The Buffalo Bills season did not get off to a hot start as they lost the opening game to the Jets in MetLife. Despite Aaron Rodgers being injured, they could not take care of a Zach Wilson led team and blew a 10-point half time lead. Josh Allen really struggled in that week 1 matchup and had four turnovers against that Jets defense. And the next week a lot of national media personalities got their shots in at the Bills after the brutal loss. Some even predicted the Raiders to come into Buffalo and take down the Bills in Week 2. For a team that dealt with a lot of rumors in the offseason surrounding their star receiver, they were used to blocking out the noise and focusing on the task at hand. The sky was falling, according to some people after week 1, but this is why you play 17 games in the NFL season.
The home opener against the Raiders got off to an anxious start as The Raiders marched down the field and scored a touchdown on the first drive of the game. The Bills offense went 3-and-out on their opening drive giving the ball right back to the Raiders. The next drive is where things changed. Gregory Rousseau tipped a screen pass that lead to a diving interception by Terrel Bernard. The Bills would take advantage of the short field and score a touchdown and never look back. The defense settled in and got stops and the Josh Allen led offense began to find their groove. Buffalo would go on to boatrace the Raiders 38-10 and leave no doubt about this one. This was a must needed bounce back win in a strong AFC and the best part about this game was that it looked very repeatable.
Here are my 5 Biggest Takeaways from Sunday’s Win against the Las Vegas Raiders:
1. Josh Allen Efficient and On Time
My first and main takeaway from this game was how comfortable Josh Allen looked in this game. After a nightmare performance against the Jets, Allen was able to play super-efficient football, throwing for three touchdowns and no interceptions. The best thing that I saw was that Allen was extremely patient and comfortable taking the underneath throws early in the game. A patient Josh Allen is a scary player to have to deal with.
2. Let James Cook, Running Game on Rise
My second takeaway is that the Bills have found their RB1 in James Cook. Cook ran for 123 yards on just 17 carries and also added 36 yards receiving. That was easily Cook’s best game as a pro and he just looks so much more confident this year. The second year back looks patient running while also showing tremendous speed to bounce runs outside and create explosive plays. We also saw Damien Harris and Latavius Murray have nice games against the Raiders this past Sunday. They each scored a touchdown and looked good running downhill in this new Bills rushing attack. The Bills running game stock has risen tremendously from last year, let’s see if they can keep it up.
3. Weapons outside of Stefon Diggs
Another takeaway I had was that Buffalo’s other weapons alongside Stefon Diggs showed up on Sunday. The Bills have changed their identity on offense this year shifting to a majority 12 personnel usage. That grouping normally consists of Diggs and Davis as the two receivers, Knox and Kincaid as the two tight ends, then Cook as the running back. In week 1 it looked a lot like last year where if Diggs was being taken away there was not a consistent second option. Week 2 looked completely different as Davis had a big day, ending with 92 yards and a touchdown. Cook had the big game as well. Kincaid had 5 catches and Knox scored a touchdown. This is the type of productivity that these players need to show to keep defenses honest. Through two games the Bills have faced a high percentage of two high shell coverages to prevent the deep ball. If the Bills stay patient, look for Allen to get more 1 on 1 shots with Diggs and Davis on the outside as the season progresses.
4. Gregory Rousseau Turning into a Star
Gregory Rousseau has looked dominant in his first two games of the 2023 season. Rousseau might not have great box scores through two weeks, but he is constantly creating pressure son the quarterbacks. And his long wingspan tipped a pass and created an interception. Rousseau has also looked great in the run game as the Bills held Jacobs to negative yards on the ground.
5. Ken Dorsey’s Game Plan
My last takeaway is that Ken Dorsey drew up a great game plan to attack this Raiders defense. The quick passing game looked great, we saw a concerted effort to get the ball out of Allen’s hands quickly and stay ahead of the chains. The Bills offense was also able to neutralize star pass rusher Max Crosby by a combination of quick passes and having Knox or Kincaid chip him on their way out for passes. It was also a good mix of the running game that looked just as good as the passing attack in Week 2. The biggest step in the right direction was that Allen was taking what the defense gave him instead of trying to make the big play each time. I thought this was one of Dorsey’s best game as the Bills play caller.