On the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the New York Jets rallied, overcoming adversity to steal a win at home from the Buffalo Bills. What a roller coaster of a victory for Robert Saleh’s team. The tragedy of injury. The triumphant come back. A dominant defense and a 65 yard punt return to walk it off. This game, had it all. In the Meadowlands, New York defeated Buffalo in an epic battle of the Beasts of the AFC East.
Jets on Offense:
In case you have been disconnected from the world, maybe on a darkness retreat, there is a new quarterback in New York. Following in the footsteps of Green Bay legend Brett Favre, four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers delayed retirement to play for the Jets. Additionally, former Packers Allan Lazard and Randall Cobb left Green Bay for New York, to play with Rodgers again. With ayahuasca Aaron, expectations for the Jets are flying high.
Last season, the Jets surprised many in the football world, by starting the season 7-4. Under rookie head coach, Robert Saleh, the Jets ranked fourth overall in defense, but 29th in offense. Sadly, the Jets ended the season on a six game losing streak. Still, there was optimism in New York because of the new quarterback.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck early into the Aaron Rodgers era. After a glorious entrance with the American Flag, Rodgers lasted only four plays. Painfully, Aaron left the game with an achilles injury. Hopefully, he makes a full recovery. ☹️
Worst news since Edwin Diaz
As the sellout crowd fell silent, Zach Wilson entered as quarterback. The former BYU Cougar, Wilson was drafted second overall in the 2021 draft but has struggled mightily. After two seasons, Wilson is widely considered a bust. Still, he was the Jets only option at quarterback. Jets’ fans held our breath on every pass.
Yet, Zachary Kapono Wilson played surprisingly decent football. In total, Wilson completed 14 of 21 pass attempts for 140 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. If you’re new to MintSports or the Jets, one interception is extremely low for Zach Wilson.
As showed frequently on Hard Knocks, Wilson learned a lot from Rodgers this offseason. Simply, Wilson played well enough for New York to win, but did not inspire confidence. Still when running out of the pocket, Wilson holds on to he ball and scrambles, looking to make a heroic play.
Clearly, New York was deflated by the departure of Aaron. In the first half, the New York offense had 143 yards, 83 of which came on a long breakout run from Breece Hall. Even after Hall’s huge run positioned the Jets deep inside Bills’ territory, they settled for a field goal. Visibly, the offense was frustrated.
Trailing 13-3 at half, surley Robert Saleh inspired his team with an Emmy worth speech. If only Hard Knocks was still going, the cameras would have gotten gold.
To begin the second half, the Zach Wilson adjusted and began throwing short passes. As a result, the opening drive of the third quarter saw newly acquired Dalvin Cook enter the mix with Hall and Garrett Wilson. Ultimately, this drive too resulted in a field goal, cutting the Bills’ lead to 13-6.
After Jordan Whitehead’s third interception of Josh Allen, the Jets got the ball. At their own 43 yard line, with just under ten minutes left in the game, Zach Wilson put together a promising drive. Converting on two key third downs, Wilson led the Jets 57 yards on eight plays culminating the game-tying touchdown pass to Garrett Wilson. Wilson to Wilson to tie the game at 13.
Immediately, the Josh Allen fumbled and the Jets regained possession, at the Buffalo 27 yard line. Now with under five minutes remaining, Zach Wilson only had run out the clock because they were already in field goal range for Greg “the Leg” Zuerlein. While, Zuerlein nailed the go ahead 30 yard field goal, New York left 1:48 on the clock. Now, if you watch football you know, that is more than enough time for Josh allen and the Buffalo Bills to circle the wagons and score.
Indeed, the Bills did circle the wagons. Allen and Diggs marched down field, and the Taylor Bass kicked a tying field goal, forcing overtime. After winning the coin toss, Buffalo went three and out. Then, a miracle happened.
Hollywood couldn’t write a better ending (🤫 they’re still on strike)
Reminder: The Jets can’t have nice things. Specifically quarterbacks.
In 1998, the Jets went 12-4, winning the AFC East under coach Bill Parcells, led by Vinny Testaverde. In 1999, Vinny Testaverde tore his achilles in the season opener In 2002, the Jets won the division with Herm Edwards coaching Chad Pennington. In 2003, Pennington tore his rotator cuff and Edwards coached the Jets into last place.
