Two Bills Drive

'McDermott stuck true to his philosophy of rotating players on the defensive line, as both Eddie Yarbrough and Ryan Davis saw their playing time increase from Week One. The heat in Carolina certainly could have been a factor. Ditto for the lopsided time of possession in favor of Carolina in the first half.'

'McCoy’s 9 yards rushing represent his fourth-lowest total in any game of his career, and his fewest in a game since his 2009 rookie campaign. This marked the first game in his career in which he had at least 10 rushing attempts, but was held to fewer than 10 yards.'

'Yarbrough was an undrafted free agent and, at 24 years old, is on his second NFL team. In college, he was a highly productive pass-rusher. At Wyoming, he registered 39.5 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks in his four-year career. While he was buried on a talented pass-rushing unit in Denver before coming to Buffalo, Yarbrough has the requisite athleticism to become a useful edge-defender in the NFL.'

'As the Bills marched down the field while trailing 9-3, this flag dealt a crushing blew to their chances to win the game late. It was a questionable call at the very least, as Holmes did not seem to extend his arms – he and the Carolina cornerback simply got slightly tangled at the top of the comeback route. Also, the flag was thrown noticeably late. It came on a 10-yard gain that would've set up Buffalo in a first and 10 situation on the Panthers' 22-yard line with 0:53 seconds remaining. Instead, the Bills had the ball at their opponent's 32-yard line and faced first and 20.'

'So when Bills receiver Zay Jones found himself in a similar position Sunday, failing to catch a fourth-down pass from Tyrod Taylor in the final minute (although the pass was a little overthrown and the Bills still would've needed to punch it into the end zone with nine seconds left), Johnson wasted no time offering encouragement to the rookie.'

'“If you were at this game live, I’m sorry,” Bleacher Report’s Richard Janvrin wrote. “This could be the case all season for the Bills: No offense but a solid defense.”'

'DE Jerry Hughes: Let's talk about that spin move Hughes put on Matt Kalil. That deserves its own wing in the Albright-Knox. Hughes was an absolute beast, finishing with six tackles and two sacks that went for a total loss of 24 yards. Is there anyone happier to be back in a 4-3 scheme? Even when he didn't get the sack, Hughes harassed Cam Newton. The website Pro Football Focus credited him with four quarterback hurries.'

'If you thought Tyrod Taylor had trouble moving the ball against Carolina, just wait for next Sunday. The Broncos owned the NFL’s best defense in each of the last two seasons, according to the analytics website Football Outsiders. They ranked fourth last season in total yards allowed and first against the pass (185.8 yards per game), which is why the unit is nicknamed the “No Fly Zone,” thanks in large part to the cornerback duo of Talib and Chris Harris. Then there’s Von Miller, who ranks second in the NFL in sacks since entering the league in 2011, trailing only J.J. Watt. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips did leave for the Rams after coach Gary Kubiak retired from coaching this offseason, but the Broncos promoted from within, elevating secondary coach Joe Wood.'

'The game had a 36.1 rating on WIVB-TV (Channel 4), the local CBS affiliate. It peaked at a 43.0 in the final minutes when the Bills were driving for a potential winning touchdown that never happened.'

'The show began with a review of the prior game, and it was underlined that fans should appreciate the quality of the Carolina Panthers defense to stymie the Bills' offense. Donald Jones in particular highlighted surprise that the Bills attempted to base their run game into the teeth of the Panthers' strongest aspect – the defensive tackles. Audio from postgame was heard throughout the show, as well as a great explanation by Donald Jones on the corner route on fourth down.'

'We knew the 2017 Bills were going to be improved on defense (one TD allowed in the first two games), and the only question was going to be could the offense hold up its end of the bargain? We were given some evidence Sunday on how that might play out. The defense will keep the Bills in most games, and the offense, sadly, probably won’t be able to take advantage.'

'“No, Tyrod is our starter,’’ McDermott said. To be clear, Taylor is your starter? “Yes, clarity, Taylor’s the guy. Not making a change,’’ McDermott said.'

'The only team ranked below the Bills were the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a promising Week 1, the Jaguars were blown out by the Tennessee Titans.'

'"I have complete confidence in him," Dennison said. "I thought he did some good things even though he did some bad things. He did some good things. He managed the team when things weren't going well but kept us in the game. Some people might have gone south. He kept us all rolling. Had to make some plays with his feet when things weren't there. And he's coachable. You tell him to do something, he'll do it right. He'll fix it."'

'The Bills only went up 7 percent in value, according to Forbes. The franchise is worth $1.6 billion, and the biggest factor holding the team back might be the lack of a new stadium. Forbes estimated that the Falcons’ new stadium increased the franchise’s value by 19 percent.'