Buffalo Rumblings - Bills vs. Patriots: Offensive, special teams miscues waste elite defenseBuffalo Bills news, notes, discussions, opinions and analysis. 24/7/365 since 4/7/2007.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48063/buffalorumblings_fave.png2019-10-06T07:59:15-04:00http://www.buffalorumblings.com/rss/stream/206490542019-10-06T07:59:15-04:002019-10-06T07:59:15-04:00Jonathan Jones not fined for hit on Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen
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<img alt="New England Patriots v&nbsp;Buffalo Bills" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/57dPtX9tK472sHRaZZF2QTZq2wU=/0x0:3021x2014/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65404057/1177919109.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Not surprising.</p> <p id="pufb9O">At roughly the same time <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> quarterback <span>Josh Allen</span> was clearing the NFL’s concussion protocol, the man who laid the hit on the second-year player found out his fate. <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> cornerback <span>Jonathan Jones</span> will not be fined for the hit that ended <span>Allen</span>’s Week 4 game.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Patriots?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Patriots</a> DB Jonathan Jones, whose hit landed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bills?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bills</a> QB Josh Allen in the concussion protocol, was not fined, source said. It was determined Jones turned his shoulder to stop the runner (who is not defenseless), while the runner is being tackled, falling forward and down.</p>— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/1180564552695586819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2019</a>
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<aside id="UDTSWR"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Allen, DiMarco, Marlowe clear concussion protocol","url":"https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/10/5/20900036/josh-allen-patrick-dimarco-dean-marlowe-clear-buffalo-bills-concussion-protocol-tennessee-titans"}]}'></div></aside><p id="VjmSQu">In this case, Allen is a runner and not a QB. If Jones needs to, ya know, tackle him, he is allowed to do that. If it was any other player running in the open field, that hit probably wouldn’t have even been flagged. <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/9/30/20891087/why-wasnt-jonathan-jones-ejected-for-his-hit-on-josh-allen-buffalo-bills-new-england-patriots">We detailed the entire case for not ejecting Jones and not suspending him in our full article here</a>. </p>
<p id="Bci9dP">While Bills coaches and players said the hit was over the line, they probably saw the same thing on replay that we did. This is a good no-fine by the league. They might be trying to legislate this type of hit out of the game, but as the rules are now, it was the right call.</p>
<div id="GGC9g4"><iframe src="https://player.megaphone.fm/VMP4678882153" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 200px;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/10/6/20901094/jonathan-jones-not-fined-for-hit-on-buffalo-bills-qb-josh-allen-new-england-patriots-concussionMatt Warren2019-10-05T17:42:44-04:002019-10-05T17:42:44-04:00Buffalo Bills fans continue to stay confident despite loss to New England Patriots
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<img alt="New England Patriots v&nbsp;Buffalo Bills" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8yX6ewWu5v-FCJ3FyF440lWZq5s=/0x0:5256x3504/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65402391/1178373602.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The team is getting a pass.</p> <p id="DQOOxF"><a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> fans are still pretty optimistic about the team, despite their Week 4 loss to the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>. A 3-1 record after four weeks would have made most fans happy coming into the season, and that’s why they’re still pretty confident.</p>
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<p id="eOF9ds">With a host of bad teams remaining on their schedule and a great defense, Bills fans are okay with a close loss to the best team in the league, and responded with 81% confidence. That figure is actually the lowest since after Week 1, when Buffalo needed a comeback to beat the <a href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">New York Jets</a>. </p>
