Bills' defensive tackles, sans Ed Oliver, ready for Jets' run-heavy attack in Week 2

The New York Jets established a pattern during Aaron Glenn's first game as head coach, and the Buffalo Bills have taken notice ahead of their September 14 divisional matchup.

The Jets' offense ran the ball 39 times during the narrow Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, meaning 64 percent of snaps resulted in rushing attempts.

"We know those guys ran the ball about 40 times last week. It's going to be a big part of their game," said Bills' rookie defensive tackle TJ Sanders.

With veteran defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who performed marvelously in Buffalo's season-opening victory, unavailable in Week 2, Sanders will likely see a heavier workload on the road against the Jets on September 14.

The second-round rookie's debut was not well received by Pro Football Focus. Sanders earned a 29.6 PFF grade for his game against the Ravens with that mark being weighed down heavily by a poor grade against the run.

"I think last week he had some learning moments as much as we all did. He really attacked this week, and kind of focused on what he needed to focus on," said veteran starter DaQuan Jones.

As a team, the Bills surrendered 238 net rush yards to Baltimore. All-Pro running bacl Derrick Henry averaged 9.4 yards per carry (18-169).

Sanders and Jones will face a Jets' rushing attack that features the explosive Breece Hall and the powerful Braelon Allen. While Hall ran 19 times for 107 yards against the Steelers, Allen was limited to nine yards and one touchdown on six carries.

"I think their running back duo is really good," said Jones. "I think they complement each other really well. They're patient within the hole, when they see a hole, they expose it and they run hard."

Making matters even more difficult for Buffalo's defense, Jets' quarterback Justin Fields is one of the NFL's top rushers at his position. He ran 12 times for 48 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-32 setback to the Steelers.

The good news is that the Bills saw an elite Lamar Jackson in Week 1, and Fields can't be much better than the Ravens' QB1 when he gashed Buffalo on six rushes for 70 yards and one touchdown.

Although it won't be easy, Jones knows what has to be done for the Bills' defense to succeed against New York in Week 2.

"Make sure that we're doing our job in the run game. Make sure that we're gap sound. Not peaking too early and make the plays that come our way," said Jones.

In the Bills' Week 6 road trip to the Jets last October, Hall ran 18 times for 188 yards in his team's 23-20 home loss. In Buffalo's blowout win in Week 17, Hall was limited to 45 yards on 10 rushes.

The Bills and the Jets are set for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.

Sep 11, 2023; East Rutherford, NJ; New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) runs the ball in the second half against the Buffalo Bills | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

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