Archives for September 18, 2017

'And even Newton admitted, “Sean has an unbelievable defense … very stout up front … guys in the secondary that can make plays and will make plays. (McDermott) knows things that can ruffle the (offensive) line’s feathers. But, at the end of the day, it was nothing that we weren’t prepared for.”'

'The Bills’ offense was a mess against the Panthers’ talented and aggressive defense. The Bills had just 176 yards of offense in the game and couldn’t sustain drives throughout the day. It was the third lowest offensive output since their Week 1 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in 2016 that helped get offensive coordinator Greg Roman fired. The Bills had issues all across the board on offense in this one.'

'"It's very tough, especially because of the guys in this locker room who I play my heart out for and I absolutely love," Jones said while dressed in grey Bills sweats. "It's just really difficult right now."'

'"I wasn't frustrated," Newton said. "It wasn't anything he did to frustrate me. These were self-inflicted frustration things. Sean McDermott has an unbelievable defense. Very stout up front. Guys in the secondary that can make plays and will make plays. Hell, you've got guys in the secondary that were with us all last year, so anytime you're with a person multiple years, six years to be exact, he knows things that can ruffle the feathers. But at the end of the day, there was nothing that we weren't prepared for."'

'"You saw it today," Tolbert said. "We're a damn good football team. The Panthers are a damn good football team. When you look at the game that was played, it was played in defense and field position. Both defenses played great. Offensively, we just have to get going a little bit more."'

'Tyrod Taylor couldn’t get into a rhythm on Sunday. He averaged just 4.1 air yards per completed pass against the Panthers. Until the final drive, Taylor didn’t attempt many deep passes and he finished the game 17-of-25 passing for 125 yards. He had a chance to win the game at the end, but the final drive camp up short. His 55 rushing yards led the team, but he was also sacked three times for 18 yards. Overall, this was not one of his better games.'

'Despite his stat line, Pro Football Focus (PFF) had Taylor has the Bills' highest graded offensive player following the Panthers game. PFF gave Taylor an 80.1 grade. The analytics site noted that Taylor was actually pretty good when he wasn't facing pressure.'

'Johnson knows a thing or two about tough drops. The wide receiver is well-known for dropping what would have been a game-winning touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010.'

'WHY ARE THERE SO MANY BUFFALO BILLS FANS HERE???!'

'That combo in Sunday’s game for the Bills went exactly how the script had it written for the season overall. Against a strong defense, the offense sputtered. Against a questionable offense, the defense thrived.'

'Jordan Poyer is the man: It’s almost incredible how Poyer has played in the first two games of the season. Signed this offseason to play safety despite not holding a starter’s role prior to joining the Bills. Poyer had a sack and 11 total tackles. The safety added three passes defended as well, including on in the end zone to keep Carolina touchdown-less during the game. Possibly one of the most underestimated free agency signings in recent history by the team.'

'Part of the problem was the offensive line. It also seemed the Bills could've benefited from a third capable running back. It's nice to have LeSean McCoy, one of the game's great running backs, and Mike Tolbert, a bruising fullback. But the Bills need a Mike Gillislee-type change-of-pace runner. They don't have that right now. Jonathan Williams could've filled that role.'

'Jones appeared to run the route properly. Taylor, though, was late in firing, and also threw it too far. The rookie made an admirable attempt to stop in his tracks, jump backward toward the goal line, stretch high and try to snare it, all split-seconds apart. The ball bounced off his hands, incomplete.'

'Cam Newton was 20 of 32 for 228 yards but was sacked six times by Sean McDermott's defense. McDermott was Panthers defensive coordinator for the previous six seasons before taking over as head coach of the Bills earlier this year.'

'Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw incomplete to rookie receiver Zay Jones, who was open at the Carolina 2 on fourth down with nine seconds left.'