<p id="JfzSgP">The 81% puts Bills fans as the ninth-most optimistic bunch of NFL fans behind the <a href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">San Francisco 49ers</a> at 99% and a few more undefeated teams. <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Cleveland Browns</a>, <a href="https://www.canalstreetchronicles.com/">New Orleans Saints</a>, <a href="https://www.windycitygridiron.com/">Chicago Bears</a>, and <a href="https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/">Philadelphia Eagles</a> fans are above Buffalo, but all have swung wildly based on their team’s success during each game. </p>
<p id="7FioMt">If Buffalo loses to the Tennessee Titans this weekend, it won’t be great for morale. </p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/10/5/20900536/buffalo-bills-fans-continue-to-stay-confident-despite-loss-to-new-england-patriotsMatt Warren2019-10-04T08:30:00-04:002019-10-04T08:30:00-04:00All-22 analysis: Zay Jones a victim of circumstance against Patriots
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<figcaption>Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>There are valid criticisms for the third-year receiver, but this ain’t it.</p> <p id="MclenP">Following the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a>’ 16-10 loss against the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>, plenty of blame was passed around, but one player particularly drew the ire of fans: third-year wide receiver <span>Zay Jones</span>. Jones was targeted eight times in the loss, but only caught two of those passes for four yards. Two other passes in his vicinity were instead intercepted.</p>
<p id="JqT1Hd">Jones hasn’t lit the scoreboard on fire at all this year, with seven receptions for 69 yards on 18 targets. Of course, you could also argue he hasn’t managed that in his career, with only two games of more than 70 yards and none over 100. But let’s set that aside for a bit and address the question: “Was Jones a liability against the New England Patriots?”</p>
<p id="TxWQHT">To answer that, I went to the All-22 and logged the various targets to Jones.</p>
<p id="Nqe6PQ">What we know about the Patriots’ defense is very evident in these clips: They challenged the Bills with an aggressive Cover-1 setup. This defensive call puts a single deep free safety onto the field, asks its cornerbacks to play man coverage (often press-man) across the board, and either puts the box safety into man coverage or into a “rat” defender role where he can roam to cause havoc.</p>
<p id="8XYt04">This is a defense you use if you have elite talent in the secondary and faith in your front seven to reach the quarterback, because if any player can’t cover his man you’ll give up chunks of yardage left and right. That said, the Patriots do have that talent. <span>Stephon Gilmore</span> is one of the best in the business, the brothers McCourty are well-known, and second-year cornerback <span>J.C. Jackson</span> already has five career interceptions in 17 games.</p>
<p id="7Iqip4">Buffalo’s task was to create separation for their receivers and stay on schedule for moving the chains. Jones was the third or fourth option on most plays.</p>
<p id="aW1Z4i">Alright, let’s discuss this first one. First quarter, 1st-and-10 from the New England 48. This is shot-call territory. The Patriots are in man-free, and you want to take a chance for a huge play (or six points). The play call sends three receivers left and has Jones crossing deep to the right.</p>
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<p id="H4r5gW"><span>Josh Allen</span> runs through a play-action drop, but the coverage is still pretty tight on Jones, so he hesitates. By the time he starts to throw, he’s under pressure, and Allen retreats instead of stepping into his throw. It’s a lousy underthrow and gets intercepted, through no fault of Jones.</p>
<p id="OfxZBg">Okay, next play I tracked. It’s almost a full quarter later, with a minute remaining in the half. 1st-and-10, from the Buffalo 47-yard line: It’s another shot call. The Bills run four verticals.</p>
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<p id="oiovfC">While New England initially has two deep safeties, they rotate into a Cover 1 robber look post snap. <span>Allen</span> correctly identifies that the free safety is on the left side of the deep field, isolating Jones 1-on-1, and takes a throw. Again, the pocket is messy and again, Allen doesn’t really step into his throw, and this one is overthrown by a few yards. </p>
<p id="y0FNdk">Next play, early in the third quarter. It’s 1st-and-10 from the Buffalo 48, but given that the earlier deep throws were off target, Brian Daboll has Allen doing a quick-pass game to the sidelines to help him establish a passing rhythm. This is one of those concepts.</p>
