Buffalo Bills: 4 players who need to make a statement in Week 1

Levi Wallace, Buffalo Bills (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Levi Wallace, Buffalo Bills (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
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Buffalo Bills
PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 15: Levi Wallace #39 of the Buffalo Bills in action against the Pittsburgh Steelers on December 15, 2019 at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

These are four players on the Buffalo Bills that need to make a statement against the New York Jets.

The Buffalo Bills will kick off the 2020 season against the New York Jets and while this is a game the Bills should win, this is important for a number of reasons. If the Buffalo Bills want to get to where many believe they can go, these are must-win games.

On top of that, this is a divisional game and the Bills should be in a position to win the AFC East since 1995 and these games factor in heavily, especially if the race is close at the end of the season.

While this is a critical game for the Buffalo Bills, there are four players entering Week 1 that will need to make a statement. This could be to silence critics or to establish their place in the starting line up or on this roster.

Levi Wallace

Entering training camp, Levi Wallace was competing with Josh Norman, who the Bills signed as a free agent this offseason, for the starting cornerback job opposite Tre’Davious White. This week it was made clear that Norman won that battle as he was named the starter on the unofficial depth chart.

However, on Saturday the Bills placed Norman on the injured reserve which gives Levi Wallace a chance to take back the starting job and keep it through the remainder of the season. Against the New York Jets, Wallace will likely be lining up against Chris Hogan, who spent three years with the Bills from 2012 to 2015, and after stops with the Patriots and Panthers joined the Jets midway through training camp.

There have been times that Hogan has flashed and shown to be more than capable as a wide receiver. However, his production has dipped the past few seasons and last year with the Panthers he caught only eight passes for 67 yards.

If Levi Wallace wants to keep the starting job, even after Josh Norman returns, he needs to have a shutdown performance against Chris Hogan.

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