The Bills are going back to the scene of the crime from a week ago, when they stole a win from the Jets at MetLife Stadium in the 2019 regular season opener. Now they return to the Meadowlands to face the other New York team, the Giants.
It's quite a scheduling quirk, but one that could set the table for great things.
Here's what I'm looking for on the field as the Bills try and go 2-0 to start the season for the first time since 2014.
Air Allen
The Bills started their opener last week against the Jets with 18-straight pass plays, with the first called run coming with 35 seconds left in the 1st quarter. Turnovers killed the drives, but minus that, the offense moved the ball well. It was a lot of the short-to-intermediate throws that we saw Josh Allen really work on throughout the preseason.
But it wasn't all good for Allen, with four turnovers in the first half, plus one interception negated by a penalty and another dropped by a Jets defender. He was not crisp through three quarters, but turned it on when it mattered in the fourth. Allen needs to limit the mistakes from the very beginning to avoid digging the Bills in a hole again.
Can't get much more favorable a match-up, with the Giants allowing 405 passing yards in their opener against the Cowboys. While Allen did a better job at limiting his shots deep, Dallas was averaging 12 yards per completion last week, so big plays are there to be had through the air.
Plus, Allen may have some extra motivation, with this tweet posted throughout the Bills facility on Thursday.
While I don't look at Shurmur's comments as much of anything, the fact that is was on multiple TVs around the building, including the locker room, says the Bills do, including Dion Dawkins.
Allen was 8/10 for 102 yards with a passing and rushing TD in the 4th quarter last week. Let's see if he can start more on that track.
Singletary's Second Game
Devin Singletary didn't get his first carry against the Jets until the 6:41 mark of the 3rd quarter. In total he only had four carries, but made the most of them, with runs of 20, 23, 12, and 15 yards. Add in five receptions for 28 yards and he produced quite well for his first career NFL game.
Sean McDermott maintains Frank Gore is the Bills number one back, but the snap count last week begs to differ, with Singletary in for 45 plays to Gore's 19.
I expect Singletary to continue to get the most run, even if Gore remains first on the depth chart, and be effective as he continues to earn high praise from teammates.
Whose at RT?
For all the questions through training camp and the preseason about offensive line combinations, the Bills were stable at four of the five spots in their opener, as Dion Dawkins, Quinton Spain, Mitch Morse, and Jon Feliciano all played 100% of the snaps.
Right tackle is where the rotation continues, with Cody Ford edging out Ty Nsekhe's snap count 36 to 30 and it looks like that is going to continue based on Sean McDermott's comments Monday.
"I think we’ll settle when we feel like we need to settle on that," the Bills head coach said Monday. "I like the competition, I like the quality of the depth we have there with those guys that played yesterday, in addition to some others, quite honestly. It's good to get those guys playing time and it afforded Cody [Ford] an opportunity to watch from the sideline and see things from a different perspective, which as we talked about was scripted out. So, that that competition is good for us and we'll continue based on each game plan."
Feliciano was solid and clearly has cemented himself enough to eliminate the thought of Ford kicking into guard in favor of him. It is also hard to think that the Bills wouldn't play their second round pick in favor of Nsekhe full-time, even if I think he has been more consistent, in my opinion.
Let the rotation roll along.
What a Rush
The Bills got serious pressure on Sam Darnold last week, sacking him four times and knocking him down nine. There also were the five pass deflections made by guys up front. That type of push is exactly what lacked a year ago even as that unit finished second in the NFL in total yards.
The Cowboys only had one sack a week ago against the Giants, but added six QB hits plus forced three fumbles, two of which coming from the front seven.
There's a push to be had and the Bills front will be unleashed once again.
Stopping Saquon
Saquon Barkley's sophomore season started with a cool 120 yards rushing on just 11 carries, an average of 10.91 yards a tote. This on the heels of a rookie of the year campaign where he became just the third rookie running back ever to rip off over 2,000 total yards (1,307 rushing + 721 receiving).
Every Bills player and coach I spoke to this week about Barkley raved about his overall talents, especially for being so young. McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier among the many to refer to the Penn State product as one of, if not the best running backs in the NFL.
Of course Le'veon Bell is also in that discussion and the Bills held him to 60 yards on 17 carries and 6 receptions for 32 yards and a touchdown plus 2-point conversion.
Guys like Bell and Barkley will get theres, it's all a matter of limiting the damage and avoid the big play, which Barkley excels at, with 16 runs of 20+ yards last season, 7 of 40+ yards.
Wounded Passing Battle
The Bills will be without nickel corner Taron Johnson for a second-straight week. Siran Neal will take over in the slot for Johnson. Good news, Levi Wallace bouncing back from an ankle injury Thursday to not even being listed on the injury report Friday. Still something to keep an eye on.
The Giants aerial attack far more worse off, with top receiver Sterling Shepard out with a concussion as well as fellow wide out Darius Slayton. Next in line would be Cody Latimer, and he's questionable with a calf injury.
Slim pickings for Eli Manning, who already would be up against a tall task facing Tre'Davious White, Micah Hyde, and Jordan Poyer with a fully healthy receiving core.
Injury Report
Bills
OUT: Taron Johnson (hamstring), Andre Roberts (quad)
QUESTIONABLE: Tyler Kroft (foot)
Giants
OUT: WR Sterling Shepard (concussion), WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), TE Garrett Dickerson (quad)
QUESTIONABLE: WR Cody Latimer (calf)
Bills and Giants get things underway from MetLife Stadium Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.