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<p id="JEfYfV">The Patriots line up with a single-high safety and man coverage at the top of the image. Buffalo’s play is a designed pick play for Jones. The goal is to get 3-5 yards. Jones catches the pass, the rub route isn’t super effective, and he gets three.</p>
<p id="C70p31">Okay, last play for today. This is Allen’s second interception attributed to Jones. It’s late in the third quarter, 1st-and-10 from the Buffalo 23-yard line. Drive starter. The Bills call one of their favorite plays, the mesh-wheel concept. <span>Zay Jones</span> on the backside of the play has a comeback route, and <span>Dawson Knox</span> starts with a seam route that he turns into a corner route.</p>
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<p id="xaz7LJ">The big problem here stems from pressure. At the moment Allen reaches the end of his drop, he’s flushed from the pocket by interior pressure. He escapes right. The two receivers on the right side of the field recognize it and start the scramble drill (comebacks to create room for the QB to throw the ball), though Dawson Knox continues his route to the sideline instead.</p>
<p id="FUmh8Y">Allen sees something and throws without setting his feet as he’s leveled by a defender. It’s not clear to me whether he intended to hit Jones or Knox with this pass, but Jones’s reaction to the ball being thrown makes me think the throw was just all kinds of wrong. I can’t fault Jones, who did what he should’ve done up until the ball was thrown.</p>
<p id="XyBwZ1">Now, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the end-zone play where <span>Matt Barkley</span> tried throwing to Jones, who couldn’t haul in the high pass. For that play, I place more blame on <span>Barkley</span>, who put the pass in a place where Jones could not possibly catch it and also score on the play. Had Jones leaped and grabbed it, he’d be tackled at the one. That throw needed to be at Jones’s knees and to the side so he could twist into the end zone.</p>
<p id="30Cx2Z">But, to be frank, the real blame for that play is on Brian Daboll. On fourth-and-goal from the three, with the game on the line, your best call is a designed fade to <span>Zay Jones</span>, your Number 3 receiver? What the heck? Give me a pick play to <span>Cole Beasley</span>, a bubble screen, a halfback draw, a halfback sweep, mesh/wheel, literally anything but that.</p>
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<p id="5xIaZe">To summarize here, the bad day didn’t so much belong to Jones as it did <span>Josh Allen</span>. The Patriots flushed him with pressure (real or perceived) all day, took advantage of his tendency to scramble to the right, and forced him to make difficult throws. Allen’s footwork was lousy all day and he made things more difficult for his receivers. Jones was open during this game, he just wasn’t given a fair shot at the catch.</p>
<p id="tuWXzP">That being said, we can’t fully exonerate Jones as a player. While he’s effective at separating in coverage, his inconsistent hands (especially when playing contested catches) are a big reason why the Bills signed two veterans and demoted him to the third option. The Bills need reliable pass catchers to keep their offense on schedule, and Jones hasn’t shown the consistency to handle that role for the team.</p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/10/4/20897950/all-22-analysis-buffalo-bills-zay-jones-a-victim-of-circumstance-against-new-england-patriotsDan Lavoie2019-10-02T18:45:41-04:002019-10-02T18:45:41-04:00Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots: Rookie review
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<figcaption>Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Knox continues his strong play</p> <p id="mQh7eP">It’s been quite a while since the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> have had a talented prospect at the tight end position, but rookies <span>Tommy Sweeney</span>—and especially <span>Dawson Knox</span>—look like solid starters already. This past week against the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>, Knox managed to remain productive against a top defense including coming down with another phenomenal third-down catch that eventually led to a touchdown for the team. </p>
<p id="k4knGM">More about the performance of each rookie below.</p>
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<h3 id="UlilbM">DT <span>Ed Oliver</span>
