Top 5 takeaways from Jets vs Bills Week 2 matchup

The New York Jets were victorious in a tough game against the Buffalo Bills. Here are the top 5 takeaways from their Week 2 matchup.

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) is tackled by New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) during the first half at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Jets bounced back in Week 2 as they go into New Era Stadium and get an impressive road win. The Jets look very frustrated and determined to finally get a win in Buffalo. From the first snap of the game to the last snap, the Jets had controlled the time of possession battle and eventually wore out the Bills’ defense. It was like night and day for this team from what they looked like last week to this week.

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With this win, the Jets are now 1-1 and could rest up for about 10 days before their next game. In this game, there were plenty of improvements but they still have mistakes to work on. It was a small step for them to get in the NFL Playoff picture again and look to continue to build on this victory.

If the Jets could continue to improve on what they did against the Bills, they could very well surprise the football world despite a tough schedule in 2016.

Let’s take a deeper look and break down the top five takeaways from this Week 2 matchup.

Next: 5. Ryan Fitzpatrick beats his former team

5. Ryan Fitzpatrick beats his former team

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was finally able to beat his former team with an impressive performance. He was very smart with the football and was able to get the deep ball going.

Fitzpatrick was able to throw more than seven passes that were 15+ yards downfield. He finished with an 116.5 quarterback rating which was fantastic.

Fitzpatrick was also to produce in the running game as well since he had five rushes for 21 yards. With him running the football, Fitzpatrick was able to keep a lot of drives alive for the Jets.

The offense was able to take out the crowd noise home field advantage. Fitzpatrick got his two playmakers at wide receiver involved a lot and they caused major problems.

Fitzpatrick will need to build on this performance because the next few weeks will be tough. He was a huge part in this victory and was finally able to put the Bills away. Fitzpatrick took the right step by being more of an efficient quarterback in Week 2.

Next: 4. Offensive line steps up in a big way

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets center Nick Mangold (74) waits to snap the ball during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

4. Offensive line steps up in a big way

After struggling last week against the defense of the Cincinnati Bengals, the Jets’ offensive line stepped up big in Week 2. They protected Fitzpatrick much better than last week.

The offensive line was able to open many holes for the rushing game to be very successful. Some starters got hurt and the backups stepped up in a big way which proves the quality of depth in the positional unit.

They also gave enough time for Fitzpatrick to be able to make the passes he needed to. They had possessed the ball for close to over 40 minutes of the game.

Next week will be a another big test against a very good Kansas City Chiefs team. These next few weeks they will to be tight and efficient to help the team continue to be in a position to win.

Next: 3. Wide receivers show up in a big way

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall (15) makes a catch and tries to evade Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) during the first half at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

3. Wide receivers show up in a big way

The Jets’ wide receiver corps of Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall, and Quincy Enunwa showed up in a big way. They combined to total up to 319 yards of the 493 yards in total team offense.

Marshall and Decker were very quiet last week and last night they rose to the occasion. They had averaged 30 plus yards on a couple of passing plays. These two are relied on the most to get this team going offensively. When they click, everything else falls into place.

Rookie wide receiver Jalin Marshall continue to progress as helped keep those chains moving. Even though he had a costly fumble early on in the third quarter, he made up for it by making key receptions. He had a total of 45 yards with three total receptions in the game.

If they play like this for the next few weeks they won’t have any problems putting points on the scoreboard. They will be tested these next few weeks but for now, they ran wild over a defense that many didn’t predict to be so easy to dissect.

Next: 2. Running game finally establishes itself

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets running back Matt Forte (22) runs the ball in for a touchdown while being defended by Buffalo Bills strong safety Aaron Williams (23) during the second half at New Era Field. The Jets beat the Bills 37 to 31. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

2. Running game finally establishes itself

It was like night and day in Week 2 for how the running game produced for the Jets. Running back Matt Forte had 30 carries for a total of 100 yards and three touchdowns.

He was very effective in the second half of the game when more running holes opened up. Forte has changed the way the Jets have established the running game from the past.

Forte is a more efficient runner as he is a big running back who can plow through defenders. If he is able to stay healthy, he is a player that will help spread the offense out even more.

Even though running back Bilal Powell didn’t have much involvement, he still can be a threat. These two players will be instrumental in their success this season as this team is built to win now thanks to their rushing attack.

They really never had a double threat of running backs being able to catch the ball, now they have Forte and Powell in their arsenal. If Forte continues to play like this and Powell is also able to come in and pick up where he left off, this will be quite the dominating running tandem.

Next: 1. Defensive line dominates

Sep 15, 2016; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New York Jets defensive end Sheldon Richardson (91) hits Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor (5) as he throws a pass during the first half at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

1. Defensive line dominates

Everyone knows how good the Jets’ defensive line is and last week they didn’t disappoint. Besides not having any sacks, they were able to contain quarterback Tyrod Taylor most of the night.

The Jets’ front seven was flying to the football and didn’t let many big plays happen. They learned their lesson from last season and made sure it didn’t happen again this time around.

The defensive pressure they put on Taylor caused him to throw an interception and be rattled all night long. The interception was late in the game that was a key part of the Jets leaving this game victorious.

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They made a huge stop on 4th and 1 late in the game that caused the Bills to turnover the football on downs. It was all started by defensive end Sheldon Richardson who got incredible penetration off the line of scrimmage which he was able to tackle the running back in the backfield. Overall, this defensive line dominated and will continue to do so as the season progresses.