Any sort of slight against your own teammates is taboo in professional sports, especially the NFL, the most physical of them all. Bills safety Micah Hyde did that on Thursday… sort of.
To be specific, Hyde was discussing years past, not really any current situation on the Bills, but the safety was pretty candid on Thursday via video conference. Having played in Buffalo since 2017, Hyde has been part of one of the league’s best secondaries year in and year out.
But Buffalo’s offense has held the team’s overall defense back during that time. Perhaps because he’s confident that’s going to change this season, Hyde admitted that watching his team’s offense struggle in the past hasn’t been the best of feelings.
“From the ’17, ’18 [seasons]… from last year, to now, kind of the process, the evolution of the Bills offense… it’s came a long way. I’d be lying to guys, I would never admit it to you back then, it was frustrating some of those years, to go out there. Defense possibly playing well, some takeaways, get some turnovers for the offense and our offense went out there and struggled… it was frustrating,” Hyde said.
But the important point Hyde was trying to make wasn’t anything to do with the past. Using the earlier years of his tenure with the Bills as a comparison, Hyde is seeing something a lot different… a lot better.
“But now we’re at a point where we’re just as excited for this offense as they are. There’s a bunch of weapons… they get after us in practice. There’s sometimes where they get a quick, two-minute drive on us and we get back to the sideline and we’re like, ‘dang, what just happened?’ They got four or five big plays on us and we’re off the field,” Hyde said.
Much of that success on the field for the Bills offense against Hyde and Buffalo’s defense naturally depends on quarterback Josh Allen. Last week, Allen said he feels more comfortable heading into his third year as a pro, perhaps explaining some of the improvement Hyde has seen.
“I feel like I’m more in control of the offense this year,” Allen said. “I have more answers to problems that we’re going to be faced with. I see things better. I can set protections a certain way and know that I’m good on this side if they bring this guy, I know what my answer is. That’s only gonna continue to get better the more defenses that I see.”
Hyde’s been around some good offenses on his side in his career, so from this perspective, he knows what he’s talking about. Hyde did come from the Packers prior to the start of his time in Buffalo. The same team led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Naturally, we’re bringing up Rodgers because as much firepower as the Bills might have on offense right now, their successes are still going to come down to Allen and the quarterback position. Per Hyde, the Bills offense has looked good in practice… but as a wise man once said: “We’re talkin’ about practice, man.”
Allen has to start proving Hyde right on Sunday against the Jets because in the end, that’s all that’s going to matter.
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