Jenna’s Week 2 Outlook: Bills (0-1) vs. Raiders (1-0)

If you had told me a week ago that Jets QB Aaron Rodgers would tear his Achilles tendon on Monday Night Football and that the Bills would still lose, I would’ve quit my job, moved to Green Bay and — on top of that — I would’ve called you crazy. Actually, can we not talk about that night anymore? It is time to get off to a fresh start in Week 2, as the Buffalo Bills take on the Las Vegas Raiders at home. The bandits in silver and black present their own challenges to the Bills. It will not be easy, but I believe that this matchup is the perfect “get-right game.” 

Matchups to Watch Out For

Spencer Brown vs. Maxx Crosby

Should we panic? I feel like we’re all collectively panicking. We all saw the play in which Spencer Brown was bull-rushed by John Franklin-Myers into Josh Allen’s lap. According to PFF, Brown surrendered five pressures, three hurries, one sack, one hit, and one penalty. That’s not what you’d like to see out of your right tackle, especially the one that you’re trusting to have a make-or-break year.

️Rico️ on Twitter: “SPENCER BROWN GETTING F*CKING DOG WALKED!!!! pic.twitter.com/BHjZHHYiNx / Twitter”

SPENCER BROWN GETTING F*CKING DOG WALKED!!!! pic.twitter.com/BHjZHHYiNx

Now, he is set to face one of the most underrated defensive ends in the league in Maxx Crosby. In Week 1, Crosby had one sack, one hit, four hurries, and (*gulp*) six pressures. You know that the Raiders aren’t going to be lining him up across from Dion Dawkins.

The good news is that O’Cyrus Torrence had a hell of a Week 1 debut. He had a phenomenal PFF pass-blocking grade of 70.6, and didn’t allow a single sack. Three pressures were credited to him, but let’s be fair, Spencer Brown was on his right side and he was dealing with Quinnen Williams. Having Torrence next to him, though, should help Brown as they develop chemistry. I don’t want to overreact to one game and automatically say that the Buffalo Bills should bench Spencer Brown, but if he continues to be a liability they might want to consider swapping him for Germaine Ifedi, Alec Anderson, or Ryan Van Demark. Seeing how he holds up against The Condor will certainly be a test.

Bills Front 7 vs. Josh Jacobs

The Buffalo Bills pass rush was very potent against the Jets in Week 1, but many fans thought there was more left to be desired from their run defense. Besides the long 83-yard run by RB Breece Hall (it was a miscue if you ask me), the Bills gave up 3.3 yards per carry. That is outstanding for a team with a small Middle Linebacker. Their next task is to defend 2022’s NFL rushing yards leader, Josh Jacobs.

Now, he didn’t have a spectacular outing against Denver. He rushed for 48 yards on 19 attempts — that’s 2.5 ypc. That being said, the Bills should not underestimate what he can do to a defense that mistakenly gave up a long run the week before. He will make you pay! Last week, the Bills didn’t use three linebacker sets very much at all, instead opting to put Taylor Rapp in. I would like to see if Buffalo gives Dorian Williams some defensive snaps against the Raiders this time around. 

Tre’Davious White vs. Davante Adams

It’s beginning to look like WR Davante Adams will suit up on Sunday. After missing practice on Wednesday with a foot injury, he had full participation for the remainder of the week. The Raiders are going to be without WR Jakobi Meyers, so it will be a huge plus to have their number one wide receiver on the field against a tough defense. Thankfully, the Buffalo Bills have their best cornerback back fully healthy for their home opener.

CB Tre’Davious White had a Week 1 PFF grade of 45.7, which is not great. Much of that had to do with his poor run defense grade, which was an atrocious 29.0 — he had a couple missed tackles, but he has never been known for his tackling technique. His coverage grade of 61.0 is misleading because, on the touchdown given up, there wasn’t much more that he could do. He made a great play, but the ball decided to fall into Garrett Wilson’s hands. Bummer. Davante Adams will certainly be a test for Tre, and the Bills will also have to account for WR Hunter Renfrow, as well.

Predictions

Josh Allen will have his get-right game

Josh Allen needs to hit the reset button. Although it was only Week 1, it is valid to point out that his turnovers have been a consistent trend and Josh has a history of trying to force certain plays. Us Bills fans have learned to accept that this may just be who he is, but there is always room for improvement — even for a quarterback in his sixth season. After a whole week of criticism coming from the media, and even his own fanbase, I believe that Josh feels the urgency to alter his decision-making. This week may be the perfect time to do so. I don’t want to downplay the level of competition, though, so don’t let me jinx it. The Bills are also at home, which is the perfect opportunity for Josh Allen to calm down. 

Conclusion

I guess that is the only prediction that I have. That’s because we don’t really know much about this Bills team after last week, except that Stefon Diggs and Matt Milano are two of the best players on this roster. The defense had a great outing last week, but it will be interesting to see how they matchup against an elite wide receiver and running back. I’d like to see more before I make any definitive predictions. Next week, the Bills take on the Washington Commanders for Week 3, so keep an eye out for Jenna’s Outlook in the days leading up to that game!