The Buffalo Bills suffered one of the worst losses in the NFL in Week 1. While they didn’t lose in blowout fashion, falling 22-16 to the New York Jets in overtime, it was not a game that they should have lost.
The Jets lost starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers on their fourth offensive snap in the game. His injury ended up being severe, as he was out for the remainder of the game and will miss the rest of the season after tearing his left Achilles.
The Bills were unable to take advantage of Zach Wilson being called upon as his replacement, as they allowed the Jets to hang around. They hung around long enough to steal the game in overtime on a walk-off, game-winning punt return by Xavier Gipson.
Buffalo will now be preparing for a Week 2 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, who they are hosting for their home opener. What can we expect to see from the Bills? Here are three bold predictions for Sunday afternoon.
3. Run Defense Struggles Continue
The Bills defense wasn’t great in Week 1 against the Jets. They were gashed for big gains routinely on the ground by Breece Hall, resulting in the 31st graded run defense in the NFL in Week 1.
A 41.3 run defense grade is ugly and their 45.0 tackling grade, which was third lowest in the league, certainly attributed to that. It is something the Bills are going to have to work on improving as the season wears on. Week 2 won’t be when that occurs.
The Raiders are going to find success on the ground with star running back Josh Jacobs. He won’t be limited like Hall was and will take advantage of a porous run defense unit. Jacobs will record 100+ yards rushing, setting the tone early and often for Las Vegas.
2. Josh Allen Has Zero Turnovers
A big reason that the Bills are 0-1 to start the season is the performance of Josh Allen. Allen turned the ball over four times, throwing three interceptions to Jets’ safety Jordan Whitehead and losing one fumble.
Allen is going to have to take care of the ball better if the Bills want to compete at the highest level. His lack of ball security led to last week’s game being given away, but that won’t occur this week against the Raiders.
Allen is going to be more conscious about his decision-making and take better care of the ball. He won’t commit a turnover against Las Vegas, instead putting together a strong performance on the ground and through the air. He will have a monster game with 350+ total yards.
1. Bills Win In Blowout Fashion
Despite the continued struggles they will have stopping the run, the Bills are going to win where it matters most; the scoreboard. After a disappointing start to the season, Buffalo is going to get back on track in Week 2.
They will defeat the Raiders in decisive fashion, winning 34-17. At the end of the day, Jimmy Garoppolo will not be able to keep up with Allen, who should be motivated to perform at a high level after his brutal performance on Monday Night Football.
This is a get-right spot for the Bills, who cannot afford a 0-2 start with a matchup against the Miami Dolphins looming in two weeks.