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<p id="GexWL9">Oliver was a contributing factor in limiting the Patriots’ offense, which struggled to get moving on the ground and through the air. His movement skills and hustle allowed him to string out a couple stretch runs to the outside, freeing up linebackers or safeties to tackle the running back. The rookie didn’t earn his first sack against <span>Tom Brady</span>, but he did have a key hit on the quarterback that forced an incompletion. Oliver, or possibly the coaching staff, have realized that the his best asset is his speed and so have worked in plenty pass-rushing twists and stunts for the rookie. These games should result in greater production for Oliver soon.</p>
<h3 id="PUsPcb">OT/OG <span>Cody Ford</span>
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<p id="qTF2jR">Despite initial assumptions, it actually wasn’t a bad day at the office for the rookie right tackle, with one huge exception. New England’s group of pass rushers aren’t exactly speed demons, so Ford was able to hold his own against their power moves and straight-ahead bull rushes. The rookie also had the key block that sprung <span>Frank Gore</span>’s 41-yard run in the first half. Ford’s biggest mistake, however, ended up being the most egregious. <span>Shilique Calhoun</span> beat him easily on a delayed rush, flushing <span>Allen</span>, which resulted in a concussion for the quarterback.</p>
<h3 id="Z0FCHy">RB <span>Devin Singletary</span>
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<p id="vvSzjz">Singletary was close to being active against the Patriots, but was still nursing his previous hamstring injury.</p>
<h3 id="CgaFc0">TE Dawson Knox</h3>
<p id="EfpeEo">The Patriots chose to stick safety <span>Patrick Chung</span> on Knox for most of the game, and while Chung was able to cover the rookie for a while, Knox was simply too physical at the catch point once <span>Matt Barkley</span> or <span>Josh Allen</span> actually decided to deliver the ball. Knox also was arguably held back by some early play calls that had him running shorter routes, ostensibly to aid the quick passing attack. It’s clear through four weeks that Knox is the team’s best “jump ball” receiving threat.</p>
<h3 id="4DoLfJ">LB <span>Vosean Joseph</span>
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<p id="51zy1A">The former fifth-round linebacker remains on injured reserve following shoulder surgery.</p>
<h3 id="diSmNz">S <span>Jaquan Johnson</span>
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<p id="SwETrH">The safety was once again listed as a healthy scratch against the Patriots.</p>
<h3 id="Jhafq7">DE <span>Darryl Johnson</span>
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<p id="swDDox">Despite his 21 snaps, <span>Johnson</span> continues to be impactful, if not overly noticeable and was inches away from a huge play. On the Patriots’ first drive of the second quarter, Johnson held the edge on a stretch run, resulting in no gained yardage. Then, on the very next play, he used an underarm move to pressure Brady and force an incompletion. In that instance he was inches from potentially forcing the quarterback to fumble. As with his classmate Oliver, production will come for the rookie.</p>
<h3 id="MskYxW">TE Tommy Sweeney</h3>
<p id="aKQnCw">Sweeney was only on the field for nine snaps against the Pats, and did not see any targets in the passing game. He blocked the backside of one particular Frank Gore run, but the coaches mostly used <span>Lee Smith</span> as their blocking tight end.</p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/10/2/20894469/buffalo-bills-vs-new-england-patriots-rookie-review-dawson-knoxgrif2019-10-02T09:45:00-04:002019-10-02T09:45:00-04:00Billieve: Bills waste elite effort from defense in loss to Patriots
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<p>Our latest podcast recaps the Patriots game.</p> <p id="IA61v7">In the latest edition of <a href="http://traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP1248330138.mp3">Billieve: A Buffalo Bills Fan Podcast</a>, host <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/authors/john-boccacino">John Boccacino</a> breaks down yet another heartbreaking loss by the <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> to the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a> as Buffalo (3-1) suffered its first loss of the year by a 16-10 score in Week 4. </p>
<div id="TNJO8D"><iframe src="https://player.megaphone.fm/VMP1248330138" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 200px;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="7fmPyx">It was a familiar story at New Era Field, as Buffalo dropped another close decision to their AFC East rivals. Despite a career-worst game from <span>Josh Allen</span> (three interceptions, one fumble lost), the Bills rallied from an early 13-0 deficit and had four drives with a chance to score the go-ahead touchdown in the second half. </p>
