Week 1: What Went Right

The Bills’ start to the season against the Jets was disappointing to say the least.  Josh Allen’s poor performance (among other things) left fans feeling less than confident.  After a few days of anger and criticism, it’s fair to take time to look at the positives from the game.  

1.  Captain Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs had 102 yards and 1 touchdown in the opener.  He looked focused and sharp, which is to be expected for the elite WR in his 9th season.  But what really stuck out was his leadership.  All night he was rallying the defense together and also spoke to Josh Allen on the sideline – encouraging Allen to trust himself.  This attitude from Diggs isn’t new, despite the drama off-season with rumors of him being unhappy with the team and wanting out.  It was reassuring to see him as the force that kept the team together, especially during a game like this one.  With Allen having an off night, someone needed to step up to be the leader and Diggs took this on naturally.

2. The Defense

Despite a few rough plays, the overall look of the Bills’ defense was solid.  Even though the game ended in a loss, the defense held the Jets to 16 points through 4 quarters.  In 2022, the Bills were 6/6 in games where the opposing team was held to 16 points or less. 

There were many standout players for the defense.  Matt Milano had 8 tackles and 1 interception, looking meaner than ever.  Terrel Bernard made his MLB debut, leading the team with 11 tackles.  Bernard also had the green dot and seemed to handle it well.  Leonard Floyd had 1.5 sacks and was impressive with QB pressure – a really good look for the off-season addition. 

Lastly, Christian Benford had a touchdown-saving tackle when Jets RB Breece Hall took off down field.  During this sprint, Benford reached 21.64 mph in order to catch Hall.  Overall, the defense looked solid and if they can continue to perform this way the Bills will be in good condition.

3.  The Rookies

Rookie RG O’Cyrus Torrence made an impressive debut, bringing major support for the O-Line.  Torrence held his own against Jets DL Quinnen Williams.  With Torrence and Dawkins on the line this year, the Bills should be in much better shape than years past.

Rookie TE Dalton Kincaid had a 100% completion rate on 4 targets.  Kincaid seemed to be efficient and confident in his debut and QB Josh Allen was impressed stating, “He found himself some ways to get open…I thought he played smart”.  Hopefully in the coming games Kincaid will continue to show his value and get more and more targets.

Despite the loss, there were things that went right and players that stood out.  Assuming Josh Allen refocuses, week 2 is sure to be intense with a Bills team fired up to get the first win of the season at Highmark Stadium.