Buffalo Rumblings - Buffalo Bills vs. Atlanta Falcons, 2017 Week 4Buffalo Bills news, notes, discussions, opinions and analysis. 24/7/365 since 4/7/2007.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48063/buffalorumblings_fave.png2017-11-19T10:00:04-05:00http://www.buffalorumblings.com/rss/stream/161367972017-11-19T10:00:04-05:002017-11-19T10:00:04-05:00The Bills’ wins haven’t been against quality opponents
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<figcaption>Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Were they what we thought they were?</p> <p id="nOOLld">When the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> were 5-2 most of Bills Nation rejoiced, certain that a playoff berth was only a matter of time. A trip to New Jersey was supposed to lift the team to 6-2 and with <span>Drew Brees</span> being a dome QB, 7-2 was a real possibility. But then the offense didn’t show up against New Orleans while the defense has been missing in action since the last week in October. </p>
<p id="5kiefe">Whatever happened to the team that won five of the first seven games? General manager Brandon Beane has divested the team of <span>Marcell Dareus</span>, a former number 3 overall draft pick, but then Dareus never seemed to be a favorite of head coach Sean McDermott. Dareus’ percentage of snaps played was well below those of his tenures in the defenses under former head coaches Doug Marrone and Rex Ryan. The Bills brought wide receiver <span>Kelvin Benjamin</span> aboard but he has yet to make much of an impact. Was Buffalo’s early success largely illusory? </p>
<p id="ZwhwUp">Four of those five wins came against what Bills fans perceived to be good or even great teams. The fifth came against the lowly <a href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">Jets</a>, the same team that throttled Buffalo in a 34-21 beat down that was nowhere near as close as the final score suggested. How have those other four teams fared in the weeks since the Bills beat them?</p>
<p id="iXYcda">Buffalo beat Denver by 10 points. The <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Broncos</a> had an elite defense and, even with a QB situation little better than Buffalo’s, looked to be a factor in the playoff race. It may be surprising for Bills fans to learn that Denver has won exactly 1 game since losing to Buffalo, a win over Oakland in which <span>David Carr</span> was injured. Beating an EJ Manuel-led team isn’t much of an accomplishment, yet Denver dug an even deeper hole for itself by losing to a terrible <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">Giants</a> team. They went on to lose four more games (<a href="https://www.boltsfromtheblue.com/">Chargers</a>, <a href="https://www.arrowheadpride.com/">Chiefs</a>, <a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Eagles</a>, <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a>) after that one to land at 3-6. </p>
<p id="je6L5T"><em>Verdict: Denver wasn’t as good as we thought the team was, making the win less impressive in hindsight.</em></p>
<p id="e4v13K">After taking down Denver, the Bills traveled to Atlanta to face the NFC Championship-caliber <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Falcons</a>. Several key wide receiver injuries later, the Falcons weren’t flying all that high. The Bills got the benefit of the doubt on a defensive TD to help put the game away. Since losing to Buffalo, Atlanta lost to Miami, got stomped by New England, squeaked by the Jets, lost to Carolina, and pounded a perplexing Dallas team. The Falcons don’t look anywhere near as good at 5-4 as the team did at 3-0.</p>
<p id="55HLBc"><em>Verdict: Atlanta wasn’t as good as we thought the team was, making the win less impressive in hindsight.</em></p>
<p id="GKdJ0r">After losing to a terrible <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> team, the Bills beat the <a href="https://www.bucsnation.com/">Buccaneers</a> in Buffalo. Quarterback Jamies Winston was coming off a shoulder injury but still put up good numbers against a Bills secondary that couldn’t seem to keep an eye on all five receiving options at once. Tampa Bay went on to lose to Carolina and New Orleans before putting away the Jets to snap a five-game skid. Five-game skid?</p>
<p id="vU4BTf"><em>Verdict: Tampa Bay wasn’t as good as we thought the team was, making the win less impressive in hindsight.</em></p>
<p id="SvXTfa">Buffalo’s most recent win came against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders">Oakland Raiders</a>. The Raiders have, surprisingly, the 22nd-ranked offense. TV talking heads, such as <span>Rodney Harrison</span>, have begun to wonder aloud why David Carr is so highly thought of given the state of the Raiders. The team bounced back from the loss in Buffalo to squeak by the <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Dolphins</a> and get nearly back to .500 on the season. </p>
<p id="Ml179j"><em>Verdict: Oakland was closer to the team that had been losing games earlier in the season than the team that had won a shootout with the Chiefs the week before the Bills game, making the win about the same as it looks in hindsight. </em> </p>
<p id="qnCBBx">When viewed in hindsight, the wins the Bills team collected don’t tell us a great deal about the quality of Buffalo’s team as much as they tell us about the quality of the opponents. In short, the quality of the teams the Bills beat wasn’t what it seemed to be at the time. Denver and Atlanta both faced the Bills when they were unbeaten but have shown since then that they just aren’t that good in 2017. The Bills have 4 games remaining against teams that currently have more losses than wins (Chargers, <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a>, Dolphins, Dolphins) and 3 games against actual good teams (Chiefs, Patriots, Patriots). </p>
<p id="UESZRq">With only one non-division leading team (besides Buffalo) above water in the AFC, the Bills might be able to back into the playoffs at 9-7 this season. Of course, that would require the Bills to do what the team failed to do in spectacular fashion in New Jersey— consistently take care of business against weak teams. Any stumble will require the Bills do to something the team has yet to do under Sean McDermott: beat a good team.</p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/11/19/16674288/the-buffalo-bills-wins-havent-been-against-quality-opponentsRon From NM2017-10-20T11:00:06-04:002017-10-20T11:00:06-04:00Are the Bills’ signature wins really that special?