<p id="c5Nymy"><span>Allen</span>, who was knocked out of the game on a controversial hit from <span>Jonathan Jones</span>, missed the final quarter with the injury and remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol. Buffalo was unable to capitalize on a stout effort from the defense, which held <span>Tom Brady</span> without a passing touchdown. </p>
<p id="O4NfQR">The Patriots were held well below their season averages for points and yards per game as the Bills’ aggressive defense dominated the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> champions. </p>
<p id="DGcLRu">Among the topics discussed: </p>
<ul>
<li id="I55MQU">Will Allen ever be able to curtail the back-breaking interceptions that cost Buffalo dearly in the setback vs. New England? </li>
<li id="S8naPA">Was the hit Jones levied on <span>Allen</span> worthy of ejection? </li>
<li id="CVPQac">What should fans make of <span>Zay Jones</span>’s poor performance? </li>
<li id="0g4sb4">Praise is lavished on Leslie Frazier’s defense, which despite not recording a sack harassed Brady for much of the day in forcing the future Hall of Famer into an abysmal 18 of 39 passing day for 150 yards with zero touchdowns and one interception. </li>
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<p id="a0hqkN">Check out the <a href="http://traffic.megaphone.fm/VMP1248330138.mp3">latest episode of Billieve</a> for answers to these questions and more!</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="MO0pnB">
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https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/10/2/20894390/billieve-bills-waste-elite-effort-from-defense-in-loss-to-patriots-josh-allen-tom-bradyJohn Boccacino2019-10-02T09:20:30-04:002019-10-02T09:20:30-04:00Win probability notes: Bills fall to Patriots
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<figcaption>Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>How did the win probability shake out against New England?</p> <p id="ZtbEI8">The <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> suffered their first loss of the season Sunday to their division rival, the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>. Unlike the past three weeks the Bills would begin and end never surpassing a 45% win percentage. The poor play of Josh Allen and the inability to generate offense would allow the Patriots to walk out of Orchard Park with a win despite only posting nine points on offense. </p>
<p id="TYIOa8">(All graphs provided by <a href="https://live.numberfire.com/nfl/7246">numberFire LIVE</a>)</p>
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<p id="YFPLe3">Despite the loss, some positive takeaways to consider would be the Bills’ defense solidifying itself as an elite against a Patriots team who had scored 30 or more points in each of their first three games. However, I have to remain consistent in my point from last week and say there’s no such thing as a good loss. So let’s look at the bad and very bad of last Sunday’s match-up. </p>
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<p id="2XcXUG">After a four-play drive that ended in a punt, the Patriots would capitalize on an early <span>Josh Allen</span> interception by going on a seven-play, 50-yard drive capped off by a four-yard <span>Brandon Bolden</span> touchdown. The touchdown saw the Bills fall to a 22.27% win probability and as disheartening as it is to say, wouldn't be their lowest-posted probability of the day. </p>
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<p id="54SQj3">One of the most crucial plays of the first half would be the missed 49-yard field goal by Stephen Hauschka. To be clear, 49 yards is by no means a gimme kick but had it been made, the Bills would've exited the first half down one score. Given the context of this game, this kick influences not only the Bills’ abysmal 11.53% win probability, but crucial coaching decisions late in the second half. </p>
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<p id="578Q90">The most talked about play of the game and what most will argue shifted odds in New England’s favor for good was the illegal helmet to helmet hit on a seven-yard Josh Allen run. At this point the Bills sat at a 25.71% win probability. Giving credit where it’s due <span>Matt Barkley</span> would come in and statistically improve the Bills’ chances. Given <span>Allen</span>’s habit for late-game comebacks (five in 15 starts) you can't help but wonder what the numbers look like at the end of the game if he wasn’t the victim of that devastating hit. </p>
