What We Saw: Week 1

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Bills @ Jets

Final Score: Jets 22, Bills 16

Writer: Chad Simpson (@CaoChadTTV on Twitter)

Rodgers injured by former Bear, Bills D dominates Jets for 3 and a half quarters. Josh Allen had a nightmare night but it didn’t seem likely to matter as just one touchdown would likely be enough to secure this one. But then, Garrett Wilson happened. Then the fumble happened The Bills D couldn’t stop Breece Hall, but repeatedly slammed Aaron Rodgers (for 4 plays before injury) and Zach Wilson to the turf en route to what should have been an easy victory. The Jets D, however, instead of sacks and pressure, created turnover after turnover in actually winning the game.

Five Up

Stefon Diggs – Frequently getting the better of Sauce Gardner alone puts you on this list. Diggs also was the entirety of the pass game in the 1st half en route to a 2nd quarter TD. A perennial WR1, Diggs is showing no signs of slowing down.
Bills D– A deluge of pressure all night provided what should have been an easy night for the Bills.
Breece Hall– He’s back, He’s an RB1 and it is going to be a fun ride.
Jordan Whitehead – Three picks of an All-World QB earns you a bonus spot on this list.
Garrett Wilson – I mean come on how could he not be here.

Four Down

Aaron Rodgers– An ex-bear sends him to the locker room for the ~~night~~ season after just 4 plays.
Bills D– Gotta learn to defend RBs. It has only been like 9 years of this inability to stop them with Breece Hall joining the feast on Bills club
Zach Wilson – Getting thrust into having your skull slammed into the canvas for 3 and a half quarters is not a fun outcome.
Josh Allen – Embarrassing night absolutely gifting a victory to the Jets.

Buffalo Bills

Quarterback

Josh Allen: 29/41, 236 Yards, TD 3 INT | 6 Carries, 36 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost), 1 Fumble (Recovered)

Josh Allen had a night more akin to his rookie season. Bonehead throws, fumbles and an inability to connect with anyone but his WR1. There will be better days for fantasy owners but this one will sting for awhile.

Notes

Allen looked rusty and out of sync with everyone who wasn’t Stefon Diggs for most of the game.
Allen will want to pretend this game never happened as will Bills fans.

Missed Opportunities

Dangerous throw on 3rd down during 1st drive showcased why Allen has struggled with turnovers during his career.
Classic Josh Allen needless hail mary turnover.
Another dangerous throw the next drive
Another classic hail mary INT in the 3rd quarter
I could tell you Allen threw another bad one to Whitehead for Whitehead’s THIRD INT of the game or I could just present you this

Josh Allen will have more passes caught by the Jets than Aaron Rodgers will this year

— Dave Eddy (@CorporalEddy) September 12, 2023

Fumbled snap puts Jets in position to somehow take the lead with just 5 minutes to go.

Running Back

James Cook: 12 Carries, 46 Yards | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 17 Yards

Leads team in touches, targets in what looked like an easy grinding win over a Jets team that lost Aaron Rodgers on the 1st drive. Mostly bottled up by the lack of threat the passing game presented and a venomous Jets D that dominated the Bills in the secondary and at the line of scrimmage.

Notes

Couldn’t get much going against Jets D.
Featured as a runner, receiver and pass blocker.

Damien Harris: 1 Carry, 3 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards

Not featured in week 1 loss. Looked slow and useless when seen on field. He was injured in the preseason so he may still be recovering, but he looked like the worst RB on the field in this game (for both teams).

Latavius Murray: 2 Carries, 8 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 9 Yards

Not featured in week 1 loss.

Notes

Looked less cooked than Damien Harris and is my preferred handcuff for James Cook based on his solid preseason.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Stefon Diggs: 13 Targets, 10 Receptions, 102 Yards, TD

Diggs singlehandedly carries Bills offense in embarrassing week 1 loss. Diggs received a mouthwatering 13 targets, converting 10 of them for 103 yards and a TD. Tried and true WR1

Notes

Diggs peppered with targets early and often
The entire offense for most of the 1st half
Beats Sauce on an early battle between the two. Got chippy right out of the gate.
Death, Taxes, Diggs TD

Dalton Kincaid: 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 26 Yards

Goes 4 for 4 on receptions as the 3rd option in the offense behind Cook and Diggs. The sign that Kincaid was the preferred non Diggs target in open field is a great boon to Kincaid’s ros outlook but for tonight it provided a TE2 line.