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<figcaption>Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The Broncos and Falcons were a combined 5-0 when the Bills beat them. They’re a combined 1-3 since.</p> <p id="DQApqC">Earlier this season, the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> pulled off consecutive wins over the then-undefeated <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Denver Broncos</a> (in Buffalo) and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> (in Atlanta), and there was much rejoicing. Those were two very impressive wins at the time. In the ensuing weeks, however, a little bit of the luster has come off those games, given the struggles of the teams they came against.</p>
<p id="oGPQw8">Since losing to the Bills, the Broncos beat the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/oakland-raiders">Oakland Raiders</a> by six points in a game finished by <span>EJ Manuel</span>, had their bye week, and came out with a loss to the previously-winless <a href="https://www.bigblueview.com/">New York Giants</a>.</p>
<p id="URmdUX">The Falcons also had their bye in Week 5, and also came back last week with a surprising loss to struggling opponent, in this case the <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Miami Dolphins</a>. Atlanta held a 17-0 halftime lead before allowing a team that had scored 22 points in the previous three games combined to put up 20 in the second half while the offense (with <span>Julio Jones</span>) failed to muster even a field goal.</p>
<p id="ibrQFa">Remember when the Bills beat the <a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Los Angeles Rams</a> last year? The Rams were riding a three-game winning streak and had one of the best defensive lines in the NFL. The Bills went into their stadium (to the extent that you could call the Coliseum “theirs”) and beat them handily, 30-19. It seemed impressive at the time, but over the next 12 weeks the number of changes they made at head coach and quarterback (two) outpaced the number of games they won (one).</p>
<p id="NZucrH">How about the year before, when the Bills hosted the potential Super Bowl-contending <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Indianapolis Colts</a>? <span>Tyrod Taylor</span>, in his first game with the Bills, outplayed former first-overall pick <span>Andrew Luck</span> and the Bills cruised to a 27-14 win that wasn’t even that close. It was pretty exciting until the hype train came off the rails in Indy. Luck missed eight games that year, but the Colts actually had a better record with <span>Matt Hasselbeck</span> at the helm (5-3) than they did with Luck (2-5), and they failed to make the playoffs in the worst division in football.</p>
<p id="03dOgo">It remains to be seen whether or not the Bills’ opponents will falter to that extent. The Broncos are in a tough division, but they still have one of the better defenses in the NFL. The Falcons might struggle in the second half against teams from the AFC East, but they have the reigning MVP, the best receiver in the NFL, and their best defender (<span>Vic Beasley</span>) should be returning to the lineup in the next couple weeks.</p>
<p id="0FyEOK">Still, it’s a little bit of necessary perspective. A team that looks strong in September might look mediocre (or worse) once December rolls around. What was once a signature win can devolve into a turning point, when we realized that the opponent has some serious shortcomings that they were able to hide over the first few weeks.</p>
<p id="WtwBAf">It’s something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks, especially if the Bills start having some trouble and you’re forced to question everything you thought you knew after Week 4.</p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/10/20/16507622/buffalo-bills-signature-wins-atlanta-falcons-denver-broncosJeff Hunter2017-10-10T12:00:01-04:002017-10-10T12:00:01-04:00Is Rick Dennison predictable on first down?
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<figcaption>Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Buffalo was actually pretty good on first down...</p> <p id="hUUue7">In the game thread for the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> game against the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a>, a number of comments indicated that the individuals posting them felt that offensive coordinator Rick Dennison was killing Buffalo’s offense by being far too predictable. That raised the question of whether or not it was an accurate assessment of Dennison’s ability to call a game.</p>
<p id="Jy0qKK">Against the <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a>, the Bills ran nine times on first down and Taylor scrambled twice. The Bills threw the ball four times at or near the line of scrimmage, didn’t use play action, and looked downfield four times. Discounting the scrambles, the Bills ran nine times and attempted to throw eight more. That’s about a 50-50 balance. However, four of the passes were at or near the line of scrimmage, which means the Bills weren’t trying to push the ball downfield on first downs (13 plays at or near the line, only 4 beyond). Even when the Bills did pass the ball on first downs in Carolina the attempts were in the 10-yard range. The Panthers’ excellent defense, currently third in the league, clamped down and the Bills went nowhere.</p>
<p id="lmzYYx">Against the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Broncos</a>, who currently lead the league in defense, the Bills ran 12 times on first downs and Taylor scrambled three times. There were three short pass attempts (screen, smoke, swing, check down), four pass attempts more than a couple of yards beyond the line of scrimmage, and a total of eight play-action passes. Twelve runs on first downs against fifteen pass attempts (scrambles included in the pass attempts) probably wasn’t what the Broncos were expecting even when three of the passes were effectively long handoffs. That puts the mark at 15 plays at the line of scrimmage and 12 five or more yards beyond it on 1st downs. Denver undoubtedly looked at the Carolina tape and Dennison took advantage by adding in a large number of play-action passes.</p>
