Archives for October 29, 2020

Josh Allen among NFL’s elite in interception rate since reckless loss to Patriots in 2019

‘Allen had 18 interceptions in his first 16 career games, including that loss to the Patriots. He has seven interceptions in 18 games since, not counting last year’s meaningless regular-season finale against the New York Jets, when the Bills’ playoff seeding had been determined and Allen, along with many starters, played sparingly.’

Column: The time has come for Bills to finally bury the Patriots

‘These aren’t the Patriots that turned your hopeful Bills dreams into nightmares all these years. Bill Belichick might still resemble the grim reaper, but even The Hoodie is a whole lot less daunting with Brady having taken his big-play act to Tampa Bay.’

Voice of the Fan: Patriots aren’t the low-flying Jets, so Bills need to soar from start

‘The Bills were woefully unprepared for two nationally televised prime-time games against Tennessee and Kansas City, and promptly scared the snot out of their fans again, this time against far inferior competition.’

Jerry Hughes is thriving for Bills, thanks to maturity and a continued passion to excel

‘“Jerry’s been playing well, he really has,” said McDermott. “He finally got to reap the fruits of his labor and got the production with it. Very good effort, very good discipline, consistency throughout the game, attention to detail, and then he capped the game off at the end.”’

Bill Belichick: Bills’ Josh Allen has improved in this area

‘“I think that Josh [Allen] does a good job of going to some of the secondary outlet receivers based on the coverage, where that takes him and if it’s open he’ll throw it for sure, and if it isn’t then he’s, I would say, not as quick to pull the ball down to run,” said Belichick. “He finds secondary receivers and outlets and check downs and that kind of thing. Now, he’s still a dangerous runner – I’m not saying that. He can run and he does run, but I think he’s become more patient and just does a better job of dealing with outlet receivers in the coverage or secondary receivers in the pattern than he did. As he gained experience, I think that’s to be expected of any good quarterback like that. So, he can certainly make all the throws. He’s got a great arm and he can run, he’s athletic, he’s hard to tackle. But, I’d say his overall execution in the passing game has improved each of the last three years.”’

Bills’ John Brown practices in full Wednesday ahead of Patriots game

‘“I think the vertical presence that he has – the speed and the quickness that he has – he’s able to run some really good in-breaking routes,” Allen said. “He’s another matchup that you have to focus on. You can’t just play man to man and roll somebody to (Stefon Diggs). You got to worry backside what John’s doing too.”’

Dontari Poe: Why Buffalo Bills should sign former Cowboys DT

‘One of the biggest problems the Bills d-line has had through seven games is the team’s inability to adequately replace Star Lotulelei, who opted out before the start of the season. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo played defensive tackle Ed Oliver at nose tackle for about 70 percent of his snaps. Oliver is undersized as a three technique and really doesn’t belong over the center in the NFL. The Bills need a big one technique DT that can take on double teams and eat up space, and that player is just not on the current roster.’

What Bills coach Sean McDermott learned about Cam Newton in six seasons in Carolina

‘”He’s a good player, we have a lot of respect for him, and he’s a former MVP of the league for a reason,” McDermott said Wednesday when asked if he’s identified anything that has led to Newton’s recent struggles. “We know full well what he’s capable of.”’

Bill Belichick explains Bills QB Josh Allen’s giant leap this season

‘“I think he does a better job of going to his second or third reads; not as quick to pull the ball down and run, although he will do that,” Belichick said. “He has a good feel of when to stay in the pocket and … I think he’s less apt to just start running around. More patient, more confident to stay in the pocket and go to the second guy, go to the third guy, come back to the checkdown; like any quarterback who’s gained two or three years of experience.’

How Cam Newton made a fan out of Bills coach Sean McDermott

‘“Cam and I, our relationship goes back a long time, and he’s a real joy to be around,” McDermott told reporters. “A real pleasure of a young man, just in terms of the way he handles himself with all the attention he’s gotten over the years. He was always very respectful of me and very kind to me and my family, and I’ll never forget that.”‘

Patriots view Bills as the team to beat in AFC East

‘“They’re first in the division. We’re 2-4. I definitely wouldn’t call us the team to beat this year,” McCourty said on Wednesday. “It doesn’t matter what happened here in the past… Right now, we’d be crazy to think coming into the game thinking we’re the team to beat. They’re No. 1. This is going to be a huge challenge for us – on the road, the top team. We really have to bring our ‘A game’ coming off three straight losses. I think for us, our backs are against the wall. We know we have to go out there and play well.”’

Bills QB Josh Allen now looks legit, and Patriots coaches have noticed: ‘Like tackling a running back’

‘“He’s less apt to just start running around and more patient, more confident to stay in the pocket and go to the second guy, go to the third guy, come back to the checkdown. Like any quarterback who’s games two or three years of experience, that’s just a common progression and he’s done a good job of that.”’

How Cam Newton Left Lasting Impression On Bills Coach Sean McDermott

‘“Cam and I, our relationship goes back a long time, and he’s a real joy to be around, a real pleasure of a young man just in terms of the way he handles himself with all the attention he’s gotten over the years. He was always very respectful of me and very kind to me and my family, and I’ll never forget that. I’ll always remember that, and I think my young kids will, as well.”’

Bills Offense Has Gone Cold, But Patriots Defense Will Still Have Hands Full In Week 8

‘“He’s had a big impact,” Belichick said of Diggs. “He’s really become the go-to guy for them. He’s made a lot of big plays. He’s an excellent receiver, gets good separation, very good hands, really attacks the ball, catches in a crowd, takes the ball away from defenders. He’s done that multiple times. He’s made big plays down the field, catch and run plays in a red area. He’s an excellent player.”’

Thursday’s New England Coverage

09/08	CARDINALS	1:00 PM
09/12	@ Dolphins	8:15 PM
09/23	JAGUARS	7:30 PM
09/29	@ Ravens	8:20 PM
10/06	@ Texans	1:00 PM
10/14	@ Jets	8:15 PM
10/20	TITANS	1:00 PM
10/27	@ Seahawks	4:05 PM
11/03	DOLPHINS	1:00 PM
11/10	@ Colts	1:00 PM
11/17	CHIEFS	4:25 PM
12/01	49ERS	8:20 PM
12/08	@ Rams	4:25 PM
12/15	@ Lions	4:25 PM
12/22	PATRIOTS	1:00 PM
12/29	JETS	1:00 PM
01/05	@ Patriots	TBD

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
				1	2	3
4	5	6	7	8	9	10
11	12	13	14	15	16	17
18	19	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31