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<p id="r4XvOG">The play that sealed the game for the Pats was a <span>Matt Barkley</span> interception on a pressured throw late in the fourth quarter. The theme of the day was poor offense by both teams, and one more play made by the Patriots’ defense than the Bills. The game felt closer than the numbers would suggest, but a loss is a loss and the Bills will have to wait until they travel to Foxborough in Week 16 to get their next shot at the Patriots.</p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/10/2/20893966/win-probability-notes-buffalo-bills-fall-to-new-england-patriotsMax Liebel2019-10-02T09:15:41-04:002019-10-02T09:15:41-04:00Blitzed Bills: Josh Allen dropbacks, 6.5 seconds, and chugging beers
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<p>When you hold the ball that long, you’re going to get blitzed.</p> <p id="f27QOI">On the latest episode of Blitzed Bills we take one for the team for the sake of analysis. Buffalo Bills QB <span>Josh Allen</span> held the ball for 6.5 seconds in the pocket on Sunday, then promptly got sacked. Don’t think 6.5 seconds is a lot of time? Sure it is, and we prove it by chugging four beers in 26 seconds (6.5 seconds each).</p>
<div id="PhMMDh"><iframe src="https://player.megaphone.fm/VMP8903041556" style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 200px;" allowfullscreen="" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>
<p id="YO1sFo">We also review <strong>Who Wore it Better</strong>, <span>Rex Ryan</span> in his hissy fit with <a href="https://www.dawgsbynature.com/">Cleveland Browns</a> quarterback <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2019/8/28/20835194/baker-mayfield-fantasy-football-dfs-salary-stats-2019">Baker Mayfield</a>, or <a href="https://www.catscratchreader.com/">Carolina Panthers</a> quarterback Kyle Allen and his shade thrown at <a href="https://dknation.draftkings.com/2019/8/30/20837383/cam-newton-fantasy-football-dfs-salary-stats-2019">Cam Newton</a>. </p>
<p id="gEJtJo">Plus we debate why the referees suck so much when trying to protect players like <span>Josh Allen</span> from egregious hits to the head. </p>
<p id="t1WpkN">And we debut arguably the greatest segment in podcast history, <strong>NFL Confessions</strong>.</p>
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<p id="O0tpuw"><em>Editor’s note: If you’re viewing this article on Apple News, the embedded audio will be removed. Click through to the site in your browser or listen on iTunes.</em></p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/10/2/20893764/blitzed-bills-6-5-seconds-josh-allen-buffalo-concussion-protocol-podcastBlitzed Bills2019-10-01T14:00:00-04:002019-10-01T14:00:00-04:00Revisiting five Bills to watch versus Patriots
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<p>Josh Allen had a terrible day, and Frank Gore looked spry at 36 years old</p> <p id="a4Lans">The <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Bills</a> were able to win some battles on Sunday against the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>, but they ultimately lost the war, dropping a tightly-contested 16-10 game. Buffalo’s defense played fantastically, but struggles with ball security and special teams led to the team’s undoing.</p>
<p id="bN3zRs">How did our five Bills to watch fare this week? It was a mixed bag, for sure.</p>
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<h2 id="lMfTVn">QB <span>Josh Allen</span>
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<p id="xkjy4B">Yikes. Allen spent much of the day running for his life, to be fair, as the Patriots were able to pressure him early and often, consistently flushing the young quarterback and preventing him from progressing through his reads. <span>Allen</span>’s footwork looked bad, especially in the first half, as he misfired repeatedly on short, quick throws meant to give him some rhythm. After the pass rush started coming through, Allen found himself trying to make something out of nothing, firing three pretty bad interceptions on balls he shouldn’t have thrown. </p>
<p id="Pogicu">The good is that he seemed to settle down after the half, as he looked far better in the third quarter than he did in the beginning of the game. In the first half, Allen was 5-of-17 for 60 yards and two interceptions. In the third quarter, he was 8-of-10 for 93 yards with one interception. The turnovers were a big problem, but he clearly looked more comfortable in the third period, especially during an opening drive where he repeatedly hit short, underneath throws in moving methodically down the field for the only touchdown drive New England has allowed all season. He only threw one pass in the fourth quarter before a dirty helmet-to-helmet hit by <span>Jonathan Jones</span> knocked him out of the game.</p>