<p id="Vgq22h">Against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a>, Dennison called a dozen runs on first downs. Taylor didn’t scramble on any of the 11 pass attempts, of which only one was at the line of scrimmage. He did include a heavy dose of play-action passes (8-of-11). Thirteen of 23 first down plays were at or near the line of scrimmage, bringing the ratio closer to 50-50. The result was that the Falcons, number 10 in defensive rankings currently, weren’t able to predict what Buffalo was going to do on first downs.</p>
<p id="BSah60">Against the Bengals, the Bills ran the ball on fourteen first downs and Taylor again didn’t scramble. The Bills had two long handoff attempts, including a drop by <span>Zay Jones</span> on a smoke route. The Bills dialed back the play-action attempts to five and threw the ball on seven more first downs. </p>
<p id="frzJFp">What does it all mean? </p>
<p id="MdXpNv">First, it’s no fun playing four of the league’s top 10 defenses in a month. (It does beg the question of whether it’s a chicken-or-the-egg issue: Did Buffalo struggle because they are good defenses or are they ranked highly because they got to play the Bills? Or are they good defenses made better by playing Buffalo?) Happily, the Bills don’t face a unit that is currently ranked in the top 10 defensively until the home game against Miami. </p>
<p id="EtwwPN">Second, Dennison seems to have made adjustments. After the Panthers loaded the box all game and crushed the offense, Dennison made heavy use of play action on first downs. He was giving the defense what it expected - a first down run or pass at the line of scrimmage - and then attempting to get the ball downfield. It worked against Denver and again against the Falcons. It didn’t succeed against the Bengals, an underrated team. Cincinnati had two weeks of film and Dennison did try to vary things with fewer play-action passes. </p>
<p id="59Cwwl">Third, Dennison is hamstrung by the limitations of the players he has to work with. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor hasn’t taken full advantage of the downfield targets made possible by the play-action passes. When Taylor has thrown the ball downfield in those situations, he hasn’t had much help from a pitiful receiver unit. Meanwhile, pass blocking from the offensive line has been less than stellar due in part to starting guys like <span>Jordan Mills</span> and occasionally scrubs like Vlad Ducasse for... reasons.</p>
<p id="AmHGHk">Finally, when the <a href="https://www.bucsnation.com/">Tampa Bay Buccaneers</a> line up to face the Bills they can be fairly certain that Buffalo will either run or pretend to run most of the time (68%) on first downs. Guessing run will allow whoever it is the Bills are fielding at wide receiver in two weeks plenty of opportunity to get separation as the linebackers are drawn up to the line of scrimmage. When that happens, will Taylor let the ball go quickly? Will it be caught on those plays that he does? The answers to those questions look like they will have more bearing on the outcome of the game than Dennison’s first down play selection. </p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/10/10/16449560/buffalo-bills-offensive-coordinator-rick-dennison-predictable-on-first-down-tyrod-taylorRon From NM2017-10-06T14:00:04-04:002017-10-06T14:00:04-04:00X’s and O’s: The tight end throwback
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<figcaption>Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>This big pass to Charles Clay was the result of a layered play design</p> <p id="gDmDtL">In the preseason, we broke down four key concepts from <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> offensive coordinator Rick Dennison’s playbook: <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/7/14/15972098/buffalo-bills-offensive-coordinator-rick-dennisons-playbook-outside-zone-running-lesean-mccoy">Outside zone running</a>, <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/7/21/16011086/buffalo-bills-offensive-coordinator-rick-dennisons-playbook-inside-zone-running-lesean-mccoy">Inside zone running</a>, <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/7/31/16071632/buffalo-bills-offensive-coordinator-rick-dennisons-playbook-texas-passing-tyrod-taylor">Texas</a>, <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/8/8/16107214/buffalo-bills-offensive-coordinator-rick-dennisons-playbook-drive-passing-anquan-boldin-tyrod-taylor">Flanker Drive</a>. The season has borne out what we expected to see from Dennison - following the blueprints used by <span>Mike Shanahan</span> and <span>Gary Kubiak</span>, he’s calling a run-heavy West Coast Offense. The offense relies heavily on personnel groupings that feature tight ends and fullbacks, and it uses play action and bootlegs for misdirection.</p>
<p id="8rj3Jh">Earlier this year, it seemed like Tyrod Taylor was struggling to run Dennison’s offense, especially the quick passing concepts that came off of three step drops. To his credit, though, Dennison has made adjustments every week to the playbook, adding power runs, more deep drops, and more rollouts, in order to make Buffalo’s offensive personnel more comfortable.</p>
<p id="uqul6g">Against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a>, the Bills spent most of the first half scoreless. Trailing 3-0 in the second quarter, they suddenly delivered a huge play when Tyrod Taylor found <span>Charles Clay</span> on a tight end throwback deep in Atlanta territory. What made that play work? Let’s dig into the X’s and O’s to break down the concepts. There’s a lot going on.</p>
<h3 id="9N5acQ">The tight end throwback, diagrammed</h3>
<p id="nPjiYG">Let’s look at the way we’ve drawn the play up. This playcall is a real mouthful: “Near Left Fake 18 HO QB Naked Left Comeback Deep Cross Y Throwback.”</p>
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<figcaption>The tight end throwback play Rick Dennison called on Sunday.</figcaption>
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<h4 id="DL46gV">Near Left</h4>
<p id="xUDI5n">In the near formation, the fullback lines up on the weak side of the formation behind the tackle. There are two receivers, a tight end, and a running back. The QB is under center with the halfback behind him, and the tight end is on the line of scrimmage. <span>Charles Clay</span> is lined up on the left side of the ball, making Left the strength of the formation.</p>
