1 - 'Zo breaks down a McCown-led Jets offense
Buffalo's opportunistic defense was looking forward to facing the inexperienced Sam Darnold this weekend. The rookie, whose large interception count was a cause for concern in the lead up to the 2018 draft, has already thrown 14 picks this season, the most among all starting quarterbacks.
Darnold, however, will miss New York's Week 10 contest with a foot injury. Josh McCown, a 16-year veteran, will start in his place.
Forcing Darnold into making a few mistakes was something that the Bills were hoping to do this weekend.
"When you look at the film, obviously Sam was their high pick, but he throws the ball to the other team quite often," linebacker Lorenzo Alexander said during an appearance on One Bills Live. "A lot of guys have just dropped the balls. It definitely would've given us a big-time opportunity to have some opportunities to intercept the ball and get a pick six, or a couple pick sixes out of it to help our offense and put some points on the board."
McCown, however, isn't exactly secure with the ball, either. As New York's starting quarterback last year, the 39-year-old threw nine interceptions two of which came against the Bills.
"Obviously with McCown, he'll throw you the ball too," Alexander said. "I think we had two [interceptions] last year in the first game, probably should have had three."
Ultimately, whoever the Jets deploy under center won't heavily alter Buffalo's defensive game plan.
"At the end of the day, it's all about disrupting him and obviously making him uncomfortable," Alexander said. "He's a little bit more skilled, little bit more experienced, so they may have a little bit more of their playbook ready to attack us because he can handle more than a rookie quarterback.
"At the end of the day, I have great confidence in our front four to get him off the spot."
2 - LeSean McCoy: Bills have been good to me
LeSean McCoy has been a foundational player for the Bills since his arrival in the 2015 offseason, someone that Buffalo has crafted its entire offensive unit and philosophy around.
According to general manager Brandon Beane, that's not going to change anytime soon. Despite his lack of production thus far this season, Beane still views McCoy as an integral part of Buffalo's future, someone that the team will "definitely" continue to build around.
The running back likes this idea.
"I'm a loyal person and I'm happy here," McCoy said. "People get things mixed up with the frustration of losing. For me to be in their plans, I like the way that sounds."
Some questioned McCoy's role in the Bills' future plans after the team's slow start to the 2018 season. The 30-year-old, who has rushed for 267 yards on 85 carries this season, was the subject of trade rumors leading up to the trade deadline.
Beane, however, ultimately decided to hold onto McCoy, feeling as though the value of what he brings to the field and locker room far surpasses that of any potential return.
The six-time 1,000 yard-rusher is happy that the Bills' brass decided to retain him. McCoy appreciates just how supportive the entire organization has been throughout his entire tenure with the team.
"Since I came to Buffalo, the community and ownership, the guys upstairs in the office, the coaches have been fair and been great with me," McCoy said. "They've been supportive of everything I've been through. They ripped it up and gave me a new contract. They've been good to me."
3 - Hughes among league leaders in pressures
At least part of Buffalo's defensive excellence in the 2018 season can be credited to the team's consistently strong pass rush. Through nine games this season, the Bills have tallied 22 sacks as a team, ranking in the top half of the league in that statistic.
The 2018 season has also seen the re-emergence of Jerry Hughes as a dominant pass rusher. The 30-year-old, who has hit the 10-sack mark twice in his nine-year career, has totaled 4.5 sacks thus far this season, tying Lorenzo Alexander for the team lead.
While Hughes' sack total is impressive, it does not paint a clear enough picture of just how effective he has been. According to Pro Football Focus, Hughes has recorded 44 total quarterback pressures this season, trailing only Kansas City defender Dee Ford in that metric.
Per PFF, the former TCU Horned Frog recorded just 45 total pressures throughout the entire 2017 campaign. He'll could surpass his 2017 total in Week 10 of the 2018 season.
In Week 10, Hughes will likely find himself lined up across from Jets' left tackle Kelvin Beachum, a matchup that PFF views as favorable for the Buffalo edge rusher. According to the outlet, Beachum has allowed 14 quarterback pressures this season.
