‘The reality is, the one-sided win came against a flawed team, albeit on the road in a short week.’
Archives for November 26, 2021
Jason Wolf: Bills’ Dawson Knox shines as miscues abound in lopsided victory vs. Saints
‘The Bills, playing against a backup quarterback for the fifth time in 11 games and facing a team missing its top two running backs, led by 10 points at halftime and 24-0 at the end of the third quarter. But there was little to feel good about outside of the scoreboard and Knox’s dominant performance.’
Observations: Tre’Davious White’s injury looms large after Bills’ big win
‘Against Trevor Siemian, the Bills were able to get by. Against teams with actual starting quarterbacks, they might not. White is on a very short list of players the Bills could least afford to lose. If he’s out for a significant amount of time, the defense might be in big trouble. Jackson has played well in his brief time on the field, but White is an All-Pro for a reason.’
Bills defense back to the physicality they expect in routing of Saints
‘The Bills allowed just 44 rushing yards, their lowest of the season. They did so without defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, who missed a third game while on the Reserve/Covid list. The Saints were of course without standout backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram II. Even so, the Bills held them to just 1.8 yards per carry, the lowest by a Bills opponent with 25 or more attempts since 2003.’
With two Diggs brothers playing on Thanksgiving, mom opts for Trevon and Cowboys
‘“She’s used to it. She likes traveling and that sort of thing,” he said. “My mom worked for a very long time. So this is the fun stuff that she likes – bouncing around city to city, to see new places and travel. So I think this is a nice life.”’
Bills coach: Penalty should have been called for Saints’ low hit on Josh Allen
‘”I know we had the one penalty on the quarterback. I thought they should be called for one, quite honestly, on Josh,” McDermott said. “I’m really frustrated that that doesn’t get called. That’s clear – clear as day to see that. I just want to protect my quarterback.”‘
Plays that shaped the game: Misdirection helps Bills burn veteran Saints secondary
‘That was the misdirection that got a one-on-one situation. Knox ran in motion at the snap in the other direction, to the left, and caught a pass in the left flat at the 7. Gabriel Davis was in the left slot and shielded his man, P.J. Williams. That left Williams as the only tackler in Knox’s way. He was late to the scene and barely got a hand on the Bills’ tight end.’
Quarter-by-quarter analysis: Bills vs. Saints
‘Finally: Defensive tackle Ed Oliver has been so close so many times to a sack this season. A number have been negated by penalties on his teammates. It finally came against the Saints, with Oliver and Efe Obada combining for a four-yard sack. It brought up third-and-18.’
Report Card: Special teams, defense earn ‘A’ grades for Bills after blowout win
‘Quarterback Josh Allen took on a more active role, carrying eight times for 43 yards. That helped the Bills to a team total of 113 yards on 32 carries. Devin Singletary led the way with 15 carries for 44 yards. Although he averaged just 2.9 yards per rush, Singletary had a couple of impressive runs in the second half, gaining 15 yards on one of them to set up the Bills with a first-and-goal. The Bills picked up nine first downs on the ground. Matt Breida was involved early, carrying four times on the opening possession. He finished with nine carries for 26 yards. It could be a while before Zack Moss gets back in the lineup.’
Orchard Park doesn’t want its marriage to the Buffalo Bills to end
‘”The Patriots are there in Foxborough, everybody knows that,” Keem said, referring to the Bills’ hated rival in New England. “People nationally know Orchard Park from the football broadcast.”‘
Instant reactions: Bills’ defense dominates in lopsided bounce back win over Saints
‘What transpired in the second quarter was borderline ridiculous. The offensive line was so bad that Josh Allen could not function. It’s amazing that the Bills were able to get a field goal from Tyler Bass early in that quarter. Of course, they only had to drive 38 yards because Mario Addison came up with a huge fourth-down stop near midfield.’
Bills report card: Buffalo feasts on New Orleans in Thanksgiving blowout
‘McDermott has had to do this a couple times now, getting his team back on track after an egregious loss, and he’s 2-for-2 following the Jacksonville and Indianapolis games. And this time he had to do it on a short holiday week on the road. That’s impressive. One thing I didn’t like was his wasted timeout in the fourth quarter when all he was doing was trying to draw the Saints offside before punting.’
Bills win big over Saints: Ed Oliver feasts on Thanksgiving; Dawson Knox is TD machine (7 observations)
‘Despite a pair of turnovers, Allen was able to generate big plays with his arm and his legs. The first interception was a bad decision. He thought he had Stefon Diggs and didn’t get the ball out quick enough. It looked like he knew it was a mistake but had already committed to the throw. Bradley Roby stepped in front of Diggs and picked it off. The second was a bad breakdown on the offensive line and Allen’s arm was hit by a defender. Allen finished with three touchdown passes and a quarterback rating over 100 for just the second time in his last four games.’
Buffalo Bills march over Saints in blowout win on Thanksgiving (Encouraged/worried)
‘Buffalo signed Dawkins to be their franchise left tackle but his up and down play this season has left much to be desired.’
Buffalo Bills run defense earns A+ in dominant win over Saints (Week 12 report card)
‘It’s too early to give up on the Singletary/Breida backfield, but their first game together since Week 1 didn’t completely shut the door on Zack Moss getting another opportunity this season. Once Jon Feliciano and Spencer Brown get back on the field, it will be interesting to see if Singletary and Breida can take their games to the next level.’