<h4 id="JRp2mu">Fake 18 HO</h4>
<p id="mMdlqA">This is the first half of the protection call. The offensive line is going to block as if the playcall were “18 handoff” (an outside zone run to the right side), but this is going to be a playfake. One thing that’s noteworthy about this play as the Bills ran it: There were actually two fakes - first an inside handoff to fullback <span>Patrick DiMarco</span>, then a possible handoff or pitch to <span>LeSean McCoy</span> running to the outside.</p>
<h4 id="rWZ9jH">QB Naked Left</h4>
<p id="gSs34X">The second half of the protection; the quarterback is going to make a “naked bootleg” to the left side of the ball. This has him roll out to the left side after faking the handoff. The term “naked” means that he won’t expect any protection in space on that side - the whole line is going to block to the right to completely sell the run action.</p>
<h4 id="7TCh0Z">Comeback</h4>
<p id="hfDYmd">The first read for this play is the deep comeback to the Z receiver, <span>Jordan Matthews</span>. If the receiver is in off-coverage, the hope is that he has room to come back to the ball for a first down. If the defense is in Cover 2, and bringing a safety over the top, the goal is to fit the ball in between the defenders.</p>
<h4 id="liqM24">Deep Cross</h4>
<p id="Zs7bbq">The second read is <span>Zay Jones</span> running a deep crossing route. As this route comes across the field, it puts stress on any cornerbacks following in man coverage, and it has natural inflection points between zone defenders where a pass could be placed.</p>
<h4 id="KXpzfz">Y Throwback</h4>
<p id="zVLbs3">This is a combination route for the backside of the play. The actual route structure is a shallow cross followed by a wheel route. The tight end begins by feigning a block, then jogs about three yards deep against the flow of the other receivers. He then starts a wheel route, turning upfield toward the sidelines. With the running back now sitting in the flat, this would create a high-low stress point on defenders even if they did account for the tight end. In the best case, he gets lost in traffic and is wide open.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="wivXjO">
<p id="su43Rw">On this play, the quarterback reads from left to right. Ideally, the comeback opens up in front of him for a first down. If that’s not open, he progresses to the crossing route, which should come open as it works across the middle. If neither of those options are appealing, or if the quarterback notices the defense sleeping, he can turn and throw back against the flow of the play to his tight end. Tight end throwbacks are extremely potent changeups that work well against NFL defenses, though they require your quarterback to manage the oncoming pass rush.</p>
<p id="V5ebVS">What do I love about this play? The layers of complexity that go into this design:</p>
<ul>
<li id="0I1xgm">This play begins with not one, but two run fakes. The linebackers have to decide - do we attack the inside gaps, flow outside, or do we stay back in case of a pass?</li>
<li id="7W9YY3">Rolling out the quarterback gives him great sightlines and space to run if the defense is caught in man coverage. Imagine if the tight end were being covered by a safety in a Cover-1 look. With the Z receiver running 15 yards deep, it’s just Tyrod Taylor versus a defensive end in a wide-open space.</li>
<li id="CMt78T">This play has two crossers running in opposite directions. That stresses the defenders horizontally (foundation of the west coast), forcing them to choose one or lose speed changing direction.</li>
<li id="HJQagT">After the running back runs to the outside, he has two linemen in front of him. The Bills could use this design to open up a screen play. The <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Cleveland Browns</a> ran a screen play following play action against the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> for a ten yard gain last week.</li>
<li id="sXjLY1">The halfback’s presence encourages the defenders to stay shallow, which opens up space for the tight end to work.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="lwRH8P">Let’s watch the play</h3>
<p id="yU2mk0">Here’s the play, in animated GIF form. You may need to tap on the image to set it in motion.</p>
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<img alt="Near Left Fake 18 HO QB Naked Left Comeback Deep Cross Y Throwback, diagrammed." data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nUbKxizfa17m5vGsW-OigeI8zas=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9407435/throwback_2.gif">
<figcaption>The defense uses five defenders to cover the left side of the field, making a large hole for Charles Clay to run into.</figcaption>
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<p id="3QM3An"><span>Tyrod Taylor</span> takes the snap and fakes to Patrick DiMarco, then to LeSean McCoy. He rolls to the left side, but sees that Jordan Matthews is tightly covered by the cornerback. He also sees more defenders dropping into zone coverage, essentially triple covering Zay Jones. The free safety has also shaded to that side of the field.</p>
<p id="QMhDba">Pass rushers are starting to come close as the protection breaks apart. Taylor runs back to the other side, spies Charles Clay running downfield, and throws a perfectly-placed deep ball. The presence of LeSean McCoy, with blockers in front, confuses safety <span>Keanu Neal</span> just enough to get him out of position for covering Clay’s wheel route.</p>
<p id="Uuu7Fb">Here’s how the play turned out on Sunday:</p>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">All22 view of the big play to Clay. Falcons so worried about the deep over, Clay gets behind the flat defender and the throw is <a href="https://t.co/0PQNeLpUVy">pic.twitter.com/0PQNeLpUVy</a></p>— YardsPerPass (@YardsPerPass) <a href="https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass/status/915953957503213568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2017</a>
