Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Bills' Week 2 matchup with the New York Jets was the complete opposite of their season-opening victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
There was next to no stress, as the Bills defeated their AFC East rivals for the ninth time in their last 11 meetings. The game was basically over by halftime when the Bills were leading, 20-3.
The only real stressful moment for Bills fans came late in the first quarter.
After a Josh Allen run, the quarterback got up and sprinted for the Bills sideline as if something was wrong. Some really bad and scary thoughts were going through my mind as backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky took Allen's place.
As it turned out, Allen took a hit to the nose and was bleeding profusely. He only missed a couple of plays, and "Bills Mafia" resumed breathing normally.
Allen and the Bills' passing offense did not have a good day, but the combination of the Bills' running game, their suffocating defense and the Jets' self-inflicted errors added up to an easy triumph.
The Bills are now 25-6 in regular season matchups against AFC East rivals since the start of the 2020 season.
Bills running back James Cook was (sorry) cooking.
As usual, Cook got yards after initial contact. As usual, Cook showed off tremendous vision and cutback ability. As usual, Cook turned what appeared to be a small gain into a bigger play.
Cook also ripped off a highlight reel 44-yard touchdown run that had to leave Jets defenders scratching their heads.
The 25-year-old played just three quarters, because the game turned into a blowout. He still ended the day with 132 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns. Cook's yards and carry totals were the second-highest in a single game in his Bills career.
Allen was just 14-of-25 for 148 yards, and had his first zero touchdown game through the air since Week 4 last season in Baltimore. However, he played a clean game with no turnovers, and did have a big 40-yard scramble on a 3rd-and-8 during the Bills' first possession of the game.
That was the key play, as the Bills took the lead for good, as it turned out, on a drive that culminated with a Cook touchdown run.
The Bills scored on six of their first seven possessions with three touchdowns and three Matt Prater field goals. They had the ball for nearly 38-and-a-half minutes, while rolling up 403 net yards.
The Bills' run game piled up 224 yards on 43 carries for a very healthy average of 5.2 yards per-carry.
On defense, the Bills had a big bounce-back from the opener. Of course, the Jets are nowhere near Baltimore when it comes to comparing offenses. However, it was a Jets offense that looked very good in their season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bills had the upper hand, though, all game long.
Playing without defensive tackle Ed Oliver and nickel cornerback Taron Johnson, the Bills still limited the Jets to just 110 yards on 38 plays covering nine drives. That was before the Jets' final drive, which was a garbage time touchdown.
New York was also 0-for-11 on third down.
Jets quarterback Justin Fields was a measly, going 3-of-11 passing for 27 yards.
Three-time 1,000-yard receiver Garrett Wilson had four catches on eight targets for just 50 yards.
The Bills run defense, which was bludgeoned by Baltimore running back Derrick Henry, completely shut down Breece Hall and the Jets ground game. Hall had only 29 yards on 11 carries.
New Bills pass rusher Joey Bosa had a very good day, ending up with a sack, two quarterback hits and two forced fumbles of Fields, as well as six pressures in just 26 snaps.
But there were contributions across the board, which made this truly a team effort on that side of the ball.
It's early, but the Bills' special teams unit look better than they were last season. The coverage units were solid, and Sam Franklin made a couple nice plays on kick coverage.
Coming off his game-winning field against Baltimore, Prater had another perfect day on Sunday. He was 3-for-3 in field goal attempts, including one from 52 yards out. That was his 82nd career field goal of 50 or more yards, extending his NFL record. Prater also connected on all three of his extra point attempts.
In case you were wondering, here is how the AFC East stacks up after two weeks:
Bills: 2-0
Patriots: 1-1
Jets: 0-2
Dolphins: 0-2
The Miami Dolphins, who will be at Highmark Stadium this Thursday night, lost to the New England Patriots, 33-27, on Sunday. Miami has given up 66 points, while dropping games to the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.
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