After escaping with a 23-20 win over the New York Jets on Monday Night Football in Week 6, a Buffalo Bills trade will always be compared to a similar move the Jets made on the same day. Immediately after an error-filled game between the AFC rivals, both teams traded for wide receivers.
The Jets added Davante Adams in a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Buffalo picked up Amari Cooper in a deal with the Cleveland Browns. Despite having a top receiver in Garrett Wilson, New York felt it needed another top-level pass catcher to gain ground in the division.
Adams made his name with Aaron Rodgers tossing him the ball in Green Bay. Even after his trade to the Raiders two years ago, Adams was a top-ten receiver. Once the former MVP moved on to New York, rumors started swirling regarding a potential reunion.
The Bills were atop the division but didn’t have a true #1 receiver to scare opposing defenses. While Cooper does fall into No. 1 receiver territory, he’s not as flashy as names like Ja’Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, or A.J. Brown. Despite that, the Bills have toppled its division rival again after seeing the results of both trades after two weeks.
Bills Trade Beats the Jets Again Two Weeks Later
A Clash of Philosophies
The Jets needed a kick in the leg since the team felt it was a Super Bowl contender by adding Rodgers. They couldn’t test that theory last season after Rodgers was injured in the first week of the season. With a healthy former MVP, the team was a trendy pick to win both the AFC East and potentially make the Super Bowl.
Those lofty expectations put more pressure on the team to perform in its games. After a plodding start to 2024, owner Woody Johnson thought adding another former Rodgers favorite would solve the team’s issues. After two games with his new team, Adams’ stats don’t jump off the page:
- Week 7 @ Pittsburgh Steelers – 9 targets, 3 receptions, 30 yards
- Week 8 @ New England Patriots – 6 targets, 4 receptions, 54 yards
The Steelers rank second (298.29) in the league in total yards against allowed, but Rodgers wanted to feed Adams early and often in his first game with the team. Expectations have to be tempered when factoring in the opponents. It was great Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye start his first game, but it unfortunately came against a much better Houston Texans team.
A Mixed Message?
Adams then chastised the team after the loss, which is good or bad depending on one’s opinion. The Jets lost both games after adding the former Packer, including a loss to a team at the bottom of the NFL in the rival Patriots. Had they defeated New England, however, two of their three wins would have come against their rival.
The team already had a top receiver in Garrett Wilson, who had eight and nine receptions respectively in both games with Adams. The addition has helped Wilson, who led the way against the Patriots with 113 yards on five catches. Tight end Tyler Conklin also benefitted against New England, but as a whole, the team hasn’t.
.@AaronRodgers12 drops it right into the bucket for @GarrettWilson_V 🙌
📺 #NYJvsNE on CBS & @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/tk1S0hsuwR
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 27, 2024
Adams was matched up against Christian Gonzalez and double coverage most of the game. The fact that the offense cannot take advantage of having both top pass catchers means they’ve lost even more ground to the division-leading Bills.
The Bills Make the Right Trade for the Right Situation
By adding someone extremely familiar with both Aaron Rodgers and the offensive system, many felt he would immediately be the medicine to cure the Jets’ woes in 2024. New York has fired its coach and lost six straight games.
Adding Amari Cooper hasn’t led to flashy stats for the receiver, but the results are much better than the Jets. The Bills won both games since the trade, blowing out the Titans (34-10) and Seahawks (31-10). Cooper caught a touchdown off five catches in his first game with Buffalo but was quieter in Week 8 with only one catch.
While Cooper wasn’t the spotlight in both games, it relays the strategy of each team when making those trades two weeks ago. The Jets wanted to make a splash but needed a better commitment to running the ball (30th in the league).
Bringing in the right piece for their offense has helped the rest of the Bills passing attack. Khalil Shakir excelled in the slot against Seattle with nine catches for 107 yards. Buffalo also committed to running the ball in Week 8, something the Jets don’t do consistently. Josh Allen didn’t force-feed Cooper like the Jets want to do with Adams.
RIDICULOUS.
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/3hiLun9vyF
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) October 27, 2024
Rookie receiver Keon Coleman stood out as well with five catches for 70 yards and a score. He went off for 124 yards against the Titans. The Jets thought they could gain ground by adding a big name to its already struggling offense. The moves reflect why one team has won the division the last four years while the other team may have to start over again next season.
Main Photo: Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