Notes

Simple route tree all night
Good hands
Better days ahead.

Gabe Davis: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 32 Yards

Not featured in ugly week 1 loss. Like Van Jefferson with Puka “The Final Chapter” Nacua ascending, Davis has shown he isn’t ever going to be the guy we thought and has seen his role diminished by a rookie in Dalton Kincaid. Davis was targeted on one of Allen’s three INTs and Whitehead simply jumped the route.

Deonte Harty: 1 Carry, 4 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 9 Yards

Harty irrelevant in week 1 loss.

Dawson Knox: Dawson Knox: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 25 Yards

Knox wasn’t completely phased out of prominent offensive role in favor of Dalton Kincaid, however, he appeared to be a clear spot or two down from him in the pecking order.

New York Jets

Quarterback

Aaron Rodgers: 0/1

Rodgers leaving on the 1st drive with an unknown ankle injury is the only takeaway that can be had from this game. Believed to be a serious Achilles injury which likely means the Rodgers-Jets experience lasts 4 plays and this could likely lead to the end of Rodgers.

Notes

Pulled a Mahomes and digs his way out of a sure sack to keep the 1st drive alive
Injured on Leonard Floyd sack

Missed Opportunities

Failed to put former son Leonard Floyd in timeout after he potentially ended his career.

Zach Wilson: 14/21, 140 Yards, TD INT | 4 Carries, 6 Yards

Wilson struggles with constant pressure, engineers amazing 4th quarter comeback that leads to Jets upset victory in OT. Wilson thrust into action in the wake of the Rodgers injury. He struggled with pressure for three quarters before finding Lazard and Wilson on a magical 4th quarter comeback. I’m not supposed to project future stuff in these pieces but I’m a guy who goes with my gut and my gut says with a healthy Hall and Garrett making a 2nd year leap alongside a solid vet in Lazard that the stars are aligned for Zach Wilson to ascend ROS. I’m not sure if that will come with fantasy relevance but it very well could come with a playoff berth or even division title alongside that defense. Don’t underestimate the value of having Rodgers on the sideline to mentor him throughout the year.

Notes

Showed great focus and unflinching willingness to take a hit on a 3rd down toss oob. You wouldn’t think that was noteworthy but any time a QB that has a history of struggles shows that kind of focus and determination it is a positive trend.
Bad read leads to brutal INT down 7
Started to show life during 4th quarter comeback with clean throws to Lazard and Wilson before Wilson breaks the internet with a TD catch on a bad throw from Zach.

Running Back

Breece Hall: 10 Carries, 127 Yards | 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 20 Yards

Hall runs wild, looks like best RB in the NFL. Early in the offseason there was a lot of dynasty debate over if Bijan supplanted Hall as the #1 RB for dynasty. That talk cooled when Cook signed but after tonight I think that discussion is back on the table. Hall looked like the most dynamic player on either side of the ball (yes, including Garrett Wilson and his ridiculous TD) and showed no signs of further complications from his recovery from last year’s injury.

Notes

1st touch flashed all of his mouth-watering tools and showed no signs of post injury limitations
83 YARD RUN Do I need to say more?
Absolutely owned the Bills D all night

Dalvin Cook: 13 Carries, 33 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 26 Yards

Cook looks cooked. Cook was utilized similar to an end of career Mark Ingram or a 2022 Melvin Gordon and showed no potential for growth in this offense. Lacking speed, burst or his trademark power, nothing was promising about tonight for Cook other than that he was clearly ahead of Michael Carter.

Notes

Clear short yardage back behind Hall

Michael Carter: 1 Carry, 6 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards

Not featured in upset victory. Notably was on the field for the Jets’ first third down and was targeted.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Garrett Wilson: 5 Targets, 5 Receptions, 34 Yards, TD

Quiet night due to Bills pass D before breaking the internet. Wilson will have better days and has a safer floor without the risk of a lack of chemistry with Rodgers to hold him back. Arrow is skyrocketing in all formats.

Notes

Quiet night and then

GARRETT WILSON IS THAT GUY!!!

WE'RE TIED!!#BUFvsNYJ on ESPN pic.twitter.com/SUMWcTPF1e

— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 12, 2023

Allen Lazard: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 46 Yards

Lazard unable to get much going but looked good in limited action. Made key catch during 4th quarter comeback. Lazard could help provide Zach Wilson a surehanded receiver for when Garrett is double covered and open up this offense going forward.

Notes