Takeways: Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are legitimately incredible
First, let’s look at last season. For Fantasy players, Garrett Wilson’s stats speak volumes: 83 receptions, 1,160 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. What makes this even more astonishing is that he achieved this with a trio of quarterbacks who, let’s be honest, weren’t exactly top-tier. Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, and Mike White, with their QBR ratings hovering in the 30s.
This year was supposed to be better with Aaron Rodgers, but the Jets can’t have nice things. Still, Garrett Wilson catch five passes and scored an unbelievable touchdown, while facing Tre White, one of the best cornerbacks in the business.
Meanwhile, Breece Hall’s incredible talent shone through until a heartbreaking ACL injury cut his impressive rookie season short. On Monday, Hall returned to action, displaying his talent. On only ten carries, Hall gained 127 rushing yards, while adding 20 receiving yards on one catch.
Clearly, this isn’t going to be the 2023 Jet fans were hoping to see. The drought continues. While the win is encouraging, Aaron Rodgers was supposed to take the the Jets to the next level. With Zach Wilson, New York is stepping backwards to a failed plan. After two bad season, Wilson showed signs of improvement but the question will hang over the season… “What could Aaron have done?”
Bills on offense: In 2022, the Buffalo offense ranked 2nd in the NFL in points scored and yards gained. Unlike the Jets, the Bills return most of the starting offense from last season. Specifically, Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Gabe Davis, James Cook and most of their line.
Let’s revisit, last season, When the Bills lost on the road to the Jets. In 2022, Josh Allen threw for zero touchdowns and two interceptions, as New York won 20-17. Flash forward to Monday’s 2023 season opener, and it was deja vu all over again, as Josh Allen struggled on the road against the Jets. In total, Allen completed 29 passes of 41 attempts for 236 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. On the ground, Allen scrambled six times for 36 yards and lost a fumble.
From the first snap, the Jets’ defensive line applied relentless pressure on Allen. They disrupted his rhythm, forcing hurried throws and sacking him four times throughout the game. It was a sight to behold as Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams and Quinton Jefferson led the charge, making life miserable for Allen in the pocket. The Killer Qs, as I dubbed them right now. In total, the New York Sack Exchange took down Allen five times.
The real star of the show, though, was Jordan Whitehead. With his exceptional ball-hawking skills, Whitehead intercepted Allen three times, showcasing his ability to read the quarterback’s eyes and jump routes. It was a game-changing performance that proved crucial in stifling the Bills’ offensive efforts.
As for Stefon Diggs, while he managed to make some plays, he was the consistent option for Josh Allen. The Jets’ secondary, led by lockdown cornerbacks and a disciplined safety group, allowed Diggs to make plays while taking away the rest of the Bills offensive attack. Diggs finished the game with ten catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. But, no other Buffalo receivers had more than two catches.
Seemingly, while the Jets failed to cover Diggs in a blanket with Sauce, they took away the rest of the Bills offense. Normally, Josh Allen is lethal as a scrambler. But, under constant pressure, Allen was forced to make uncomfortable decisions and throws that resulted in not one, not two but THREE Jordan Whitehead interceptions.
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It was a testament to the Robert Saleh’s defensive game plan and execution. They understood the importance of containing Diggs and limiting the damage Josh Allen could do downfield. With a combination of tight coverage and well-timed interceptions, they successfully neutralized one of the league’s premier offenses.
In the rushing game, the Bills found no relief. During the off-season, the Buffalo backfield lost Devin Singletary to the Houston Texas and Nyheims Hines to a jet ski.
As leading back, James Cook took 12 carries for 46 yards, adding four catches for only 17 yards. The trio of Latavius Murray, Deonte Harry and Damien Harris combined for four rushes and 15 yards. Usually, Allen is a steady rusher himself, but only gained 36 yards on his legs.
Takeawys: Bills Offense Stumbles Against Jets’ Dominant Defense
Ultimately, Josh Allen cost the Bills this game. He knew. After the game he took ownership of his poor play because he is a leader. Simply Josh played horrible football. In addition to throwing three interceptions, Allen coughed up a fatal fumble.
With just under five minutes remaining in regulation, Allen had a chance to steer Buffalo to victory. But the Jets led by Michael Clemons forced Allens eyes off the football resulting in a botched snap and a turnover. As a result, the New York was able to kick a go ahead field goal.
In the end, it was the Jets’ defense that sealed the victory. As the game entered overtime, they continued to apply pressure, never allowing Allen and the Bills’ offense to regain their footing. The Jets’ relentless pursuit of the football culminated in a dramatic 65-yard punt return for a touchdown, ending the game in spectacular fashion.
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