Archives for November 3, 2017

‘Thursday night’s Bills also had no semblance of a run game, allowed seven sacks and were penalized 11 times. That was not the efficient bunch that had people talking seriously about the end of a 17-year playoff drought.’

‘”That wasn’t us,” guard Richie Incognito said after the O-line gave up seven sacks. “That wasn’t us from start to finish. That wasn’t us. That wasn’t what we’re building. That isn’t our vision. We just move on. We came down here on a short week and played hard and didn’t get the win. So we regroup and then go back home.”‘

‘Thursday night’s loss hurts because the gap between 6-2 and 5-3 very well might be the gap between playoffs and an 18th straight season without.’

‘”We’re not going to panic,” McCoy said. “We lost a division game. It’s tough for us. We’re 5-3. If we go get a win next week, we’re 6-3, and everybody is still applauding us. But this is good for us, some humble pie. A lot of people were doubting us before we started winning games. Then they started patting us on the back and telling us how good we are. You saw what happened tonight.”‘

‘You can change coaches and change players. This team still does not know how to handle good fortune. So much of what coach Sean McDermott had put together in terms of a team being smart and efficient, a team having the right character traits to avoid such a pants-splitting performance, became undone before a national television audience.’

‘That’s a version of the Buffalo Bills we haven’t seen this year – and fans surely don’t want to see again. The Bills were undisciplined, unprepared and flat-out manhandled in every conceivable fashion by a Jets team that is less talented.’

‘”He only had a small amount of time to get up to speed,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said after the 34-21 loss. “The guys that did play put in the time during the week. We want to do things the right way as far as that goes.”‘

‘The Jets, who entered the game with 11 sacks on the season, took down Tyrod Taylor seven times.’

‘New York frequently played a condensed defensive front, with a nose tackle over the Bills’ center and the two defensive ends over the outside shoulder of the guards. Normally the Jets defensive ends are a little wider, head-up over the offensive tackle (a 5-technique position). The Jets’ 3-4 ends are studs. Leonard Williams was the sixth pick in the 2015 draft. Muhammad Wilkerson was a first-round pick in 2011.’

‘Woof. Missed tackles. Wide-open running lanes. You name it, the Bills provided it. The low point looked like it came in the third quarter, when safety Jordan Poyer and cornerback Tre’Davious White blew tackles on back-to-back plays, allowing the Jets to score the touchdown that basically sealed their win. That wasn’t it, though. The true low point came early in the fourth quarter, when the Jets took over at Buffalo’s 5-yard line and were able to basically waltz right through the middle of the defense for a touchdown. That looked like a team that simply quit.’

‘The fourth quarter was mostly a formality after Tyrod Taylor got crushed and fumbled deep in Bills territory with 11:36 remaining. Matt Forte scored on the Jets’ first play to make it 31-7. The Bills scored two garbage-time touchdowns to close the gap and recovered their first onside kick since 2011, but the outcome was never in doubt.’

‘The Jets took firm control of the game with two touchdowns that pushed their lead to 24-7. Their second scoring drive of the quarter was a back-breaker, going 61 yards to the end zone in just two plays. Bilal Powell started it off by gashing the defense for a 51-yard run down to the 10, and Matt Forte rumbled into the end zone on the next play. Their 164 rushing yards through three quarters were already the most the Bills had given up all season.’

‘Video showed Jets cornerback Buster Skrine appearing to stick out his leg to trip Jones after Jones had beat him on an out-and-up route. Jones landed awkwardly as he tried to catch his balance, seeming to hyperextend his right knee. He writhed on the turf before being helped off the field, but remained on the Bills bench for the rest of the quarter.’

‘The offense started especially slow, going 12 yards backward on its first possession and stalling after five plays on the second. The third drive was moving into Jets’ territory as the quarter expired.’