EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Jordan Poyer looked at his battered hands and nodded as Micah Hyde described the punishment and preparation that led to the biggest turnover of the game.
New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis was streaking down the middle of the field and into field goal range, the hosts almost immediately in position to answer a Buffalo Bills touchdown and cut into their deficit before halftime, when Hyde punched the ball loose and recovered the fumble.
Report Card: Straight As are in order after Bills trounce the Jets
“We practice that a lot,” Hyde said. “Each and every play of practice, you’ve got (Poyer) punching at the football, and those offensive guys hate it because we’re punching them all the time. We hate it because our wrists and knuckles are all messed up from it. But that’s what we preach.”
Every starter in the Bills secondary recorded a takeaway while blasting the Jets 45-17 on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, with Tre’Davious White, Levi Wallace, Taron Johnson and Poyer adding interceptions to help Buffalo atone for its stunning, 9-6 loss in Jacksonville a week earlier. The five takeaways matched a season high, set in the Bills’ 40-0 victory against Houston in Week 4.
There’s only so much to glean from another blowout victory against one of the worst teams in the NFL. There’s no sense declaring the Bills are “back” after last week’s abomination. Trouncing the Jets doesn’t prove much. But the big picture view is impressive.
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The Bills’ defense has allowed just six points in the first quarter – total – through nine games this season. They’ve allowed more than 23 points in a game just once, on the road against Tennessee in a matchup of the last two AFC title game runners-up. And while it’s a long way away, their consistent dominance is the biggest reason to believe the Bills might finally end a season by lifting the Lombardi Trophy.
“I think just having that bad taste in our mouth from last week, not performing to our standard, it kind of put a little bit more urgency in our preparation,” Wallace said. “I can only speak on the defense. Going over last week, we didn’t get enough turnovers and give the offense more opportunities. I think that was one of our main focuses this week, to give the offense more chances to score points. Try to make the other team one-dimensional, make them throw the ball, which continues to create turnovers.”
Super Bowl teams don’t tend to lose on the road against one-win rookie quarterbacks as the Bills did against the Jaguars, though hiccups are bound to happen over the course of a long season.
Two weeks ago, Jets rookie Mike White threw for more than 400 yards on this same field in a victory against Cincinnati.
On Sunday, he became the fourth backup quarterback this season to face the Bills’ ferocious defense, which leads the NFL in points allowed, yards allowed and takeaways.
The Bills’ 24 takeaways are the franchise’s most through nine games since racking up 29 in 1993.
“It says a lot about this football team,” Poyer said, “and just the way we came back and bounced back after last week. … Not just the defense. Our entire football team came ready to play today.”
Josh Allen led the offense to a touchdown on the Bills’ opening possession, and then just three points on its next two drives combined, despite starting both in Jets territory. His touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs just before halftime provided breathing room.
But Hyde’s forced fumble and recovery moments later turned the tide in their direction for good. It kept the Jets from answering, maintained the 17-3 advantage heading into the locker room and provided the offense an opportunity to double-dip. They scored on the first possession of the second half.
“That was a huge play,” said Johnson, who ended the Jets’ second possession with a pick near midfield. “I feel like that really swayed the game and really put us in a position to run away with it. I feel like that was the biggest play of the game.”
Hall of Fame former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher said the Bills have “the best defense in football” during the halftime show on CBS.
Then the Jets’ next three drives ended in interceptions.
White, Wallace, Poyer.
Pick, pick, pick.
This was with the Bills’ defense missing two starters up front. Middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds missed the game with a hamstring injury and defensive tackle Star Lotulelei was placed on the Reserve/Covid-19 list Sunday morning.
Defensive tackle Justin Zimmer, a regular contributor, was additionally placed on injured reserve last week with a knee injury.
“We ask those D-linemen to do a lot and, obviously, our defense, it runs off of those guys,” said linebacker A.J. Klein, who stepped in for Edmunds, “So, when they can go out there and have a day like they did today and in the past weeks, our entire defense feeds off of it and it shows up in the back seven. Four picks and one forced fumble – that’s a testament to our D-line getting after the quarterback.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a team that’s had each member get a turnover. The crazy part is we left another probably two out there. I had mine early in the game and I know Matt (Milano) got his hand on a ball. It just shows that what we’re doing in practice is translating onto the field on gameday.”
The Bills’ public relations department scoured the franchise records and said five defensive backs hadn’t recorded a takeaway in a game since at least 1967. It’s unclear whether it’s ever happened, in Buffalo or the NFL.
Hyde joked with defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, a cornerback on the legendary 1985 Chicago Bears defense, about how they never accomplished the feat.
“He thought that was funny,” Hyde said. “But that’s wild.”
Bills coach Sean McDermott said he didn’t do anything special to motivate the players after last week’s loss, but that they took ownership of the situation. He cited the veterans, like Hyde and Poyer.
“Every ship needs a rudder, in terms of steering it where it needs to go,” McDermott said, “and those guys do a phenomenal job, as well as some others here for us and for me, so it certainly helps out a lot.”
Did Poyer know his interception meant every starter in the secondary had a takeaway?
“Yeah that boy knew!” Hyde said, laughing.
“I was the only one that didn’t have one,” Poyer said, “so I had to figure out a way to go get it. Thank you, Mike White.”
