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Bills vs. Jets 2013: All-22 review of Week 3 meeting

You likely remember that the Bills lost to the Jets by a score of 27-20 on the road in Week 3. What you may not remember is precisely how the game was won; we're here to rectify that with an All-22 look at the game's major scoring plays.

By Brian Galliford
  • (Play 1, 1 of 3) The Bills played this game without both of its starting cornerbacks, forcing them into a lot of three-safety looks (yellow circles) in nickel sets. The Jets spread the field quite often in Week 3 as a result, including on their opening-drive touchdown.
  • (Play 1, 2 of 3) This is a called quarterback draw from the get-go. Buffalo is rushing four, with Kiko Alonso (red circle) moving forward to account for Bilal Powell and Kellen Winslow eating up Manny Lawson at the second level (red X). Smith has a gaping hole to run through, with Aaron Williams (blue circle) and Alonso the only guys in position to save a score.
  • (Play 1, 3 of 3) Williams moves forward in time to hit Smith at the two-yard line and essentially stop his forward progress, but Smith stays up. Before Da'Norris Searcy can finish the play off, Alonso crashes into Smith from behind in an effort to force a fumble. He ends up merely pushing Smith into the end zone for six points.
  • (Play 2, 1 of 3) This was Buffalo's base defense on the day: four linemen, three linebackers (blue circles) and four defensive backs, three of them safeties (yellow circles; Williams is up top, with Justin Rogers in red at the bottom of your screen). The Jets split Winslow into the slot, taking Lawson with him, and send Rogers' assignment deep.
  • (Play 2, 2 of 3) Searcy keeps his eyes forward to account for Winslow, running vertically past Alonso in short zone coverage. Smith has already seen this, knows that Stephen Hill has Rogers one-on-one, and takes a big hit from Kyle Williams to attack the single coverage.
  • (Play 2, 3 of 3) Searcy can't come close to getting back into the play, Rogers is beaten upfield with ease, and Hill hauls in a perfect strike from Smith to extend the Jets' early lead to 14-6.
  • (Play 3, 1 of 3) The teams exchanged two field goals apiece, leaving the Jets with a 20-12 lead. On a third down early in the fourth quarter, the Bills dial up a staple of their offense: four verticals. Robert Woods throws a stutter into his route at the bottom of the screen, and Scott Chandler's route is delayed by a jam off the line.
  • (Play 3, 2 of 3) The delay in Chandler's release aids him in getting open; he's a good seven yards behind the rest of the team's receivers when EJ Manuel delivers the ball. All four Jets defensive backs are turned toward other routes, leaving Chandler a sea of green to attack after he catches the pass.
  • (Play 3, 3 of 3) Give Chandler credit on this play: he's not the nimblest athlete, but he's crafty enough to keep himself alive at the three-yard line and use his 6'7" frame to stretch into the end zone. Jets 20, Bills 18.
  • (Play 4, 1 of 3) Buffalo needed a two-point conversion to tie the game, and this was their play call: Chandler runs a hitch, T.J. Graham runs a seven route, and Woods clears out a defender with an out route up top. Stevie Johnson is left isolated one-on-one with safety Antonio Allen (red circles).
  • (Play 4, 2 of 3) Johnson, left to his devices on an in-breaking route, busts out his patented crossover move to easily shake Allen and break wide open in the end zone.
  • (Play 4, 3 of 3) Because the Jets have two defenders converging on Johnson from either side, Manuel elects to throw the ball up high to keep it out of traffic. The throw is a touch too high, and Johnson's catch isn't as easy as it should be. Still, the result is the same: this game is tied at 20.
  • (Play 5, 1 of 3) Less than a minute after the Bills tied the game, the Jets force them to defend vertical routes with their two-back shotgun formation. Once again, they're attacking the only cornerback on the field, Rogers (red circle).
  • (Play 5, 2 of 3) Note Jim Leonhard (blue circle) on this play: the Bills move him up into short zone coverage to fill in for Alonso, who is a blitzer on this play. The five-man rush doesn't get home, and Rogers has zero safety help over the top on Santonio Holmes.
  • (Play 5, 3 of 3) Rogers is actually in pretty good position on this play, but not good enough to prevent Holmes from going up to make the catch. Rogers then stumbles and falls, allowing Holmes to cover the remaining 40 yards of real estate in front of him unencumbered. The Jets took a 27-20 lead here, and won by that same score.

Remember when the Buffalo Bills lost to the New York Jets 27-20 in a Week 3 road game? Sure you do. What you may not remember is how that game shouldn't have been that close; that the Jets dominated the Bills on both sides of the ball, yet kept them in the game based on a couple of turnovers and an obscene 20 penalties.

We're trying something new this week, and it's something we can't do every week for obvious reasons: an All-22 recap of the Bills' previous game against the Jets this season. (We'll probably do this for rematches against Miami and New England, as well.) These are just the touchdowns, because nobody wants to see an All-22 reviews of field goals.

The Jets opened up a quick 7-0 lead with a Geno Smith rushing touchdown, but a nice Bills drive and Smith pick led to a couple of Dan Carpenter field goals. The Jets' lead extended to 14-6 when Smith found Stephen Hill for a long touchdown pass over Justin Rogers.

Buffalo and New York exchanged two field goals apiece (the Jets on merit, the Bills off of turnovers) to make the score 20-12 in favor of the Jets. Six penalties on a Bills drive helped EJ Manuel find Scott Chandler for a 33-yard touchdown and Stevie Johnson for a two-point conversion to tie the game. Alas, less than a minute later, Santonio Holmes torched Rogers for a 69-yard, game-winning touchdown.

This week, the Bills won't be forced to play a safety at cornerback - nor Rogers - and will look to re-establish their running game on offense to get the better of Rex Ryan's crew in the rematch.

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