It wasn’t pretty, but Buffalo takes distance in the AL East
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — All game long, the Buffalo Bills allowed some rare big plays against the New York Jets. None more notable than allowing the Jets to score on a Hail Mary late in the first half to bring the game within three points, despite the Bills’ offense scoring on three of their first four drives.
But it was on another pitch that cornerback Taron Johnson announced his return to the starting lineup in the loudest way possible, intercepting an Aaron Rodgers pass with just under two minutes remaining to preserve the 23-20 victory.
Johnson, a 2023 second-team All-Pro, was playing in his first game since Week 1 when he suffered a forearm injury.
The Bills defense allowed eight plays of 20 or more yards to the Jets. In the first three games of the year, the Bills allowed seven of those plays. That number is now 15 from Weeks 4 through 6. Buffalo also allowed a Jets offense that came into the game averaging 80.4 rushing yards per game to gain 121 rushing yards.
The drive was saved by two missed field goals by Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein in the second half, plus solid red zone defense that allowed the Jets to convert 1 of 4 red zone trips.
While the Bills missed opportunities, particularly when there were penalties, they forced the necessary turnovers and didn’t make crucial mistakes which resulted in Buffalo taking the win. Quarterback Josh Allen now has six straight games without throwing an interception, the longest streak of his career.
The game in two words: In recovery. It wasn’t pretty, but the Bills avoided the team’s first three-game losing streak since 2018 and maintained a significant lead in the AFC East.
Surprising Statistic: Josh Allen was running 16.26 mph when he fumbled on his 42-yard completion to Ray Davis in the second quarter, the fastest speed by a quarterback on a deep pass (20+ passing yards) in the past two seasons ( since Week 1, 2022), according to Next Gen Stats.
Star performance: RB Ray Davis. Ty Johnson has been the team’s No. 2 running back behind James Cook in terms of snaps, and while Davis has shown potential, this was a significant performance on a night when Cook (toe) was inactive. Davis’ 116 yards from scrimmage in the first half were the most by a Bills rookie in any half since 1980. He finished with 20 carries for 97 yards and three catches for 55 more. This offense is at its best when the running game gets going, and this kind of depth behind Cook is a good sign.
Worrying trend: Tyler Bass. Bass’s struggles have been a concern since training camp, and Monday Night Football was a reminder of that. While it was a windy night (sustained winds at 17 miles per hour and gusts in the 30-35 MPH range), the problems are not new. Bass probably would have missed an extra point that went wide left, but it was also blocked, in addition to missing a 47-yard field goal. He made a 22-yard field goal in the fourth, but is now 2-5 from 40 to 49 yards this season (tied for 31st-worst from that distance).
Next party: vs. Titans (1 pm ET, Sunday, Oct. 20)
