‘So it was in the Bills’ 30-23 win Sunday. The Raiders, a bit banged up in the defensive backfield, were loathe to blitz Josh Allen. The Raiders rushed five men or more on only five of Allen’s 35 dropbacks. Allen was 4 of 5 for 41 yards against the blitz. A heavy dose of blitzing probably would not have been a great idea, given the matchup the Raiders were facing against the Bills’ dynamic receiving corps. Nevertheless, against the four-man rush, Allen had time in the pocket to pick apart the Raiders DBs.’
Archives for October 2020
No positive Covid tests Monday with Titans, but game against Bills remains in jeopardy
‘There were no positive tests Monday, according to ESPN. That opens the door for the Titans to potentially return to their practice facility Wednesday, because NFL protocols require them to go two consecutive days with no positives before reopening.’
Jim Kubiak: You can see Josh Allen’s growth every game. Here’s the Raiders edition
‘Using a combination of smart check downs, important throwaways and great arm talent, Allen showed his continued growth as an NFL quarterback.’
CBS’ Archuleta shines in game with a magic trick, a bachelor party and a graphic mistake
‘Archuleta once again illustrated that he is one of the most underrated NFL analysts. He easily belongs in the top three of CBS analysts behind Tony Romo and perhaps newcomer Charles Davis. (I haven’t heard of enough of Davis at CBS yet.)’
The Bills and Josh Allen are on a roll. Will Titans’ COVID outbreak pause the momentum?
‘I do, however, believe in routine and – with a nod to Sean McDermott – process. You get into a rhythm during a season and football teams, in particular, balk when that routine and rhythm and process is altered. It’s one of the reasons why everyone hates playing Thursday night games.’
Bills fans’ karma, Titans game and Daboll’s play calls
‘The Bills, a quarter of the way into this season, have used an unexpectedly potent offense to drag a disappointing defense into a place among the NFL’s elite teams.’
Bills’ Levi Wallace, Matt Milano considered week-to-week after injuries vs. Raiders
‘Cornerback Levi Wallace went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter and linebacker Matt Milano suffered a pectoral injury late in the game. Both are considered week-to-week, according to coach Sean McDermott.’
Tony Romo: ‘Bills are for real. Josh Allen is for real’
‘During the special CBS Monday Night Football broadcast of Kansas City Chiefs (4-0) vs. New England Patriots (2-2), announcers Jim Nance and Romo made it a point to shout out the Buffalo Bills (4-0), who now have a two-game lead in the AFC East.’
Brasky: Josh Allen has changed his game, become one of NFL’s elite passers
‘Through four games, Allen’s statistics rank near the top of the league in every major passing category. Behind only Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott, Allen is second in the NFL in passing yards with 1,326 and is also second in passing touchdowns with 12, trailing only Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, who has thrown 16 through four weeks. In terms of QB Rating, Allen is third in the NFL with an 87.1 rating, as league leaders Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers are tied for the league lead in QBR with a rating of 91.7.’
Column: Bills, exuberant upstarts, are the 2020 Padres of the NFL
‘Can the Bills finally overcome a Patriots franchise that has owned the AFC East forever? Will the Padres this week knock off a Dodgers club that won an eighth National League West title in eight years?’
Bills D Finally Makes A Stand In Sealing Win Over Raiders
‘The defense made sure Allen didn’t need to make a third comeback by shutting the door after the Raiders cut the lead to 17-16 with a field goal to cap their opening drive of the third quarter. The field goal ended a run in which Buffalo allowed scoring drives on eight of nine possessions going back to the second half of a 35-32 win over the Rams, in which Los Angeles scored 29 consecutive points in the second half before allowing a late touchdown.’
Magical Start Continues As Buffalo Bills Move To 4-0 For First Time Since 2008
‘That Buffalo team in 2008 shouldn’t be exactly the team you want to emulate. That season, the Bills fell apart after that hot start. They moved to 5-1 before suffering a 2-8 stretch to finish the season. Their record of 7-9 was not good enough to make the playoffs, so nothing is assured for these Bills at the quarter pole.’
Matt Milano, Levi Wallace out week-to-week
‘Wallace injured his ankle on the Raiders’ first offensive series and was replaced by Josh Norman, who made his Bills’ debut after being on injured reserve for the first three weeks of the season with an injured hamstring.’
Rapoport: Bills are ‘absolutely’ a top-five team in the NFL
‘“Absolutely,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said Monday on The DA Show. “Absolutely I [think they are]. Yesterday was good. I thought that was a nice, tough win yesterday. I don’t quite know what the Raiders are yet. They feel kind of like a 7-9, maybe 8-8 team. We’ll see, but that’s kind of what they feel like. So it was a totally fine, good win.”’
Opinion: One giant leap for Josh Allen
‘Thanks, in large part, to the guy pulling the trigger, the Bills now have an offense that will give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares. The Bills are now the team where the opponent talks about needing to shorten the game against them, keep their offense off the field, and how field goals won’t be enough to beat them. Basically all the things we would say about other explosive offenses over the years.’