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https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/10/6/16437612/rick-dennisons-buffalo-bills-playbook-tight-end-throwback-charles-clay-tyrod-taylorDan Lavoie2017-10-06T08:00:01-04:002017-10-06T08:00:01-04:00Video Analysis: Hyde-ing in plain sight
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<img alt="NFL: Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/DrMSUB8pEJLZfdImuHOq1tmifXo=/0x0:5208x3472/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57028615/usa_today_10321489.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>When skill and luck combine.</p> <p id="fai0qA">The <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> are off to a 3-1 start, surprising many in Western NY. This start has come mainly due to the strength of their defense, which some also might consider surprising due to the fact that in the past couple of years the Bills have had more success on the offensive side of the football. What this says about the past coaching staff, might be best left unsaid for now. </p>
<p id="eIyAl7">However, what I do want to talk about today is what has been powering the Bills strong defense, and that is turnovers. In total, the Bills defense forced three turnovers and scored a defensive touchdown against the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a>. One man was responsible for two of those turnovers himself. That man is safety Micah Hyde. Hyde came over to the Bills from the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Packers</a> as a free agent signing. What is interesting about Hyde is that the Packers used him a variety of ways, including slot corner and both safety positions. The Bills however, have tended to use him most playing deep at free safety. Of course, this isn’t to say that Hyde hasn’t been used elsewhere, just that he has been more of a deep safety here in Buffalo versus when he was with Green Bay.</p>
<p id="xC9ZDR">Now that we have our background on Hyde, let’s take a look at his two interceptions. The first play is a called “shot play.” What this means is that Atlanta was looking for a big play, it is max protection, with seven guys staying in to block along with the opposite side tight end coming across to help sell the split-zone play action. In this situation a very common play call is a deep post along with a deep dig from the opposite side, to try to high/low the safety. The Falcons run something very similar but instead of the deep dig, the WR stops in the middle and then works himself back to the sideline. The Bills are in a basic cover-3 coverage here, with safety <span>Jordan Poyer</span> as the eigth man in the box and Hyde in deep centerfield.</p>
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<p id="8Pz3il">When you watch the play, notice the linebackers come up hard on the play-action fake, but once they realize it is a pass, they do a great job dropping back and finding receivers to cover. When Gabriel runs the post, the defensive backs switch off the coverage like they are supposed to and it is one-on-one with Hyde and the speedy receiver. Being one of the fastest WRs in the league, Gabriel actually starts to step on Hyde and if Ryan throws the ball 65 yards he might have a touchdown here, but Ryan can only manage to get the ball about 57 yards which makes it a jump ball situation. If this was <span>Julio Jones</span>, it might not be as bad of a situation, but Hyde has a good 4-inch height advantage and does a great job attacking the ball at its highest point and coming down with the interception in a four point game. </p>
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<p lang="sv" dir="ltr">Hyde INT#1 <a href="https://t.co/vOaeCwyrb8">pic.twitter.com/vOaeCwyrb8</a></p>— YardsPerPass (@YardsPerPass) <a href="https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass/status/915933549748015104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2017</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Go up and get it young man <a href="https://t.co/5Co9ZzerkW">pic.twitter.com/5Co9ZzerkW</a></p>— YardsPerPass (@YardsPerPass) <a href="https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass/status/914921792040521729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2017</a>
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<p id="ahM4y2">The second of Hyde’s two interceptions takes place on 3rd and 17 with the Bills up 20-17 and under 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter. The Falcons have “11” personnel on the field with one tight end and one running back, but have everyone spread out wide. At the bottom of the picture, you can see linebacker <span>Matt Milano</span> lined up over running back <span>Devonta Freeman</span>, and if you look at the alignments/shades of all of the other defenders you can a pretty good indication that this is man coverage. The Bills also show a late rotation to a 2-deep look, which Ryan seems to notice judging by his throw choice. </p>
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<p id="bIlyVx">When looking at the play you can see Johnson playing excellent trail coverage. The coverage is 2-man, so he knows that he has help over the top, so he can be aggressive and challenge anything underneath. Also by being underneath the receiver any type of throw by Ryan will need to have a bit more air under it to get it to the receiver. </p>
<div id="McTTH0">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hyde INT #2. Ryan really trying to thread the needle, WR wasn't open <a href="https://t.co/T15ddaCbWI">pic.twitter.com/T15ddaCbWI</a></p>— YardsPerPass (@YardsPerPass) <a href="https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass/status/915937805422886912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="d84SGa">I included this screenshot because I thought it was amazing that Ryan would attempt this throw. Granted it was 3rd and 17, and his team was down 3, but there is absolutely nowhere to throw this football.</p>
