What we’ve learned from the Buffalo Bills through the first quarter of the season

Jordan Poyer celebrates with his teammates after an interception against the Giants

Photo courtesy of billswire.usatoday.com

Coming into the 2019 season with high hopes that the Bills offensive would improve, along with the defense staying dominate. After the Bills cut down their roster to 53 and went 4-0 in the pre-season for the first time in franchise history expectations were high for this Bills team. They started their first two weeks of the season playing at the New York Jets, and Giants.

Positives that has shown for the Bills this year, the defense is the real deal. In the first week they were down by 16, only giving up eight points to the Jets holding Sam Darnold, and Le’Veon Bell in check. Darnold threw for only 175 yards and the one touchdown, while Bell only had 60 yards rushing on 17 carries. They held their ground in the first half when the offense turned the ball over four times in the first half. Devin Singletary is the future of the Buffalo backfield, Singletary carried the ball only four times but had 70 yards rushing. He averaged 17.5 yards per carry in week one! Frank Gore is like wine, it gets better with age. Gore has been a solid running back and has become only the fourth player in NFL history to rush for over 15,000 yards in a career. Negatives from the Bills has been the turnovers on offense. Josh Allen was responsible for four turnovers in week one. Two fumbles and two interceptions. He has shown more growth as a quarterback, he has thrown for more than 200 yards passing in every game, except one.

After coming from behind down by 16 to the Jets, Buffalo again had to travel to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants. The defense again played well even though they gave up a touchdown on the first drive of the game. Allen looked solid and had another 200-yard passing game along with a touchdown one through the air and one with his legs. Even when the defense gave up another touchdown to make it a one score game, the offense came back and scored a touchdown to put the game away. The run defense didn’t look as good as they did the previous game against the Jets. After the first drive the Giants couldn’t get much going on offense. They forced Eli Manning to turn the ball over twice and haven’t allowed a 100-yard receiver all season. Buffalo has beaten all of the New York teams through the first two weeks.

In the home opener against the Bengals a big problem for the Bills was being able to put a team away early. After holding a 14-0 lead at halftime the Bills offense allowed Cincinnati to get back in the game and eventually take the lead. Buffalo was able to orchestrate a drive highlighted by 49 catch and run by rookie tight end Dawson Knox trucking two defenders, which led to the game winning one-yard touchdown by Frank Gore. The defense sealed the game with an interception by Tre’Davious White.

The biggest game of the season so far, both teams 3-0 as division rival the New England Patriots came into town for a sole possession of first place in the AFC East. There’s the good, the bad, and the ugly in this game. Starting with the good from this game, the defense is legit holding one of the most high-powered offenses in the league to only 10 points is saying something. Holding Tom Brady to 150 yards passing and an interception shows that this defense is legit. Micah Hyde was ranked tenth best safety in the NFL according to pro football focus. The bad is that they Bills offense only produced 10 points and the special teams had a blocked punt that produced a New England touchdown. The ugly from the game was the Bills offense turned the ball over four times. Along with Josh Allen getting knocked out of the game and his status is up in the air. Buffalo fell to 3-1 and as of right now they would be the fifth seed if the playoffs were to start. With the first quarter of the season in the books Buffalo is on track to make a run at the postseason and a run at the AFC East title.