The 2023 NFL season is finally here! We can put all the clickbait, talking heads, and screaming journalists behind us and focus on what happens between the lines. For the Buffalo Bills, that starts with Monday Night Football in New Jersey. Buffalo opens the year with the third-best odds to win the Super Bowl, per most betting outlets. The Bills come in just behind the Chiefs and Eagles, or last year’s championship game contenders. Their opponent on Monday, the Jets, sit with the seventh-best odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, putting a little extra emphasis on this Week 1 showdown. Without further ado, here are my top five storylines to watch as Bills Mafia invades East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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Establish Dominance 

The Bills have won the AFC East three straight years and return most of the team that has accomplished that feat. Yet, many national media space fillers have picked the Jets or the Dolphins to take home the divisional crown this season. A matchup between Buffalo and New York will set an early pack leader in the East. The Bills are currently favored by 2.5 points, but we know that doesn’t mean much in the end. The talking will be done on the field and by fans for several weeks after.

Allen vs. Rodgers

The two quarterbacks will never be on the field at the same time, but their “head-to-head” matchup will be discussed all week. ARod is a surefire, first-ballot hall-of-famer, and Allen appears to be on that trajectory. Looking back to 2020, Rodgers finished first in MVP voting. Allen was second. Rodgers won it again in 2021, while Allen finished third in 2022. It goes without saying — these two are expected to put on a show.

New Starters

Sean McDermott announced on Wednesday that O’Cyrus Torrence would start at right guard, Terrell Bernard would be in at MLB, and the starting CB2 is Christian Benford. Those were three positions we kept close eyes on during camp, and we will continue to do so during Week 1.

Bills O vs. Jets D

As we go into week one, we have to look at raw data from last season to get excited about. The Bills’ offense was second in yards per game and points per game in 2022. The Jets’ defense was fourth in points per allowed and fourth in yards per game allowed in 2022. This should be fun!

Diva Diggs

This shouldn’t be a storyline, but many eyes will be fixated on Stefon Diggs and how he interacts with teammates during the game and on the sidelines. I unequivocally think it’s silly how far this “issue” has been overblown. To put it short, I’m not very concerned.