Archives for October 2017

'With Clay missing time the team is down to O’Leary, Logan Thomas, and Khari Lee at tight end. They may have to make a roster move to add another player to the position. The Bills have a bye week coming up before taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home in two weeks.'

'Considering how little the Bills are really getting out of their running game it almost blows my mind that they have a 3-2 record. Getting more out of their passing game is going to be even more challenging with Clay hurt. I’m fresh out of ideas to jump start their passing game. The best I think you can hope for is what you got last week in Atlanta, when the Bills didn’t exactly impress through the air but found their way to a couple of big throws down the field to Clay. Those plays were nowhere to be found against the Bengals, maybe in large part because Clay left the game so early.'

'The head coach was unsure if Clay’s injury would be season ending adding he hadn’t met with team doctors yet.'

'“Charles underwent a (knee) scope this morning and he’ll be out multiple weeks,” said head coach Sean McDermott.'

'“I knew around that time of the game it was time for a play. Me personally I thought I started slow. I told the coaches I have to play better,” Tate said. “I made a play, but just came up short today.”'

'Through five games, quarterback Tyrod Taylor has had only 24 completions for 316 yards — an average of 13 yards per reception — to his wide receivers with a mere four TDs and that won’t get it done in a pass-happy league.'

'The crowd of 52,367 at the 65,535-seat stadium appeared to be considerably less than the announced turnout.'

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'The Bengals tried, repeatedly, to give them a second road win in a row and the Bills simply refused to take it.'

'“Just trying to take what the defense was giving us,” coach Sean McDermott said when asked after the game whether there was a concerted effort to keep Taylor in the pocket. “We’ve got to take a hard look at the film and learn from it as coaches, as players, and use it to our advantage moving forward.”'

'The receivers were the problem. The Bills' wideouts are a marginal group to begin with, perhaps the worst in the NFL. They were further compromised with Jordan Matthews injured. And when their top receiver, Charles Clay, went out with a knee injury in the first quarter, they were in deep trouble, indeed.'

'Since the NFL started tracking targets in 1992, the lowest percentage of passes to Bills wideouts happened in 2011, when they fielded a roster with the likes of Stevie Johnson, David Nelson, Donald Jones, Naaman Roosevelt, Derek Hagan and Ruvell Martin.'

'They were hearing all sorts of national and local media types (like this type) praising them for a 3-1 start and having the look of a contender. The Bills' defense, which had three takeaways, definitely gives them that look. Their offense? Abysmal.'

'Credibility damage: After grabbing the NFL's attention with last week's victory at Atlanta, prompting many (including me) to call them a contender, the Bills turned right around and laid a big egg against a bad opponent. You can say the Bills were too banged up to succeed, especially after their best offensive weapon, tight end Charles Clay, left the game early with a knee injury. But the Bengals had three turnovers – more than enough for the Bills to come out on top even after Tyrod Taylor's ugly fourth-quarter interception. They couldn't. Now, the Bills, at 3-2, are tied for first in the AFC East with the New England Patriots and New York Jets.'

'But too many times, Taylor took the sack. Too many times, he didn’t feel the pressure behind him. Too many times, he made the wrong call in the pocket.'