Nose Tackle Doesn’t Stop Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills
Like the quarterback, we can exhale.
Josh Marcia Allen is okay to play. Oh, and the Buffalo Bills won. Needing Hank Hill-style medical attention is a gruesomely sucky outcome. But looking like you’re facing the the side while looking straight ahead the best injury case for a player dashing from the field.
Worrying about a quarterback’s face is a way to express devotion. So, that was what it’s like when everyone in Buffalo holds their breath. Any oddballs driving during a Bills game pulled over. Speech wasn’t banned because that would’ve been redundant. Please provide Hailee Steinfeld with a nose update.
Mixologist Josh served a stiff-arm with a bitch-slap chaser. Swatting at the attempted tackler set the tone with his own personal touch. Establishing how this game would go right away shouldn’t overwhelm memories of a scramble for a first down plus about one-third of the field on top.
The loss within a win was letting Josh play in the fourth quarter. They should have let him spend the game’s end gazing in a mirror Tommy-style to see if his proboscis remained truly straight.
The Mitchell Trubisky game should’ve extended for an extra series. But failing to pull the starter didn’t seem to cause any harm even if he was a temporary mouth-breather. His first stint’s success was the biggest takeaway in a lopsided affair.
A kissable performance gave him the chance to show he does exactly what a backup should. Playing well in what’s thankfully a small sample size is part of the job. A backup quarterback has to perform well without getting many chances. I’m pro-Mitchell and wish he doesn’t take another snap unless he immediately kneels.
The game’s end came early. The opening dive lasted one second short of one-eighth of the game in an embodiment of setting tone. Will other teams not expect ceaseless rushing from the team with Josh Allen? I doubt it, but balance might still throw them off even if they’re better at anticipation than the Jets.
Stopping the other guys from scoring is even more shocking. The non-Josh aspect made the case that the Bills are a defensive outfit first. The offense can come along for the ride. My favorite example was the Bosa puncha balla outta. Seeing perfect technique on display to spur a turnover sure is satisfying. Brandon Beane added Joey to do the job Von Miller stopped doing, namely hunting in the fourth quarter. Their earlier work created circumstances defensive ends fantasize about making a bad game for a foe worse.
A grizzled veteran taking the job from an eager youngster is a fun twist for geezers. Matt Prater inspires every 204-year-old. He kicks well for someone older than the universe. Prater saw the first flight and is still making field goals. Give him a Werther’s. They’re surely finishing the script for the next Bills-themed Hallmark movie right now. I am prepared to set my DVR for From the Couch to Kicks: The Matt Prater Story.
Cornerbacks in the backfield are the twist that will still surprise in the future. Christian Benford and Tre White each made notable stops behind the line of scrimmage. Like any other single spectacular play, it may not have made the difference against the only team in New Jersey that might be worse than the Giants. Yet an unconventionally novel alignment could create aggravation for future offensive coordinators, which is just we want out of the game week.
A matinee seems anticlimactic after a prime-time premiere. The game’s tone exacerbated nonchalance. Modern air travelers often complain about underwhelming culinary options on flights. But savoring a bag of pretzels the size of a stamp is a trip to dine at Peter Luger’s house compared to the slop served by the Jets.
It still counts even if it feels more like a Jets loss than a Bills win. One game can represent more than its results. That’s not just if it’s a blowout but especially so. Franchises don’t change even as seasons do. Aaron Glenn’s judges are trying to judge if his sputtering craft is awful while implementing challenging changes or just as wretched as usual.
The Jets are unproductive in multiple ways, including for fans of foes trying to overreact to the second game’s results. Bills fans can’t get excited about measuring themselves against a struggling divisional opponent, which in this case is redundant. Buffalo is unlikely to win in such a manner just like the opener’s conditions won’t be replicated. Completely different conditions unite to form weird narratives.
The toughest part of the first Jets matchup was trying to measure against a troubled franchise that’s trying once again to reverse its fate with a new coach and philosophy. Bills fans know exactly how that feels. Empathy’s limits are reached when trying to move past the trauma of enduring a similarly woeful challenge. I hate to tell the Jets it may not be ceaseless, in part because in their case that may create false hope.
Leading the AFC East is like being the center for the jockeys’ rec league basketball team. The Dolphins are endangering themselves. But that’s no excuse for playing nonchalantly. A Thanksgiving week with little preparation is Miami’s best chance. Just going out there and playing should feel like an advantage if your team’s built correctly.