EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – All game long, the Buffalo Bills gave up unusually big plays against the New York Jets. Nothing more remarkable than letting the Jets score on a Hail Mary at the end of the first half to make it a three-point game, despite the Bills offense scoring a touchdown on three of the first four drives.

But it was on another throw when Taron Johnson announced his return to the starting lineup in the loudest way possible, picking off an Aaron Rodgers pass with just under two minutes remaining to secure a 23-20 victory .

Johnson, a 2023 second-team All-Pro, was playing in his first game since Week 1 when he suffered a forearm injury.

The Bills defense gave up eight plays of 20 or more yards to the Jets. In the first three games of the year, the Bills allowed seven such plays. That number now stands at 15 from Weeks 4 through 6. Buffalo also allowed a Jets offense that came into the game averaging 80.4 rushing yards per game, putting up 121 yards on the ground.

The unit was saved by two missed field goals from Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein in the second half, in addition to strong red zone defense that allowed the Jets to convert on one of four red zone trips.

Although the Bills missed opportunities (particularly when it came to penalties), they came away with the win by forcing necessary turnovers and avoiding crucial mistakes. Quarterback Josh Allen has now gone six straight games without throwing an interception, the longest stretch of his career.

Describe the game in two words: Bounce back. It wasn’t pretty, but the Bills avoided their first three-game losing streak since 2018 and maintained a sizable lead in the AFC East.

Eye-popping statistic: Josh Allen drove 16.26 mph when he released the ball on his 42-yard completion to RB Ray Davis in the second quarter, the fastest speed by a quarterback on a deep completion (over 20 yards) in the past two years . plus seasons (since week 1, 2022), per NFL Next Gen Stats.

Most surprising achievement: Davis. Ty Johnson was the team’s No. 2 back in terms of snaps behind James Cook, and while Davis has shown his potential, this was a significant performance on a night when Cook (toe) was inactive. Davis’ 116 scrimmage yards in the first half were the most by a Bills rookie in a half since 1980. He finished with 20 rushes for 97 yards and three catches for 55 more. This offense is at its best when the running game gets going, and this kind of depth behind Cook is a good sign.

Troubling trend: Kicking Tyler Bass. Bass’ woes have been a concern since training camp, and Monday night was a reminder of that. Although it was a stormy night – 17 mph sustained winds and gusts in the 30-35 mph range – the problems are not new. Bass probably would have missed a PAT that went very wide left, but that was also blocked and he also missed a 47-yard field goal. He made a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, but is now 2-of-5 from 40-49 yards this season (tied for the 31st-worst percentage from that distance). — Alaina Getzenberg

Next game: vs. Titans (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New head coach, new offensive playcaller, same result for the New York Jets, who dropped their third straight game and missed a chance to grab a share of first place in the AFC East.

Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich, who replaced the abruptly fired Robert Saleh six days ago, had the same performance that prompted owner Woody Johnson to fire Saleh: too many penalties (11 for 110 yards), too many missed opportunities and too many points left behind on the field, including a pair of missed field goals by kicker Greg Zuerlein in the second half.

The Jets showed some signs of life on offense under new playcaller Todd Downing, who replaced the demoted Nathaniel Hackett, but the result was another crushing loss. They have lost a combined ten points in the last three games, and now they are on the verge of falling out of contention.

It wasn’t supposed to go this way for the Jets (2-4), who saw themselves as Super Bowl contenders. Johnson called this the best roster he’s had in 25 years, but it doesn’t live up to expectations. Not even close. Johnson thought a coaching shake-up would help, but this was just more of the same. Unless they turn things around quickly, the 2024 Jets will go down as one of the biggest busts in recent memory.

QB breakdown: You can hold the ‘Rodgers-is-washed-ashore’ headlines. Returning from last week’s three-interception clunker, Aaron Rodgers passed for 294 yards – just shy of his first 300-yard performance in 28 games. Typical, right? The whole night was just teasing. Rodgers played well enough to win, but he was undermined by three dropped passes; the Jets lead the league in drops. Rodgers (23-for-35, 2 TD, 1 INT) had one moment of magic, a 52-yard Hail Mary touchdown to end the first half, but his magic ran out with an interception on the game’s final drive by the Jets. .

Most surprising achievement: Welcome back, Breece Hall. Hall was a non-factor in the previous two games and came alive when Downing called the plays. Buffalo’s shaky defense may have had something to do with it, too. Regardless, Hall was back to his dual-threat ways, producing 113 yards rushing and 56 receiving. There was more creativity in the running game and the gaps were bigger. Ultimately, it wasn’t good enough due to the red zone inefficiency (1-for-4).

Troubling trend: What about the Jets and backup running backs? They had no answers for rookie Ray Davis (152 yards from scrimmage), who replaced James Cook and became the latest understudy to star against them. Remember week 1? San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey arrived late and in came Jordan Mason, who rushed for a career-high 147 yards. The truth is, the Jets’ defense wasn’t very good. Once again the tackling was sloppy and the gap discipline left a lot to be desired. Linebacker C.J. Mosley returned from a three-game toe injury, but he played a limited number of snaps while Jamien Sherwood remained Mike’s linebacker. Mosley was removed in the nickel.

Eye-popping statistic: Rodgers’ Hail Mary to Allen Lazard covered 52 air yards – the most on a completion by a Jets quarterback since Mark Sanchez in 2010. It was the fourth Hail Mary touchdown of Rodgers’ career; no other player has had more than two since 2008. — Rich Cimini

Next game: at Steelers (8:20 PM ET, Sunday)