East Rutherford, N.J. (WGR 550/WBEN) - The New York Jets upset the Bills on Sunday, 20-17, after Buffalo blew a 14-3 lead. It was just the second loss for the Bills this season, dropping them to 6-2.
That means I have to start with my Arrows Down for this one:
ARROW DOWN:
Josh Allen passing
It was one of the more poor performances of not only this season, but for quite a while for the Bills quarterback.
Allen completed only 18 of his 34 pass attempts (52.9%) for 205 yards on Sunday. He didn’t throw a touchdown pass, and misfired on several plays. He inexplicably threw two interceptions to defenders who seemed to be right in his view.
Run defense
For the second week in-a-row, the Bills' run defense was far too leaky, allowing 174 yards on 34 carries for a 5.1 per-carry average.The Jets were especially effective in the second half running the ball, gaining 112 yards and averaging 5.2 yards per-run.
The Bills have now given up 382 rushing yards over the last two games.
Fourth quarter drive
With the game tied at 17-17 and just 7:53 left in the game, the Jets got the ball at their own four-yard line and proceeded to march right down the field on the Buffalo defense, covering 81 yards in 13 plays and taking 6:10 off the clock.
New York ran the ball eight straight times on the drive, and the Bills had no answers.
Tackling
A lot of the defensive issues in the run game can be attributed to poor tackling. There were several times Bills defenders either had an angle on a Jets ball carrier, or outright got their hands or arms on him, but could not make the stop.
WR - Gabe Davis
Once again, Davis was inconsistent in the receiving game, catching only two of his five targets, including not coming down with the final Allen pass that hit him on target.
Pass protection
The Jets put way too much pressure on Allen. The pocket closed pretty quickly on far too many of his dropbacks. All that despite the Jets rarely blitzing, and usually only rushing four players.
It wasn’t a good day for the Bills' offensive line, when it came to protection. The Jets were credited with five sacks and eight quarterback hurries.
Blowing a 14-3 lead
The Bills were up 14-3 and lost. That shouldn't happen, and especially against a team as limited throwing the ball as the Jets.
Non-Allen run game
Outside of Allen runs, the Bills only ran for 48 yards on 13 carries, averaging just 3.69 yards per-attempt.
Not capitalizing on first drive
The Bills got a gift to open the game when Jets kicker Braden Mann slipped and squibbed the ball. The Bills recovered at the their own 45-yard line.
On the first play, Allen hit Stefon Diggs for a 43-yard gain down to the Jets' 13-yard line, but on the very next snap, Allen threw his first pick.
It was a wasted opportunity that came back to haunt them.
Tyler Bass’ kickoff
Bass missed a long 55-yard field goal just before halftime, which is understandable. He had plenty of distance, but pushed it right.
However, he also kicked the ball out of bounds on a kickoff early in the fourth quarter that gave the Jets the ball at their own 40-yard line to start a drive.
Lack of Stefon Diggs after halftime
In the first half, Diggs was targeted seven times and caught five balls for 93 yards. Those were the exact same numbers he finished the game with.
Not even a single target in the second half, although he did catch, what would have been, a huge pass on the final drive that was wiped out due to a holding penalty.
Too easy in quick pass game
The Jets had a solid game plan for quarterback Zach Wilson, who doesn’t handle pressure well. They obviously ran the ball well, but also had him get rid of it quickly, using a lot of run-pass options (RPOs) and screens.
Too often, Bills defenders weren’t quick enough to recognize or get there to make a play. Wilson threw for 154 yards, but only 6.16 yards per-attempt and only 8.56 yards per-completion. It was enough to help them knock off the Bills.
Fake punt allowed
Down 14-10 to start the third quarter, the Jets faced a 4th-and-1 at their own 48-yard line. They lined up in punt formation, but snapped it to the up-back, who ran ahead for two yards and a first down.
That was the perfect scenario to run a fake, but the Bills still didn’t stop it.
ARROW UP:
Third down offense and defense
The Bills were very good on third downs, converting 8-of-13 attempts (61.5%) offensively, and did a nice job on the defensive end of that, allowing the Jets to convert only five of their 13 attempts (38.5%).
Red zone defense
The Jets were in the Bills' red zone five times, but only came away with two touchdowns. One was the final series when they just kneeled it out, but 50% (2-for-4) otherwise is still good job.
Josh Allen’s running
While Allen didn’t have a good game throwing the ball, he was terrific running it, both on designed runs and scrambles. He totaled 86 yards on nine carries for a 9.6-yard average and two touchdowns, including a 36-yard touchdown run, the longest run of the day for either team.
WR - Stefon Diggs
Diggs did all his damage in the first half, but still put up solid numbers, catching five passes for 93 yards.
P - Sam Martin
Martin only punted twice, but helped flip the field both times, including a 61-yard boot that just went into the end zone for a touchback. He then had a 50-yard punt that was downed at the Jets' four-yard line.
S - Damar Hamlin
Hamlin was incredibly physical all day, but also led all players on both teams with 12 total tackles, including one for a loss. He also had a sack and a quarterback hurry.
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