With the Buffalo Bills' victory last week, they are now the only AFC East team to begin the season (1-0). This week, they will be facing an 0-1 New York Jets squad that was already battle-tested in their loss to the 1-0 Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bills' defense will need to improve in their run defense as the Jets ran for 182 yards on 39 carries with three scores. In order to prevent this from occuring again, these two Jets players must be contained.
How can the Bills contain Justin Fields and Breece Hall from tiring out their defense?
For Week 2, the Bills will face another team with a dual-threat quarterback, an upgraded offensive line, and a strong running game. Unlike the Ravens, the Jets are in their first year of resetting the culture under new coach Aaron Glenn.
Therefore, the Jets immediately released the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer, Aaron Rodgers, and in came former Bears and Steelers quarterback Justin Fields.
Why Fields is the right quarterback for Glenn's first season as head coach, and why the Bills should take notice
For year one of Coach Glenn's tenure in East Rutherford, New Jersey, it was essential to find a new quarterback who would not only replace Rodgers but also be the right building block to pair up with a first-year head coach.
With Rodgers, it is very hard to try to run quarterback sneaks on fourth and one like the Jets did with Fields last Sunday. It is also difficult to run an option play on fourth and goal from the one, with a less mobile Rodgers, which is what the more mobile Fields ran late in the fourth quarter in Week 1 vs the Steelers.
Glenn also knows that in Week 2, the Bills can run very similar plays on offense with the reigning MVP quarterback, Josh Allen. He is running a variation of the tush push that allows misdirection to allow Allen to either sneak to the left or the right. Unlike Rodgers in Week 1, Allen is a step up in competition, but has a similar skill set to Fields for Week 2.
What the Bills must do better containing the run in Week 2
It's no secret the Bills' defense struggled mightily against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1. Even though the Jets may seem like an easier task to halt their running game in Week 2, it still won't be a walk in the park.
In Week 1, Henry ran for 169 yards and two touchdowns. The skilled back basically put the game on ice if it wasn't for his costly fumble late in the fourth quarter. While Hall isn't yet a future Hall of Famer like Henry, he has developed himself into a number one running back for the Jets, as he tallied 107 yards on 19 carries against the Steelers last week.
Therefore, if the Bills want to contain and stop Hall, then players like Joey Bosa, and DaQuan Jones will have to consistently get into the backfield and tackle him by going low and wrapping around his legs.
As for Fields, he was solid, throwing for (16-22) with three scores (one passing, two rushing) for 218 yards, with 12 carries for 48 yards. That doesn't mean Fields hasn't developed into a premier rushing quarterback himself. If the Bills want to contain Fields from running, they should use Terrel Bernard as a spy to keep Fields contained in the pocket throughout the game.