Archives for October 2017

'There are a handful of players the Bills simply cannot afford to lose this season. Tight end Charles Clay is on that list, but unfortunately for the Bills, that’s what happened. Clay suffered a left knee injury late in the first quarter after being tackled by Bengals safety Shawn Williams at the end of a 24-yard gain. If Clay’s injury is long term — and seeing him carted off wasn’t a good sign — the Bills will be down to Nick O’Leary, Logan Thomas and little-used Khari Lee at tight end. That’s trouble.'

'If Clay’s absence is long term – McDermott said after the game that “it’s still under evaluation” – the Bills will be down to O’Leary, Logan Thomas and Khari Lee at the position.'

'Who’s going to catch passes? Top wide receiver Jordan Matthews is expected to miss the next couple of weeks after having thumb surgery. If tight end Charles Clay, who suffered a knee injury Sunday, has to miss time, the Bills would be without 46 percent of their season receiving yards … just like they were in the second half against Cincinnati, when they gained 39 yards through the air. Zay Jones has the most yards of active wide receivers, with 66 in five games. Andre Holmes is second with 35. Is this a bad time to mention they really could’ve used Anquan Boldin?'

'What must Tyrod Taylor be thinking right now? How frustrated must he be that the team traded away Sammy Watkins and chose not to re-sign Robert Woods this offseason, sending him into a potential contract year with a group of receivers who look like they belong in the CFL right now? The Bills’ passing attack is painful to watch. Taylor completed three passes to wide receivers Sunday. After tight end Charles Clay went out, the Bills accomplished next to nothing through the air, save for a nice TD grab by Brandon Tate. That Tate is even in the game is a sign of just how dire things are at receiver right now.'

'Let's face it: Even with Jordan Matthews and Clay, the Bills' cast of receivers is among the bottom four in the NFL (with the Jets, Browns and 49ers) if not the worst in the league. Matthews is out indefinitely after thumb surgery.'

'The Bengals' six-time Pro Bowler got the better of the battle against the Bills' No. 1 draft choice. Green caught seven passes for 189 yards and a touchdown. He was targeted 13 times. One could argue the Bengals should have targeted him more, given the fact the Bills were without starting cornerback E.J. Gaines and then lost slot corner Leonard Johnson to a hamstring injury in the second quarter.'

'The Bengals' quarterback made a sharp, 20-yard throw to Green. Bills rookie Tre'Davious White was in tight coverage, but the pass and catch were too precise. Green added 29 yards of run after the catch to get to the Buffalo 4. Cincinnati scored on the next play to take a 17-13 lead, which held up the rest of the fourth quarter.'

'Part of that low total was their inability to convert on third down. The Bills were 6-for-18 on third down Sunday and were 4-for-13 in a loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.'

'That drive showcased the Bills' lack of offensive firepower and was emblematic of their disappointing day. The Bengals added a field goal later and Tyrod Taylor threw an interception on the Bills' following drive, dropping them to 3-2 at the bye week.'

'The Bills created turnovers on the Bengals' first two possessions of the third quarter, both at Green's expense. Jordan Poyer intercepted a pass that bounced straight off Green's hands on their first drive, and Lorenzo Alexander forced a fumble on the next drive, which Poyer recovered.'

'Hyde was able to haul in a tipped pass after Andy Dalton threw too high for A.J. Green. Hyde's fourth interception marked a new career high for him after logging eight in the last four years with the Packers.'

'The early 7-0 deficit marked the Bills' largest of the season. They answered with a 31-yard field goal with 10 seconds left in the quarter.'

'“Just keep working, keep working. That’s what you do. Keep working, you learn from the tape, and that’s what we’ve got to do. We’ve got to learn, and play better, and we’ve got to coach better. It’s what we do."'

'The Patriots, Jets and Bills tied atop the AFC East, just like we all predicted.'

'But an injury to top receiver Jordan Matthews and a heavy rainstorm during Sunday’s game didn’t make things any easier against the Bengals for Jones, who dropped another ball in the first half today.'