Pregame Rumblings with special guest Jordan Poyer

Presented By DraftKings Sportsbook

Hey Bills Mafia! Are you pumped? We’re just hours away from the Buffalo Bills’ Week 1 game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium to kick of Monday Night Football this season! Before we settle in for what’s certain to be a memorable game, I reached out to All-Pro safety Jordan Poyer to get his thoughts ahead of tonight’s showdown.

It’s finally here. I have missed football since February 12, 2023. To take it a step further, I have missed my Bills since January 22, when the Cincinnati Bengals came to Orchard Park, NY and dismantled the Bills in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. A lot has changed since then. The Bills have revamped the wide receiver room, Leslie Frazier has stepped down, leaving the defensive responsibilities in the hands of head coach Sean McDermott and Stefon Diggs was the focal point of every major media outlet after it seemed like the team came crashing down.

On the other sideline, the Jets went through a lot of changes as well. They’ve traded for and signed Aaron Rodgers, signed Dalvin Cook, brought in Allen Lazard and a laundry list of other changes that has lifted the Jets from the basement of the division all the way to the penthouse doors of the elite. The question everyone has is will Aaron Rodgers be enough for the cost of admission to the elite club? The Hard Knocks superstars certainly hope so. The Jets haven’t made the playoffs in 12 years and they only have one winning record during this drought, a 10-6 season in 2015 when Bills legend Ryan Fitzpatrick set the franchise record for touchdown passes in a season (31).

Monday, September 11, 2023 – MetLife Stadium

According to Weather.com the weather at kickoff is expected to be 76° F with a 24% chance of precipitation in East Rutherford at 8:15 PM EST.

ESPN/ABC:

• Play By Play – Joe Buck
• Color Analyst – Troy Aikman
• Sideline Reporter – Lisa Salters

WGR RADIO 550:

• Play By Play – Chris Brown (We miss you John!!)
• Color Analyst – Eric Wood
• Sideline Reporter – Sal Capaccio

Here are my thoughts and things to look for during this game:

1. Josh Allen or Aaron Rodgers? Who is the best quarterback in the division? Miami Dolphins fans will want to add Tua Tagovailoa to this conversation but in reality this is a two-horse race. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history. He’s a Super Bowl winner, he’s been the league MVP multiple times and he has a resume that can rival any player in the league’s history. But will he be enough for the Jets to unseat the Bills and take over the division? The Bills have been the AFC East leaders since Tom Brady left the division and Allen appears to be getting better each year. Both teams can boast having a dominant defense, great fan bases and offensive firepower that can erupt at any moment. So for me, this game and season comes down to which quarterback plays better and turns the ball over the least. Last year, Josh Allen began turning the ball over in the red zone at a rate we had not seen from him for his career. That will need to change if the Bills want to continue their dominance in the division and keep the Jets behind them.
2. We all know Stefon Diggs is big time. It’s likely we see a night full of battles between Diggs and Sauce Gardner. But the question in my mind is: “What version of Gabe Davis are we going to see for Monday Night Football? Last season, Davis’ catch rate dropped to 51% and his drop rate increased to 9.7% with nine drops on 93 targets. This season, but specifically for this game, that can’t work. The Bills will need their play makers other than Diggs to step up and make big plays tonight. We’re entering the final year of Davis’ contract, which is the reason most Bills fans are hoping to see more consistent production from the wideout if he would like an extension to stay in Buffalo.
3. Which running game will take pressure off of their quarterback? In a game that most of the country is talking about QB play, the running game will be vital to each team’s offensive production. Last year, Josh Allen’s stats in two games versus the Jets were 34-61, 352 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT. Moving the ball in the air on this Jets defense is no easy feat. I’d expect the Bills to utilize James Cook’s speed right out the gate. If the Bills are able to establish the run early, it would open up the passing game for Josh Allen and take a lot of the pressure off of him to be Superman or play hero ball. On the other side, Dalvin Cook isn’t the beast he once was, but he is still very good. Additionally, Breece Hall is making his return after tearing his ACL last season and I am sure he’s looking forward to facing the Bills for the first time of his young career.

Score Prediction: Jets 24 – Bills 20

For the first time in a long time, the Jets are a team to be reckoned with. The addition of Aaron Rodgers to go along with great drafting and a top-tier defense will have the Jets rolling this season and they’re looking to start fast with a win at home against the defending AFC East champions. I hope I’m wrong here, but I’m taking the Jets in Week 1 against the Bills in a close game that will come down to the fourth quarter. Aaron Rodgers is refreshed with new surroundings and motivated to prove that his ex (the Green Bay Packers) was wrong for moving on from him.

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