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<p id="nSNWER">The EZ view is here, I am not sure that it is physically possible to get the ball in there, the coverage is perfect. Finally, great credit to Hyde for breaking on the ball. The Bills have tended to play their safeties a bit deeper, so being able to make up that ground and make a play is a huge deal.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">EZ view of Hyde's 2nd INT, great example of trail coverage w/ safety help over the top <a href="https://t.co/rk0w4ZGMAX">pic.twitter.com/rk0w4ZGMAX</a></p>— YardsPerPass (@YardsPerPass) <a href="https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass/status/915949860637077505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2017</a>
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<p id="sZND9s">As we all know, Hyde’s interception led to a field goal, which forced the Falcons to have to go for a touchdown instead of a tying field goal on their final drive. The Bills formula for winning this year is stellar defense, forcing turnovers, and not hurting yourself on offense. The <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> game is a good example of what happens if the offense struggles and you do not get turnovers. But if the offense can move the ball a little more, and the defense continues its top-tier play, a certain eight-letter word that Jim Mora made famous might be in play.</p>
<p id="tyr9Fb">BONUS GIF!</p>
<p id="24C8ow">Just had to include this one so everyone could watch again, one of Tyrod Taylor’s best throws as a Bill. Especially because <span>Charles Clay</span> isn’t either of the main options for the play.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">All22 view of the big play to Clay. Falcons so worried about the deep over, Clay gets behind the flat defender and the throw is <a href="https://t.co/0PQNeLpUVy">pic.twitter.com/0PQNeLpUVy</a></p>— YardsPerPass (@YardsPerPass) <a href="https://twitter.com/YardsPerPass/status/915953957503213568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2017</a>
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https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/10/6/16429206/buffalo-bills-video-analysis-micah-hyde-intercepts-matt-ryan-twice-atlanta-falconsJon Ramsey2017-10-05T17:30:01-04:002017-10-05T17:30:01-04:00Bills league leaders: Hyde tied for tops in interceptions
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<img alt="NFL: Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/JzKEhJKnm4rHVKnC3PtlrtJcRwc=/0x0:4592x3061/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57022739/usa_today_10321755.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The free-agent pickup is one of two players with three picks.</p> <p id="OVJYwg">Here’s our weekly look at where individual <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> players moved on the league leaderboards after their 23-17 upset win over the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a>.</p>
<h2 id="Nrokpj">Passing</h2>
<p id="5UQoMD">Another week, another drop in the rankings for <span>Tyrod Taylor</span> in passing yards. Taylor now sits at 28th in total passing yards, remaining in the company of guys like <span>Blake Bortles</span> and Case Keenum. His yard-per-attempt of 7.5, however, does put him in a more respectable 10th place among quarterbacks with more than 40 attempts on the year. He’s tied for 20th in touchdown passes with five, making him one of seven quarterbacks with at least five touchdowns and no more than one interception.</p>
<p id="zRbqgh">Taylor is completing 65.7% of his passes, good for 13th in the NFL. That’s helped him post a quarterback rating of 100.7 so far in 2017, which ties him for seventh with Aaron Rodgers. That’s some good company to be in.</p>
<h2 id="Qfb0ZB">Rushing</h2>
<p id="ZArTuO"><span>LeSean McCoy</span> had a merely average outing after two sub-par performances, doing well enough to move to 16th in the NFL with 216 rushing yards. Only Jonathan Stewart of the <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Panthers</a> (230) has more rushing yards this year without a touchdown.</p>
<p id="kNPOlh"><span>Mike Tolbert</span> surpassed Taylor as the team’s second-leading rusher last week, as he’s now at 42nd in the NFL with 119 yards on the ground. Taylor is only one yard behind, which ties him for 43rd with <span>Chris Ivory</span> of the <a href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">Jets</a>. His 118 yards is third among quarterbacks, behind <span>Russell Wilson</span> (138) and <span>Deshaun Watson</span> (148).</p>
<h2 id="HhLUg5">Receiving</h2>
<p id="0E3GEI"><span>Jordan Matthews</span> left the win over the Falcons with a thumb injury that will cost him at least the next three games, and as a result he lost the team lead in receiving yards to Charles Clay. Clay’s big day through the air (112 yards) ties him with <span>Mike Evans</span> for 25th in the NFL and is good for fourth among tight ends behind <span>Travis Kelce</span> (255), <span>Rob Gronkowski</span> (318), and <span>Zach Ertz</span> (326). His two touchdown receptions ties him with <span>Andre Holmes</span> for the team lead and is part of a sea of players at 7th in the NFL.</p>
<p id="t6zFPB">For all of McCoy’s issues on the ground, he continues to pace the Bills in receptions with 21, tied for 16th in the NFL. Among running backs, he still ranks behind <span>Tarik Cohen</span> (24) and is now also behind <span>Christian McCaffrey</span> and <span>James White</span> (both 22). Clay’s 18 catches ties him for sixth among tight ends and 33rd among all players.</p>
<h3 id="InqNTR">Defense</h3>
<p id="T036Wa"><span>Ramon Humber</span> continues to lead the Bills in tackles with 37, tied for sixth in the NFL. Unfortunately, he’ll also be missing a handful of games after undergoing hand surgery, so he likely won’t finish among the league leaders there. Next up on the tackle list is <span>Preston Brown</span>, whose 30 ties him for 21st in the league.</p>
<p id="1hLrPN"><span>Jerry Hughes</span> was credited with a sack on the controversial forced fumble that led to Tre’Davious White’s touchdown, giving him the team lead outright with three sacks. That ties him with a handful of players for 13th in the NFL.</p>
<p id="226bq3"><span>Micah Hyde</span> had a big day in picking off <span>Matt Ryan</span> twice to help seal with win in Atlanta. He now has three interceptions on the year, tied with <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a> rookie <span>Malik Hooker</span> for most in the NFL.</p>
