26CornerBlitz

The Detroit Lions and head coach Matt Patricia curated a gameplan that forced QB Josh Allen to play from the pocket. They limited his ability to extend plays outside of the pocket and really forced him to ‘play QB.’ The rookie answered by doing just that. Allen rarely pulled the ball down too early or looked to escape the pocket. Instead, he trusted his offensive line, he trusted the scheme, and he let the game come to him. His showing in the 14-13 win was very promising, so we jumped into the film room to break down some of his play from the Week 15 matchup. Intro 1:43-Spacing Concept to Robert Foster 6:53-Spacing Concept to Zay Jones 14:51-Air Raid Mesh/Flood concept to Robert Foster 22:35-3x1Josh Allen rushing touchdown 28:48-Empty set Deep V route by Robert Foster 35:04-Mills Concept to Deonte Thompson drop 44:24-Cross Concept to Isaiah McKenzie 51:55-Deep over TD to Robert Foster 57:56-Wrap up

NFL TV Viewership Up 9 Percent for Week 15 The NFL continued to see improved television viewership in Week 15. Overall viewership for the eight broadcast windows — Thursday night on FOX and NFL Network, two Saturday games on NFL Network, two games Sunday afternoon on CBS, one game Sunday afternoon on FOX, Sunday night on NBC and Monday night on ESPN — were up 9 percent compared to the same broadcast windows in 2017, via Sports Media Watch. The most-watched game of the week was Patriots-Steelers on CBS, which drew 24.57 million viewers. That was actually down from last year, when CBS also showed Patriots-Steelers and drew 26.883 million viewers. But that decline was offset by double-digit increases for FOX and for CBS’s early Sunday game, and by the huge increase for ESPN on Monday night. The NFL’s ratings have rebounded this season after two years of declines, and in a year when many of the other staples of broadcast television have seen audience decline, that’s good news for the league.

Boomer Esiason and Phil Simms Week 16 Preview: Bills vs. Patriots (1:08) Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason break down the upcoming matchup between the Bills and Patriots Game Preview: Bills at Patriots (4:06) Brady Quinn and Pete Prisco preview the Bills-Patriots Week 16 matchup

Week 16: Patriots - Bills Injury Report The New England Patriots (9-5) and the Buffalo Bills (5-9) announce the following injuries and practice participation. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2018 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-5) DID NOT PARTICIPATE No Players Listed. LIMITED PARTICIPATION LB Brandon King - Knee FULL PARTICIPATION No Players Listed. BUFFALO BILLS (5-9) DID NOT PARTICIPATE CB Ryan Lewis - Concussion DT Kyle Williams - Back LIMITED PARTICIPATION FB Patrick DiMarco - Ankle K Stephen Hauschka - Right Hip RB Chris Ivory - Shoulder RB LeSean McCoy - Hamstring WR Isaiah McKenzie - Ankle DE Trent Murphy - Chest TE Logan Thomas - Hamstring LB Corey Thompson - Ankle FULL PARTICIPATION No Players Listed. Bold indicates a change from the previous day's report. PRACTICE PARTICIPATION Did Not Participate in Practice Limited Participation = Less than 100% of a player’s normal repetitions Full Participation = 100% of a player’s normal repetitions GAME STATUS DEFINITIONS: Out = Player will not play Doubtful = Unlikely to play Questionable = Uncertain as to whether the player will play Presser Points – Belichick: Bills a ‘lot different team’ this time around Wrap Up 12/19: Gilmore Honored by Pro Bowl recognition “Bill [Belichick] called me, told me, ‘Congrats… Get ready for work this week." @BumpNrunGilm0re talks Pro Bowl recognition & preparing for the Bills: Press Pass: A Different Looking Buffalo Bills Team (0:53) Jason McCourty and Matthew Slater reflect on facing the Bills for the second time this season and how they have improved throughout the season. Transcripts: Patrick Chung and James White Press Conferences 12/19 James White 12/19: 'They're going to make us work for every yard' (3:40) Patriots Running Back James White addresses the media during his press conference at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, December 19, 2018. Patrick Chung on Josh Allen: 'We have to do our best to contain him' (1:40) Patrick Chung addresses the media at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, December 19, 2018.

White on Blue is my least favorite Bills' uniform combo.

Sunday, December 23, 2018 - 1:00PM Buffalo Bills 0 vs. New England Patriots 0 at Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, MA Head To Head for: Buffalo vs New England

$3.85M cleared from the cap AFAIK.

McDermott's Wednesday Media Day Presser at 11:20 AM ET today followed by practice at 12:30 PM. After practice Josh Allen will meet with the media at the podium with other players being available for locker room interviews. Will post live Twitter and Facebook presser links as they become available: Buffalo Bills Video Live

Subscription required for full access: During Josh Allen’s pre-draft process, quarterbacks coach Jordan Palmer wanted to show scouts and organizations that Allen not only had a strong arm, but also one that had “layers” to it. The former player-turned-trainer was vocal in his belief that Allen could throw every type of pass a QB needs to in order to be successful at the NFL level. All of the work Palmer put in with Allen came to fruition, as the Bills took him seventh overall in the NFL Draft. While the criticisms of Allen as a one dimensional passer have persisted into the regular season, his performance against the Lions on Sunday spoke loud and clear. In Allen’s fourth game back since injuring his elbow, he looked the most comfortable in the pocket that we have seen all season. That was mainly due to the Lions’ game plan to make him “play quarterback” rather than let him play outside the structure of the play. Rather than blitz the rookie, which they did just four times Sunday, the Lions executed muddle rushes where their defensive ends didn’t go any deeper than Allen’s drop. They also executed very few stunts and routinely assigned a spy, all to discourage Allen from taking off and hurting them with his legs. Detroit’s strategy was similar to what teams would use to defend Michael Vick in his prime. When I turned on the film, I came away impressed with Allen’s game. He displayed the “layers” of throws that Palmer helped him harness.

News Blitz: Brady, Gilmore to Pro Bowl

What about another apology for this one?

The team we see today isn't close to the team we'll see in '19 and beyond. In the end, it's not anything to draw upon one way or the other.