2023 NFL season, Week 2: What We Learned from Sunday's games

[HipKat]

Buffalo Bills, 38, Las Vegas Raiders 10

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Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. The Bills ran the ball well! Too often in recent seasons, Buffalo has disproportionately relied on Josh Allen to power its offense. Week 2 was not one of those games, thankfully. Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey trusted the run early and often, riding the full stable of runners to a total of 183 yards on the ground. James Cook compiled his best day as a pro, racking up 123 yards on 17 carries and catching four passes for 36 yards. Damien Harris chipped in 33 yards on seven totes and Latavius Murray added 22 yards on six carries, with each accounting for a rushing touchdown. For once, the Bills didn't need Allen to lead them on the ground. Unsurprisingly, they thrived because of it.
    
2. Do not do this to Jimmy Garoppolo all season, Raiders. Las Vegas started the day on a strong note, going 75 yards in five plays thanks to a 34-yard Tre Tucker run and two completions to Davante Adams, with the second producing a touchdown. But that was the last time the Raiders would score a TD. Las Vegas encountered remarkable struggles on the ground, with 2022 rushing champion Josh Jacobs finishing with -2 yards on nine attempts. Tucker's single run ended up leading the Raiders in rushing for the day. And with so much offensive responsibility placed on Garoppolo's shoulders, the Raiders were doomed. Garoppolo threw two interceptions and would've had to be a superhero to lead the Raiders out of the hole they found themselves in. He was merely human.
    
3. It took them six quarters, but the Bills remembered who they are. Buffalo seemed to enter Week 2 still reeling from their Week 1 loss to the Zach Wilson-led Jets. The effects were visible for much of the first half. Fortunately, a couple of very impressive second-quarter possessions placed Buffalo back on track, fueling its offensive engine via two Allen touchdown passes, including an excellent bit of improvisation on the connection with Khalil Shakir for six points. Those drives set the tone for the second half, in which Buffalo simply outclassed Las Vegas on both sides of the ball. Rumors of Buffalo's demise were greatly exaggerated, it seems.
   
   Next Gen Stat of the game: Josh Allen completed 7 of 8 passes for 73 yards and two touchdowns while throwing on the run in the 38-10 win over the Raiders.

NFL Research: Josh Jacobs recorded the fewest rushing yards in a single game by a reigning rushing leader since 1950.