‘Whether it’s through a subtle shift in philosophy or a necessity brought on by the reality of the salary cap, the end result is the same: First-year players are contributing to the Bills’ 7-2 start. That was true against the Dolphins, starting with running back Ray Davis. The team’s fourth-round draft choice out of Kentucky, Davis rushed four times for 20 yards and added two catches for 70 yards, including a 63-yard score in the third quarter that put the Bills up 20-13 after fellow rookie Keon Coleman’s two-point conversion catch.’
Archives for November 5, 2024
Mack Hollins’ playing time shoots up for Bills in Amari Cooper’s absence
‘Hollins played 45 offensive snaps during the Bills’ 30-27 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium. That was 68% of the offensive total. He responded with five catches on five targets for 30 yards and one touchdown.’
Position grades: Vanilla was flavor of day as Bobby Babich protected deep vs. Miami
‘The Bills played with two safeties deep on 41 of 59 plays – 69% of the snaps, per News charting. The light box defense didn’t work well vs. the run. Miami gained 100 yards on 16 carries vs. two-high coverage looks, an average of 6.25 yards per carry. The Bills were inviting Miami to run the ball and throw short underneath.’
Joe Brady watch: Josh Allen passed well with big personnel on field
‘Offensive coordinator Joe Brady used big personnel more than the three-receiver set in the win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The Bills went with 11 personnel (three wideouts) on 29 plays. They used multiple tight ends and/or an extra offensive lineman on 30 plays. Josh Allen was 11 of 16 passing for 136 yards out of big personnel.’
Video of Bills fan told to cover his Trump shirt at Sunday’s game goes viral
‘But the Town of Tonawanda resident insists he never would have worn the shirt if he had known the Bills don’t let fans wear items with political messages. “I wasn’t going there to start trouble,” he said in an interview Monday.’
Alan Pergament: Kevin Harlan shows he’s ‘got it’ at end of Bills win; Trent Green ‘was money’ throughout
‘The golden throat of CBS play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan found just the right words after Tyler Bass’ record 61-yard field goal with 5 seconds left in the game gave the Bills the victory. Harlan’s enthusiasm on key plays is exceeded by few play-by-play announcers.’
Bills may be without key WR vs Colts, defensive lineman placed on IR: Injury updates
‘The Bills were already without wide receiver Amari Cooper due to a wrist injury as he was inactive for the game, and it’s unknown how serious that is, or whether he can return for the Colts game. The same held true for Christian Benford who sat out with a wrist injury.’
The Bills look to keep rolling on the road: What to know about their Week 10 matchup
‘Still, for the Colts’ offense to hum, it needs to be effective on the ground. That was certainly the case when Richardson was playing, and it remains so with Flacco under center. The Colts were not able to get Jonathan Taylor rolling against the Vikings (13 carries, 48 yards) and he’ll need to be much better against a Bills defense that plays the pass well, but is not at all strong against the run. The Bills allow the seventh-worst yards per run average (4.8) and have given up 35 runs of at least 10 yards, fifth-most in the NFL. Offensive balance will be imperative for the Colts, and Taylor is the key to that.’
Buffalo Bills pass rusher needs surgery, going on IR after wrist injury vs. Dolphins
‘After signing as a free agent in the offseason, Smoot has played in seven games (four starts) in his first season with the Bills. He played his first seven seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and quickly found an important role on Buffalo’s defense.’
Bills PFF Week 9 grades: Buffalo posts elite pass blocking grade in win over Dolphins
‘Buffalo’s offensive line did a great job of keeping Josh Allen upright on Sunday. Allen was hit three times in the win and sacked just once on his 39 pass attempts. In the past, Allen has evaded much contact using his athleticism. This season, however, the offensive line has done a fantastic job of blocking and PFF recognized the unit for their play on Sunday. Buffalo’s pass blocking received a grade of 91.8 in their overall grades for the week.’
Buffalo Bills fan upset when security says he can’t wear Trump shirt at game (video)
‘A clip shared by the Erie County GOP on X (formerly Twitter) shows a security guard telling an unidentified fan sitting in the front row at Highmark Stadium that political clothing is not allowed. The man appears to be wearing a shirt that says “Trump 2024″ with the slogan “Keep America First” underneath a Rolling Stones hoodie.’
Upon Further Review: Normally impatient Dolphins nearly piece together Bills puzzle
‘Miami’s 149 yards rushing marked the fifth consecutive time it has surpassed 100 yards against the Bills and the Dolphins have lost all those games. In fact, the one time Mike McDaniel’s Dolphins have defeated the Bills since he became head coach was when they ran for 41 yards in 2022. That’s because, despite averaging 5.6 yards per carry in those losses, there has always been a moment when McDaniel gets skittish, feels the pressure and gets away from the run. Though quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has hit 250 yards passing and threw six interceptions once in those games.’
Bills defying preseason projections by once again asserting themselves as class of AFC East
‘The answers should become clearer over a six-week stretch — including a bye week — before the Bills close with two meetings against New England and another against the Jets. With one win against an opponent entering Week 10 with a winning record (Arizona), and losses at Baltimore (6-3) and Houston (6-3), Buffalo enters the meat of its schedule.’
NFL fan’s Trump T-shirt leads to confrontation with security at Bills-Dolphins game
‘The incident was seen in a video shared by the Erie County GOP. It appeared one man was concerned about the Trump supporter’s T-shirt while he was sitting in the first row of the stadium. “It’s an NFL policy he cannot wear his Trump shirt in the first row of a game,” a man in the video can be heard saying to a security guard right below the fence separating the field from the seats.’
NFL flexes Week 11 schedule: Chiefs vs. Bills to air nationally as standalone CBS game after changes to ‘SNF’
‘One of the most exciting games over the next few weeks is between the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills. The NFL flexed the Cincinnati Bengals-Los Angeles Chargers game to “Sunday Night Football” that same week, meaning CBS will have a standalone national game in Week 11.’