Preseason Week 1: AFC East Round Up

The Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and Buffalo Bills were all in action Thursday evening as the NFL's preseason schedule kicked into full-force. To get a better look at what happened outside of south Florida, we'll take a look at some of the highlights from the other two AFC East teams.

Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots

Final Result: Jaguars win 31-24

This game featured a ton of offense, and a minimal amount of defense. The Jaguars may have come away victorious, but the play of Jimmy Garoppolo will grab the headlines from this one. With Tom Brady comfortably on the sidelines, the Patriots' second-string quarterback picked apart a porous Jacksonville secondary. The 25-year-old signal caller connected on 22 of his 28 passes, and was able to find the open man in the end zone on two separate occasions.

Garoppolo wasn't the only backup quarterback to shine in this contest, however, as former Dolphin Chad Henne exploited a disoriented New England secondary. Patriots defense back Cyrus Jones—selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft—had a night he'd soon like to forget. The former Alabama standout surrendered two big plays to Jaguar receivers, including a 97-yard touchdown reception by Keelan Cole.

The Patriots return to action next Saturday when they visit Houston to face the Texans. For more coverage from last night's game, you can visit Pats Pulpit.

Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills

Final Result: Vikings win 17-10

Unlike the Patriots versus Jaguars, the game between the Bills and Vikings featured two offenses that struggled with timing throughout the night. With LeSean McCoy a healthy scratch, Buffalo auditioned two backup running backs in his absence. Jonathan Williams and Mike Tolbert had four carries apiece, and combined for 66 yards on the ground. Williams was the most productive of the two, racking up 12 more yards than Tolbert.

Outside of Sammy Watkins appearing to be in midseason form, the rest of the Bills' passing attack looked disjointed. T.J. Yates couldn't find his rhythm after starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor left the game, and was sacked twice to pour salt on his already underwhelming performance.

A late turnover by Minnesota's Taylor Heinicke almost gave the Bills a chance to tie the game, but Buffalo was unable to capitalize in the final two minutes.

The Bills return to action on August 17, when they travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles. You can read more about Buffalo's loss to Minnesota by visiting Buffalo Rumblings.

The New York Jets were the only AFC East team that didn't play on Thursday night, as they are preparing to host the Tennessee Titans on Saturday.