Buffalo Bills get clear answers about main AFC East competition on Thursday Night Football
The Buffalo Bills are out of the gates hot, starting 2-0. Many people wanted to go into this season saying the AFC East was going to come down to Buffalo or Miami, which I have been adamantly disagreeing with for months. It's now clear that the biggest threat to the Bills in the AFC East […]
The Buffalo Bills are out of the gates hot, starting 2-0. Many people wanted to go into this season saying the AFC East was going to come down to Buffalo or Miami, which I have been adamantly disagreeing with for months. It's now clear that the biggest threat to the Bills in the AFC East is the New York Jets, thanks to one Mr. Aaron Rodgers who looks to be back to his old, Hall of Fame self.
Bills fans should not like what they saw out of the Jets on Thursday Night Football, as they completely dismantled the New England Patriots 24-3.
So what did the Bills learn about the Jets at the start of Week 3? A couple things.
Aaron Rodgers looks fantastic
Everything in this article should be prefaced by saying that the Patriots are probably the second-worst team in the NFL next to the Carolina Panthers, so take everything that happened on Thursday night with a giant grain of salt.
That said, Rodgers looked terrific. He finished 27-35 with 281 yards and two passing touchdowns, but more importantly, he looked great outside the pocket. His ball placement is back, and when you combine that with his savant-level understanding of NFL football, the Jets have the potential to be a scary team this year. I don't care who you root for, this pass is stupidly aesthetic to watch.
New York has a legit running mate to Breece Hall
We know that Breece Hall is a special talent at the running back position, but Braelon Allen, a rookie bruiser out of Wisconsin, fortified the Jets' backfield and gave them a legitimate one-two punch that makes them hard to stop.
Through three games, Allen has averaged 5.1 yards per carry and has a rushing and receiving touchdown on his resume. He has three runs of 10+ yards, and has receiving chops while standing at a whopping 6'2" 245 lbs. He's a weapon. He didn't deserve to fall in the draft. If defenses continue to play a two-deep look against Rodgers, they have two guys out of the backfield that can hurt you in a variety of ways.
Bills fans, I still genuinely believe that Buffalo is in the driver's seat for the division. The way the team has played through two weeks is incredible, the defense has been flying, and the offense is varied and explosive.
But seeing a healthy Aaron Rodgers able to move around and throw darts should not make Bills fans happy. The Jets pose the biggest problem for the Bills this year, and we'll get a look at them for the first time on the road on Monday Night Football in Week 6.
Follow along all season for all the latest Buffalo Bills news. You can also find me on X @JonHelmkamp.
