Aaron Rodgers notices key personnel changes to Bills' defensive ...
From an opposing quarterback's perspective, the Buffalo Bills' defense has a much different look this season, particularly at the safety position.
Although he saw it for only four plays prior to suffering an Achilles tear in last year's season opener, New York Jets' field general Aaron Rodgers became used to seeing Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer in the Bills' secondary. That won't be the case on October 14 at MetLife Stadium. Hyde is still sitting out contemplating retirement while Poyer has flown south to join the Miami Dolphins.
"Those guys obviously played a lot together. The more you play together, the more trust you have for disguises and different things," said Rodgers while preparing for the Monday Night Football matchup.
Meanwhile, Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin have stepped up into starting roles for Buffalo. The former missed the Week 5 loss in Houston due to a concussion but has been cleared to face the Jets on Monday. Hamlin has started all five games to date.
"It seems like Hamlin and Rapp are working it out. They're not rookies. They've been around the league for a long time. Both talented players, but those guys are old heads. They've kind of seen it all, so they obviously have just a little deeper rolodex of recall than those guys," said Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP.
While Rapp and Hamlin have been solid, there does seem to be a drop-off in communication on that side of the ball. Rookie safety Cole Bishop, who was unavailable for a bulk of training camp due to injury, appeared to blow a coverage on a Nico Collins long touchdown last week. Nickel cornerback Taron Johnson and linebacker Terrel Bernard have missed time, too, which certainly hasn't helped the communication situation.
Still, the Bills' defense is attempting to confuse opponents from play to play, which has become a staple under head coach Sean McDermott.
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"They're working on their disguises and they're holding their shell until the snap and doing a good job of that," said Rodgers.
The Bills (3-2) will meet the Jets (2-3) for an 8:15 pm ET kickoff on Monday Night Football in East Rutherford, NJ.
Sep 23, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) tackles Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
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