<h2 id="Kn7UKm">Special Teams</h2>
<p id="F2fP8x"><span>Stephen Hauschka</span> is on fire, and he’s now tied with <span>Matt Prater</span> for the NFL lead in 50+-yard field goals with four. (Prater’s have come on five attempts, while Hauschka is a perfect 4-for-4.) He’s tied for 11th in field goals of any distance, and his team-high 31 points is tied for 15th in the NFL.</p>
<p id="EbQKqL"><span>Colton Schmidt</span> nudged himself up both the gross and net punting leaderboards, moving from 17th to a tie for 15th in the former (46.1 yards per punt) and from 24th to a tie for 23rd in the latter (40.4). He is tied for fifth in the league with seven punts that led to a fair catch, which is the result of both a strong coverage team and good hangtime.</p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/10/5/16430450/buffalo-bills-league-leaders-micah-hyde-jerry-hughes-tyrod-taylorJeff Hunter2017-10-05T13:00:03-04:002017-10-05T13:00:03-04:00Bills D allowing three points fewer than 30 other teams
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<img alt="Buffalo Bills v Atlanta Falcons" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wshMqx4ildDCC5MM9NGn7ooILfU=/3x0:2594x1727/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57014771/856380184.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Only one team is within three points of Buffalo’s league-low 13.5 points allowed per game</p> <p id="cnGO4U">The <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> moved to 3-1 with an upset win over the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> last Sunday. Where did the team move in the league rankings?</p>
<h2 id="MRLmyB">Offense</h2>
<p id="xxfsxs">Passing: 171.5 (31, last week 29)<br>Rushing: 112.8 (16, last week 12)<br>Total: 284.2 (29, last week 26)<br>Scoring: 18.2 (23, last week 25)<br>Turnovers: 1 (t-2, last week t-2)<br>Third down conversion rate: 40.6% (13, last week 15)</p>
<p id="5WPzKH">As hype continues to build around the 2017 Bills, the numbers you see above are what keep it from reaching a full-blown hysteria. Only the <a href="https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/">Ravens</a>, <a href="https://www.stampedeblue.com/">Colts</a>, and <a href="https://www.thephinsider.com/">Dolphins</a> are averaging fewer yards per game than the Bills, and two of those teams have had their primary starting quarterback sidelined by injury all season. Most notably, the top rushing team in the NFL over the last two seasons now ranks right in the middle of the pack, owing largely to a monster ground game in the season-opening win over the <a href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">Jets</a>.</p>
<p id="Aj7gLM">That said, they’ve been extremely successful in one key area and moderately successful in another. While I incorrectly placed the Bills at the top of the league in fewest turnovers last week (the <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">Saints</a> have yet to turn the ball over), they really might as well be there; the lone interception came at the end of the very first drive of the year in a game the Bills won by two scores anyway. They’re also doing a good job of keeping drives alive on third down, converting 6-of-13 chances in the win over the Falcons.</p>
<h2 id="rf4019">Defense</h2>
<p id="mibjHA">Passing: 212.8 (11, last week 9)<br>Rushing: 93.2 (13, last week 7)<br>Total: 306.0 (8, last week 6)<br>Scoring: 13.5 (1, last week 1)<br>Takeaways: 7 (t-4, last week t-9)<br>Sacks: 11 (t-10)</p>
<p id="Bi6CXe">For the second consecutive week the Bills are atop the NFL in fewest points allowed, 1.3 points ahead of the second-place <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Steelers</a> and over a field goal better than their upcoming opponent, the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a>. They’ve managed to hold that status despite sitting outside of the top ten in passing and rushing defense while dropping to eighth in total yards allowed.</p>
<p id="b6swOd">A big reason for that is the amount of turnovers they force. After picking off <span>Matt Ryan</span> twice on Sunday, both by <span>Micah Hyde</span>, the Bills are tied for third in the NFL with six interceptions. They only have one fumble recovery, but it was a big one as Tre’Davious White ran the ball back for the team’s first defensive touchdown of the season.</p>
<p id="RAcZ4U">I’m not sure why I wasn’t tracking sacks to start the year, but I’ll rectify that now. The Bills are in a five-way tie for tenth in the league with 11, with six teams tied right ahead of them at 12.</p>
<h2 id="p1QOYI">Other</h2>
<p id="bOBH5Y">Turnover differential: +6 (t-2, last week t-5)<br>Penalties: 28 (t-15, last week t-10)<br>Penalty Yards: 218 (t-7, last week t-8)<br>Average time of possession: 28:20 (24, last week t-25)</p>
<p id="2QaPYH">I touched on turnovers in both of the previous sections, so it should come as no surprise that the Bills are ranked so high in differential, tied with the <a href="https://www.bigcatcountry.com/">Jaguars</a> and behind only the <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/">Lions</a> at +9.</p>
<p id="AFSROM">The Bills have been a fairly well-disciplined team all year, and it’s interesting to me that after nine penalties for 55 yards against the Falcons, they managed to simultaneously fall out of the top ten in fewest penalties while rising up a spot in fewest penalty yards. If you’re wondering, the Bills currently rank 24th in the NFL in yards per penalty at 9.04, with the lowest (<a href="https://www.turfshowtimes.com/">Rams</a>) at 6.59 and the highest (<a href="https://www.battleredblog.com/">Texans</a>) at 10.39.</p>
<p id="ZW085m">You know what’s even more interesting? Despite have one drive last for 11 minutes and 20 seconds in the second half, the Bills still lost the possession battle to the Falcons by two-and-a-half minutes. Half of their third-down conversions came on that drive.</p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/10/5/16427274/buffalo-bills-team-stats-scoring-defense-turnover-differential-time-of-possession-offense-defenseJeff Hunter2017-10-05T08:30:01-04:002017-10-05T08:30:01-04:00Snap counts: who filled in for the injured Bills on Sunday?
