ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. _ It was at least as bad as everyone expected, and maybe just a little bit worse.
It's true that the Jets offense sputtered against the Bills, and that the wide receiver situation is almost as dire as predicted. The roster lacks playmakers who can propel them against an even modest team. But those weren't the troubling parts of the Jets' 21-12 Week 1 loss to the Bills at New Era Field on Sunday. They were merely expected.
No, the troubling part is the fact that Leonard Williams and Muhammad Wilkerson were non-factors for long stretches of the game, and that the Jets secondary struggled to contain the damage. What was supposed to be the strongest unit on the team proved to be one of its biggest liabilities and LeSean McCoy and Tyrod Taylor did their very best to make the Jets pay.
The Bills went ahead 7-0 11:26 into the second quarter, and though the Jets kept it close until late in the third quarter, the Bills never relinquished the lead. Taylor went 16-for-28 for 224 yards and two touchdowns, while McCoy ran for 110 yards on 22 attempts. Josh McCown was 26-for-39 for 187 yards and two interceptions and scored the Jets' only touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak.
The Jets didn't manage a first down until just over four minutes into the second quarter, and had possession for only 4:15 of the first quarter, going three-and-out on their first two attempts. The one bright side, though, is that at times, the Bills were almost as ineffectual. They squandered a prime opportunity on first-and-goal on the Jets' 2. Josh Martin tackled Mike Tolbert for a loss of 6 and two plays later, Juston Burris intercepted a throw in the end zone, intended for tight end Charles Clay.
Burris, though, was undone by his own teammates. He tripped over two Jets, including rookie safety Marcus Maye, to land on the Jets' 42 for a 48-yard return. The Jets didn't take advantage of the turnover, going three-and-out.
The Bills broke through early in the second quarter. Propelled by McCoy's 23-yard run, the Bills went 77 yards in 12 plays, capped by Taylor's 2-yard touchdown pass. Clay pushed off Maye near the end zone and Taylor hit him on an out route to give the Bills the 7-0 lead.
The Jets responded on the next possession, finally earning a first down when McCown found tight end Eric Tomlinson, who was wide open against the Bills' zone coverage, for a 25-yard gain. Chandler Catanzaro eventually put the Jets on the board with 6:39 left, converting a 48-yard field goal.
After the Bills' Stephen Hauschka missed a 46-yard field goal attempt on the next possession, the Jets charged back, going 30 yards in eight plays and settling for Catanzaro's 52-yard field goal, enough to draw the Jets to within 7-6 at halftime.
The Bills dismantled the Jets defense in the third quarter, leading off with Taylor's short pass to Jordan Matthews, who blew by Buster Skrine's missed tackle. He was finally pushed out of bounds at the Jets' 17-yard line for a 47-yard gain. Taylor's 14-yard scramble put them on the 1, and he faked a handoff to McCoy before the easy touchdown pass to Andre Holmes to give the Bills a 14-6 advantage with 6:55 left.
The Jets scored their first touchdown of the season with 2:06 left in the third on McCown's one-yard sneak. The drive was highlighted by passes of 8 and 21 yards to Will Tye, who took over for an injured Tomlinson. Todd Bowles opted to go for the two-point conversion and the tie, but McCown was picked off to keep it at 14-12.
The good feelings didn't last long, though. McCoy made the defense look silly (again) on the Bills' next possession. He went up the middle and stutter-stepped his way downfield before getting brought down at the Jets' 26 for a 27-yard run. Four plays later, the Bills scored on Tolbert's 1-yard run for the 21-12 advantage.