<p id="5Rh3hb">It wasn’t a good day for Allen, but it’s not the end of the world. Bill Belichick’s defenses have a habit of eating young quarterbacks alive. Allen needs to learn from his mistakes and continue his growth, but first, he’ll need to heal.</p>
<h2 id="Jr7pEy">RB <span>Frank Gore</span>
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<p id="DBUA8r">The veteran has been worth every penny this year, as he continues to look far younger than his years. Gore has a penchant for gaining tough yards, and he’s shown a little explosion, as well. He broke off a 41-yard run on Sunday, and he totaled 17 carries for 109 yards. He was targeted once in the passing game, though he failed to haul in the pass. Gore did most of his damage in the first half, carrying nine times for 88 yards in the early-going. In the second half, the Bills went more with <span>T.J. Yeldon</span> in an effort to provide a better receiving target, first for <span>Josh Allen</span> and then for <span>Matt Barkley</span>. <span>Yeldon</span> actually played more snaps than Gore in the game, appearing on 45 snaps as opposed to 38 for the venerable veteran. In the fourth quarter, Gore saw only three carries for three total yards even though the team was within one score. If rookie <span>Devin Singletary</span> is able to play next week against the Tennessee Titans, Gore may see his snaps dialed back even further, but on Sunday, he was one of Buffalo’s brightest spots.</p>
<h2 id="wm4gNc">TE <span>Dawson Knox</span>
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<p id="CzbDlj">I said in our Slack channel this week that I thought Knox, a former high school quarterback, would throw a pass this week. I had the play right, but it was <span>John Brown</span> throwing the pass instead. Knox played more snaps (54) than any other Bills tight end, but he was only targeted three times on the game. He caught all three of those targets, totaling 58 yards in the process. I wish I knew why he wasn’t a bigger part of the game plan to begin the contest, as his size (6’4” and 254 lbs) and athleticism was one of the more favorable match-ups Buffalo had this week. On the fourth-down pass to <span>Zay Jones</span>, in particular, Knox’s size and obvious contested-catch ability would have been hugely beneficial. Instead, the staff went three-wide with <span>Lee Smith</span> in to serve as an extra blocker. I’d rather the Bills have split Knox out and thrown the bigger target the jump-ball if that’s the play they wanted to execute. </p>
<h2 id="BctWXK">OL <span>Cody Ford</span>
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<p id="BUgZkq">At this point in his young career, Ford is not doing the job at right tackle. He has been consistently beaten in pass protection, and while he has been better in run-blocking situations, he hasn’t been good enough in them to justify continuing to rotate with veteran Ty Nsekhe. To be fair, Nsekhe was the right tackle on <span>Matt Barkley</span>’s interception, when it appeared that a miscommunication between Nsekhe and <span>T.J. Yeldon</span> allowed linebacker <span>Kyle Van Noy</span> to come through untouched. Perhaps all of this rotating is preventing the line from gelling as a unit, as the group continually has to adjust to a different guy at the position. Ford struggled with New England’s pass rush all day, and <em>Pro Football Focus</em> <a href="https://twitter.com/MattParrino/status/1178754237972566016?s=20">graded him at a 38.2 in pass blocking for the day</a>. I understand that the coaching staff wants to give Ford reps, and I also think he’s going to be a very good offensive lineman in time. However, he isn’t a very good offensive lineman right now. He should be relegated to sixth-man status.</p>
<h2 id="T1mlfv">LB <span>Tremaine Edmunds</span>
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<p id="PE2wnG">Well, Buffalo’s 21-year old middle linebacker looked outstanding on Sunday. He was great in pass coverage, nearly intercepting a slant in the fourth quarter that could have been returned for a touchdown. He was aggressive in run pursuit, but not overly so, hitting holes when they were there and playing his assignments when he couldn’t make the play himself. When the day was over, <span>Edmunds</span> had 11 tackles (a game-high total), two tackles for loss, and that one pass deflection. New England does a phenomenal job opening the middle of the field through jet-action and pick plays, but Edmunds read his keys well and played sound football. More days like this one from Edmunds will only make a great defense even better. </p>
https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2019/10/1/20892580/revisiting-five-buffalo-bills-to-watch-versus-new-england-patriots-josh-allen-frank-gore-dawson-knoxSean Murphy