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<img alt="NFL: Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/KynzYjgDeRdtW7R2tWiZm3DFyg4=/0x0:3383x2255/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/57012189/usa_today_10321508.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>A few key players will miss some time. Where do the Bills turn?</p> <p id="WxrDbv">The <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a>’ 23-17 win over the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/teams/atlanta-falcons">Atlanta Falcons</a> on Sunday didn’t offer a ton of surprises in the snap counts, but there are some clues as to who might fill in for a few injured players over the next few games.</p>
<h3 id="FJA4TT">Offense (60 total plays)</h3>
<p id="bssqA6">G <span>Richie Incognito</span> - 60<br>T <span>Dion Dawkins</span> - 60<br>G <span>John Miller</span> - 60<br>T Jordan Mills - 60<br>C Eric Wood - 60<br>QB Tyrod Taylor - 60<br>TE <span>Charles Clay</span> - 48<br>WR <span>Zay Jones</span> - 44<br>RB LeSean McCoy - 43<br>WR <span>Jordan Matthews</span> - 39<br>TE <span>Nick O’Leary</span> - 32<br>FB <span>Patrick DiMarco</span> - 30<br>WR <span>Andre Holmes</span> - 27<br>RB Mike Tolbert - 15<br>WR <span>Kaelin Clay</span> - 13<br>TE Logan Thomas - 9</p>
<ul>
<li id="KdKYDk">With Matthews on the shelf for at least a month, it would seem like the first crack at increased playing time would go to Holmes. He’s played in just under half of the Bills’ offensive snaps so far, and while he only has 36 receiving yards on the year he does have two short touchdown grabs.</li>
<li id="WwXQQT">
<span>Kaelin Clay</span> has seemingly taken Brandon Tate’s spot as the nominal fourth wideout, as Tate was a healthy scratch for the second time this season. <span>Clay</span> has only played 33 snaps with the offense, and while Taylor has targeted him four times he only has one catch on the year (albeit an important one that set up Holmes’ touchdown against the <a href="https://www.milehighreport.com/">Broncos</a>).</li>
<li id="9U11CR">DiMarco saw a big uptick in his usage against his former team. He had played in about a quarter of the team’s snaps through the first three games, but hit a clean 50% in Atlanta. Whether that was by design or just to get him some extra action in his old city remains to be seen.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="yHcSSE">Defense (75 total plays)</h3>
<p id="qPFfu2">S <span>Micah Hyde</span> - 75<br>S Jordan Poyer - 75<br>LB <span>Preston Brown</span> - 75<br>CB Tre’Davious White - 75<br>LB <span>Lorenzo Alexander</span> - 64<br>DT <span>Kyle Williams</span> - 58<br>DE <span>Jerry Hughes</span> - 55<br>DE Eddie Yarbrough - 54<br>CB EJ Gaines - 49<br>CB <span>Leonard Johnson</span> - 45<br>DT Cedric Thornton - 36<br>LB <span>Matt Milano</span> - 32<br>DE <span>Ryan Davis</span> - 31<br>LB <span>Ramon Humber</span> - 29<br>CB Shareece Wright - 26<br>DT Jerel Worthy - 23<br>DT <span>Marcell Dareus</span> - 22</p>
<ul>
<li id="TS8Tze">With Humber set to miss time after surgery on his hand, Milano will likely earn his first career starts over the next month or so. The rookie fifth-rounder had been playing exclusively on special teams prior to this game. It’s possible that fellow rookie Tanner Vallejo could rotate in for Milano over the course of Humber’s injury.</li>
<li id="g7ZIfQ">Poyer and Brown once again played every snap of the game, while Hyde and White have only missed two plays each.</li>
<li id="J8SsI8">The return of Worthy to the lineup relegated Adolphus Washington to the inactive list. Even after spending a game on the sidelines, however, Washington has still played more than Dareus this year. It’s not a good look when the highest-paid defender (albeit the product of a different regime) <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/10/2/16396586/buffalo-bills-curious-case-of-the-disappearing-marcell-dareus">has barely played</a> more than a quarter of the snaps in the season despite only missing one game with injury.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="diOQ1j">Special teams notes</h3>
<ul>
<li id="3VJWur">With Tate inactive, return duties fell on <span>Taiwan Jones</span> (kickoffs) and Hyde (punts). <span>Jones</span> returned two kicks for a total of 50 yards, while Hyde called for a fair catch on all three of Atlanta’s punts.</li>
<li id="S7fi0e">
<span>Colt Anderson</span> suffered an arm injury and will require surgery. As a result, <span>Robert Blanton</span> saw extensive special teams action with 17 snaps. Joe Webb and <span>Deon Lacey</span> also maintained their role in the core group, as did Milano with a team-high 19 snaps on special teams.</li>
</ul>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2017/10/5/16408864/buffalo-bills-atlanta-falcons-snap-counts-jordan-matthews-ramon-humber-matt-milanoJeff Hunter