Racing to a big lead early, the Buffalo Bills are off to a 1-0 start following a 27-17 win over the New York Jets on Sunday in Orchard Park. The Bills were in control from the start after gaining a 21-0 lead in the second quarter on route to victory.
Quarterback Josh Allen led the Bills on offense with three straight touchdown drives in the first half. Allen set a career high in passing yards with 312 on 33 completions out of 46 attempts. Allen also led the Bills in rushing with 57 yards on 14 attempts.
The Bills’ scoring plays came from Allen rushing a touchdown, along with passes to running back Zack Moss and wide receiver John Brown. Kicker Tyler Bass would add two second-half field goals for Bills.
The game wasn’t as close as the final score may have indicated as the Jets added a late touchdown in garbage time to cut the score to 10 late in the fourth quarter. Allen also fumbled twice, along with Bass missing two field goals that could have resulted in points for the Bills.
The Bills defense disrupted the Jets offense throughout the game, holding them to 254 total yards, sacking Jets quarterback Sam Darnold three times and forcing two Jets turnovers. The Bills dominated in time of possession, allowing the Jets to have the football for a mere 18 minutes and 44 seconds, compared to their total time of 41 minutes and 16 seconds.
This win gets the Bills off to a good start in a season with particularly high expectations for the team. After a playoff berth last season, this year the expectations are even higher as a division title is within their grasp this year.
Trying to win the American Football Conference Eastern Division title for the first time since 1995 won’t be an easy task for the Bills. They are tied for the fifth hardest schedule in the National Football League based on their opponents combined winning percentages from last season.
The Bills’ main competitor for the AFC East crown will be the same as it has largely been for the last 20 years: the New England Patriots. Since quarterback Tom Brady left the Patriots in March, the door is open for other AFC East teams to finish atop the standings in the division.
The task of winning the division has been made more difficult, however, following the Patriots signing of former MVP quarterback Cam Newton. While he is not his former self, Newton is still a formidable quarterback, more so than his backup Jarret Stidham.
The Patriots weren’t the only team making big moves, as the Bills acquired wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The Bills traded their 2020 first round pick, along with three other late round draft picks, for Diggs.
Diggs hopes to improve the Bills offense, which last season ranked 24th in yards per game and 23rd in points per game last season. Although it has only been one game, the Bills offense looks markedly better than it did last season.
The Bills had the sixth most yards of total offense for week one games, while also having the ninth most points scored during the opening week. The Bills need this type of offense if they want to compete with some of the league’s best teams, several of which they face this season.
Key matchups this season for the Bills, besides the two games with the Patriots, include hosting the defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs week six, the Seattle Seahawks in week nine and traveling to the defending National Football Conference champions San Francisco 49ers in week 13.
The AFC East will likely come right down to the wire between the Bills and Patriots. Ultimately, I expect the Bills to win the division this season, going 11-5 and hosting their first playoff game since 1996.
This season is one that has great promise for the Bills, but also great expectations if they look to be mentioned amongst the NFL’s best teams.