NFL Week 2 Preview: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets Matchup Preview

If there was any doubt that Josh Allen deserved to win MVP for his 2024 campaign, it had essentially been squashed after he orchestrated a 16 point comeback with four minutes left in the fourth quarter to beat the Baltimore Ravens 41-40. You heard that right—the Bills are the first team in NFL history to overcome a deficit of 15 or more points in the final four minutes of regulation, and they did it under the bright lights in the final home opener at the Old Highmark Stadium! If this is any indication as to how the rest of the season will go for the Bills, it could be very special!

This doesn’t mean that the Bills came out of the game unscathed, though. Players such as returner Brandon Codrington (knee), NCB Taron Johnson (quad), RB James Cook (hamstring), and DE Greg Rousseau (knee) all showed up on the injury report after the game. The defensive star of the game, DT Ed Oliver (ankle), was added to the report prior to Thursday’s practice and was projected as having not participated, despite it being a walkthrough. He was spotted wearing a walking boot, and he was using a scooter to get around. This doesn’t bode well for his availability on Sunday, as these types of walkthrough designations are generally indicative of the following day’s practice. Thankfully, everyone else on the injury report, including the players I listed above (not Ed Oliver), has not experienced any setbacks. 

Next on the schedule are the New York Jets, a team who has faced a lot of turnover this offseason. Future Hall of Famer QB Aaron Rodgers’ short stint with the Jets ended once he was released in early March—he later signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Jets also released WR Davante Adams after trading for him in 2024. Adams then signed a deal with the Los Angeles Rams. Interim Head Coach Jeff Ulbrich was ousted from his role and was replaced by former Lions’ defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. CB DJ Reed, who once formed a special cornerback trio with CBs Sauce Gardner and Michael Carter II, left in free agency to the Lions. The Jets opted to sign QB Justin Fields to be their new starter after his up and down season in Pittsburgh, ultimately taking a chance on the, still, young signal caller. That move looks to have paid off after Fields ended up having an impressive debut against his former team despite suffering a close loss. He now faces a Bills team coming off a euphoric win, for what could be a big test and may set the tone for the rest of his season.

Matchups to Watch Out For

Jets’ Rushing Offense vs Bills’ Run Defense

The Bills did not have a great day on defense on Sunday, particularly with their run defense. They surrendered a stunning 238 yards on the ground, with QB Lamar Jackson splitting a share of the yardage with RB Derrick Henry. The Bills largely had no answer for The King and his MVP teammate. This week they’ll face, frankly, a diet version of the league’s best rushing duo. Justin Fields is a very mobile quarterback—not at all on Jackson’s level, but he poses a real threat escaping from the pocket. RB Breece Hall, despite never reaching over 1,000 yards rushing in a season, is an explosive running back, even after returning from an ACL injury he suffered in his rookie year. In Week 1 he rushed for 107 yards. While Fields was efficient passing the ball on Sunday, it is not his greatest strength. It is important that the Bills are able to shut down the run in order to reduce Fields’ effectiveness as a passer. 

Bills’ Receivers vs Man Coverage

During the 2024 season, the Bills’ receivers struggled versus man coverage given their lack of ability to separate. In the offseason they signed WR Joshua Palmer for that exact reason, and he showed up in a big way on Sunday night to help secure the win. Advanced statistics from PFF showed that both Palmer and WR Keon Coleman impressed versus man coverage to the tune of 40 yards and 52 yards, respectively, which were featured in the top 10 of wide receivers. 

Interestingly enough, the Jets ran Cover 1 man coverage 38% of the time versus the Steelers in Week 1. While a one game sample size and a different opponent is not indicative of what the Jets have in store for the Bills, we could assume that it will be the primary coverage that the Bills will face.

Conclusion

The Bills narrowingly escaped the Ravens’ grasp as they climbed out of a 15 point deficit with four minutes left in regulation to win the game 41-40. While much was left to be desired, particularly by the defense and early offensive playcalling, it sets Buffalo up well for the rest of the season as they don’t have to worry about chasing Baltimore. 

Sitting at 1-0, they now head into, supposedly, the easy part of their schedule for the next month and a half. First up are the Jets, but they present the same unique challenges that the Ravens did, although in a much more benign manner. They have a mobile quarterback in Justin Fields and a spectacular running back in Breece Hall. Their defense, still with Sauce Gardner and DT Quinnen Williams leading the charge, are now under the guidance of HC Aaron Glenn. The Bills have struggled against the Jets in the past, so it will be interesting to see how they fare against a new head coach and quarterback.