‘Still only 28, and in his physical prime, some of the former Virginia Tech star’s numbers are compelling. In 45 games with Buffalo, he had an impressive 51-19 touchdown-to-interception ratio. But critics argue that his reluctance to throw over the middle, or down the field, mitigated those numbers. And, each season, his TD pass totals have dropped from 20, to 17, to 14 this year. Worse, Tyrod’s main weapon, his legs, were the least productive in his three seasons, 454 yards, compared to 568 and 580 his first two years.’
Archives for January 13, 2018
Bills do the expected by firing Rick Dennison
‘The offense was a disaster during the 2017 season. It ranked 29th overall in the NFL and 31st in passing. Thanks mainly to the remarkable talent of LeSean McCoy, the team ranked sixth in rushing, though it slipped from its No. 1 perch of the previous two seasons. The Bills also scored a mere 28 offensive touchdowns after generating 40 in 2016.’
Five times OC Rick Dennison made Bills fans scratch their heads
‘Against Jacksonville in last Sunday’s AFC wild-card game, the Bills made a puzzling decision at the end of the first half. With a first-and-goal at the Jaguars’ 1-yard line, Taylor threw a fade route intended for receiver Kelvin Benjamin. The pass was incomplete, and Benjamin was penalized for offensive pass interference.’
How Tyrod Taylor performed under each offensive coordinator
‘Roman is seen as the coordinator most willing to adjust to Taylor’s strengths, while Dennison is lowest in that regard. Those sentiments are reflected in the numbers above, which show Taylor played best under the direction of Roman. The Bills seemed to make a concerted effort to force Taylor into more a of traditional pocket-passer role in 2017, which is not Taylor’s game.’
Sully’s Mailbag: Bills wise to unload Dennison
‘Dennison wasn’t Sean McDermott’s first or second choice when he took the Bills job last January. It was understandable. Dennison had been a figurehead OC under Gary Kubiak at Houston and Denver. It became clear this season that he didn’t possess original or inventive ideas about running an NFL offense.’
Health benefits: Bills, playoff teams low on injury list
‘The Bills lost a combined total of 39 games by starters to injuries in 2017. That ranked tied for ninth fewest in the NFL, according to roster analysis by The News. The league average was 54 games by starters lost to injury.’
Bills seem destined to revamp linebacking corps
‘After Milano, question marks abound.’
Jim Kelly’s prayers are answered with his daughter’s wedding
‘The wedding dance was one of the things he prayed for when the Hall of Fame quarterback was battling cancer, and he’ll get the chance Saturday, when Erin and her fiance, Parker Bean, are married.’
Bills announce firing of offensive coordinator Rick Dennison
‘While it was true that Dennison didn’t exactly hold a strong hand in Buffalo, given that his quarterback was the maddeningly inconsistent Tyrod Taylor, and his wide receiving corps was among the least-talented in the league. Still, Dennison confounded many this season with some of his play-calling and personnel usage, and he never found his groove.’
Bills have some tough calls to make on several players this offseason
‘Assuming Taylor is gone, Glenn becomes the biggest 2018 cap hit at $14.4 million. If they cut him after June 1, they’d have to eat $4.7 million in dead cap this year and another $6.4 million in 2019, so that hurts big-time. However, the savings on the 2018 cap would be $9.7 million. Glenn has not been healthy for two years, and he may have already passed his prime. Now that Dawkins has proven he can play left tackle, now might be the time to move on from Glenn.’
Some highs and lows from season in which Bills ended their playoff drought
‘Best rookie: Hands down, Tre’Davious White. He probably should have earned a Pro Bowl berth as he made four interceptions, broke up 18 passes, and by midseason was being asked to cover the opponents’ best receivers. In the playoff game, he didn’t allow a single completion into his coverage area.’
Buffalo Bills fire offensive coordinator Rick Dennison
‘Buffalo’s offense was quite the disappointment in 2017. The Bills ranked No. 29 in yards per game, 26 in first downs per game and 22 in points per game. The Bills still ranked as a top 10 rushing offense but were No. 31 in the league in passing offense. To make matters worse, the Bills’ offense held the team back down the stretch. In Buffalo’s final seven games of the season, including a 10-3 playoff loss to the Jaguars, the offense managed just one second half touchdown. That was Kyle Williams’ rushing touchdown in the second half against the Dolphins in Week 17.’
Mike McCoy among 14 best candidates for Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator vacancy
‘This coordinator search is a crucial one, because it’s likely the Bills will be drafting a quarterback come April. So who will the Bills trust with their young signal caller? Here’s a roundup of names on the market, ranging from the realistic options to those that are a bit outside the box.’
Buffalo Bills offseason 2018: 10 items for Brandon Beane, Sean McDermott’s to-do list
‘The Bills have a need at defensive tackle whether they bring back Kyle Williams or not. Still, they need to know whether Williams will return for his age-35 season or if he’s going to call it a career. Defensive tackle is one of the weakest positions on the Bills’ roster, so even an aging Williams would be a boost to the 2018 depth chart.’
NFL free agents 2018: 50 players who are potential fits with Buffalo Bills
‘Who are some potential fits? After looking at this year’s free agents, the following list was compiled. It’s important to note that this isn’t a top 50 list. Le’Veon Bell, for example, didn’t make the cut as Buffalo already has plenty of money invested in LeSean McCoy. Sammy Watkins also didn’t make the cut as a reunion seems doubtful after the current regime sent him packing.’