The Buffalo Bills went to New Jersey to take on the New York Jets and returned with a victory. In this narrow win we get our first glimpse at playing time for the 2019 Buffalo Bills. We’ll check back in weekly and see what the data has to tell us.

Offense (69 snaps)

Both sides of the ball have a handful of players who should be expected to reach 100% of playing time. On offense, this is usually the entire offensive line and quarterback. Josh Allen and most of the line were indeed part of the 100% club this week, but Cody Ford is the notable exception. Rotating with Ty Nsekhe, Cody Ford only had five more snaps. Early on, Nsehke was being brouht in once every three drives, but the veteran was inserted more in the final few drives. Nsekhe caught up quickly after being brought off the bench to close the game. There was no indication of an injury to Ford. Regardless, this is something that bears watching.

Last year Zay Jones was clearly the top receiver. Often flirting with the 100% club himself, Jones’s 42% of playing time this week is glaring here. John Brown seems to be the new favorite, with Cole Beasley not far behind. Patrick DiMarco even saw more time on the field than Jones. The lack of usage of DiMarco was a frequently noted trend last year, again highlighting how things have changed.

Speaking of backs, Devin Singletary was the clear favorite at running back despite not being asked to be one until late in the third quarter. Frank Gore was a distant second and T.J. Yeldon was an even more distant third. Primarily running routes and helping spread the field, the running back position looked much different than we saw last year.

The tight end group shook out about as expected with Dawson Knox leading the pack. Lee Smith received the second-most playing time with Tommy Sweeney third. If Tommy Sweeney continues to produce he could see his time increase. There were 88 snaps from the tight end position meaning the Bills ran two-tight-end sets (at least) 19 times.

Defense (72 snaps)

Just like offense, there are six players who the Bills want to be part of the 100% club. For their season opener it was good to see the entire group hit this mark. Micah Hyde, Jordan Poyer, Tre’Davious White, Levi Wallace, Tremaine Edmunds, and Matt Milano all remained on the field the entire game for defense.

At defensive end, the Bills favor a 2⁄ 3 to 1⁄ 3 split between a starter and depth player on each side. Jerry Hughes and Shaq Lawson were right around schedule on the right side. On the left, Trent Murphy went a little higher than normal with rookie Darryl Johnson as his backup. For the math-inclined, those two players are two snaps short of the full defensive game. Hold that thought.

Defensive tackles rotated somewhat oddly. Only one of the four broke the 50% barrier; rookie Ed Oliver. For Star Lotulelei this is typical, as he’s present on predicted run downs. Jordan Phillips and Harrison Phillips don’t quite round out the group. The four players hit 126 snaps, or 16 short of what would be expected in a game with 72 defensive snaps. Hold that thought, too.

Taron Johnson played 33 snaps before leaving with an injury as the slot corner. He was replaced by Siran Neal in the slot who also played 33 snaps. That means the Bills played nickel defense for 66 of their 72 plays. As we’ve seen the last two years, nickel should be considered the base for Buffalo. That means there’s very little room for a third linebacker.

Cue Lorenzo Alexander, who should be listed as the team’s Leatherman (it’s like a Swiss Army Knife but better quality). Coming in for a handful of linebacker snaps, Alexander also subbed in as defensive end and defensive tackle.

Special Teams (23 snaps)

In total, 38 players saw the field on special teams. That includes everyone except Josh Allen, Frank Gore, Devin Singletary, John Brown, Cole Beasley, Mitch Morse, and Tommy Sweeney.

Not only are the Bills willing to use bigger names on special teams, some see significant action. Lorenzo Alexander hit 48% of time on the field. Tre’Davious White, Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer all hit 39%. Patrick DiMarco oddly only saw 26%, which is about half the norm.

For now there’s a cluster at the top. Maurice Alexander, Kurt Coleman, Kevin Johnson, Corey Thompson, and Julian Stanford all hit 16 snaps or 70%. Siran Neal and Darryl Johnson were both only one snap behind.