Stef adds another dimension to our offense. I can tell you from a defensive standpoint, it’s hard enough to take away one receiver, let alone multiple weapons, if you will. That’s where we have to continue to play good team offense and use all of our weapons. It all starts up front. We’ve got to play well up front, physical, aggressive and strong, and make sure we give our quarterback time to get the ball to the weapons.”‘

‘The Jets weren’t so fortunate Thursday. Two starters in the middle of their defense missed practice after being limited on Wednesday. Inside linebacker Avery Williamson was out with hamstring injury and safety Marcus Maye, who had been dealing with a calf issue was now also listed as having an ankle injury.’

‘The other injuries of note were running back/special teamer Taiwan Jones, who was limited due to a knee injury, and defensive tackle Vernon Butler, who was also limited with a hamstring injury.’

‘However, head coach Sean McDermott was sure to not give up too many answers as he did not give anymore clarity to the situation. Instead, he listed Ford as the top guy at both guard and tackle on the depth chart. Meanwhile, Daryl Williams is also listed as a top option for the Bills at both guard and tackle. Brian Winters is the only other top option listed at guard for the Bills, while Ty Nsekhe is also in the discussion for the top spot at tackle.’

‘Third-year linebacker Tremaine Edmunds returns as a captain on the defense, while defensive end Jerry Hughes will take over the second captaincy role from former Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander, who retired following the conclusion of the 2019 season. In addition, the Bills added an another captain on the defensive side of the ball this season with safety Jordan Poyer.’

‘The veteran journeyman has played a number of years in the NFL, spending time with the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders.’

‘To go up against Diggs, a top-tier route runner, deep threat, and overall WR in their first game is a tough ask for anybody. Neither Desir or Austin present the kind of talent that should make anyone worried about Diggs getting shut down.’

‘”It’s a win-win. That’s the best deal. We wanted something fair for the Bills and fair for Tre. As I said [on Monday], I am super happy for this young man. He has done everything we could ask for a player three years in. He’s such a pro, he’s so well loved, he brings a great energy to our locker room, and beyond that he’s a damn good player.”‘