Tag: bills titans

Von Miller: Bills defense has ‘killer instinct’

Von Miller: #Bills defense has ‘killer instinct’

New free agency addition Von Miller has been making an impact on the Buffalo Bills defensive unit and pass rush.

And it’s showing only two games into the 2022 NFL season.

Miller, along with second-year players like Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham and defensive leaders like LBs Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano, are attacking opposing offenses with robust energy.

Even when they’re winning.

“Whenever we’re up, we keep saying to each other, ‘Don’t blink, don’t let our foot off the gas,'” Miller said while addressing the media. “It’s a killer instinct, it’s a blood-in-the-water instinct.”

One of the most visible differences between the last two meetings between these teams was the way the Bills defense limited Titans star RB Derek Henry. He would have only rush for 25 yards on 13 carries and an average of 1.9 yards per carry. That was good for the second lowest statistical game of his career in which he had at least 13 carries.

The increase in dominance by the Bills on defense is showing in stats like these against top teams and players early this season.

“We have an attitude of domination,” Miller added. “We playing the game to dominate the game. We got a team full of killers and it’s led by our quarterback and our head coach.”

As one would expect, that coach in Sean McDermott is pulling the reigns back. It’s still week-to-week for him, but even McDermott noted how the first two efforts by his team in 2022 have been big time. 

“Ya, I think it’s a good start,” McDermott said via video conference. “The fundamentals are showing up early in the season and that’s really what games come down to early in the year is fundamentals. And taking care of the football. I thought we did a phenomenal job with that offensively and special teams and then defense got takeaways. So I just think it was all in all a good game plan by the coaches and the players executed at a high level.”

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Bills’ Stefon Diggs post-three TD outing: ‘A lot left on the bone, really’

#Bills’ Stefon Diggs post-three TD outing: ‘A lot left on the bone, really’

The Buffalo Bills have kicked off the2022 NFL season by turning heads in their first two contests of the season, besting the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in Week 1 and the team that had the top seed in the AFC last season, the Tennessee Titans.

Despite missing and losing some starters before and during the game to injuries, the team notched a 41-7 victory this week in their home opener.

QB Josh Allen’s top target? That’d be WR1 Stefon Diggs, who went 11 of 12 on catches for 148 yards with three touchdowns.

“I feel like it was a lot left on the bone, really,” Diggs said to the press following the game. “I’ve been with Josh (Allen) for a couple years now. It’s just trying to fine-tune and get better in all areas. At this point, that’s two wins. Try and go get the next one.”

The Bills WR1’s three TDs tied his career best in a game, and his 12 catches were his most in a contest since arriving in Buffalo.  His 20 catches that went for 270 yards with four touchdowns in the first two games of this season, make him the first wide receiver since Steve Smith (2007) to have at least four touchdowns and 250 yards that soon.

 QB Josh Allen, who completed 70% of his throws for 317 yards with four touchdowns, found Diggs for three of those scoring tosses, making him the WR with the most touchdowns in the NFL after two weeks.

That included a 46-yard rocket for Diggs second TD catch of the day.

“He did a great job of getting open, making plays, making some great catches,” Allen said to the media. “That long one was a great catch. So he is what he is. It’s Stefon Diggs. We know he is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, receiver in the game right now, and I trust him implicitly. I love that guy. He works his tail off.”

Diggs made a significant impact in helping the Bills win, as they were shorthanded at the receiver position with WR2 Gabriel Davis missing the game due to an ankle injury.

“That’s part of my job as a leader on this team, as a captain,” Diggs added. “Get us started, get us going, keep us going. Good body language. At times, I want it so bad, but keeping that good body language when things don’t go right.”

Even head coach Sean McDermott was impressed with Diggs big game.

“Yeah, that last throw that Josh made to Stef and I’m just saying, ‘Go get it man, go get it’ and he he got it,” McDermott said during his own media session. “It was fun to watch. I mean, that was awesome.”

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Analytics say Bills’ failed QB sneak was right call vs. Titans

Analytics say #Bills’ failed QB sneak was right call vs. #Titans:

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While the Bills lost 31-34 to the Tennessee Titans in the final minute of their Monday Night Football matchup, it was the final play of the drive for Buffalo that has drawn a lot of attention.

After the Bills’ Josh Allen went airborne to try and layout for the first down on the previous play, the QB then also went for it on 4th and 1 at the Tennessee third-yard line, only to be stopped by the Titans defense.

Bills head coach McDermott had no doubt that the call was the right one for the team.

“I felt, ‘Hey, if we’re that far from potentially winning the game right there, it was the best thing we could do.’ And I owe that to my players, and I believe in my players. I believe in our quarterback.”

And if the head coach’s vote of confidence isn’t enough, it’s worth pointing out that the play call decision was, in fact, data-supported according to advanced analytic metrics.

Per NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the conversion probability of going for it on 4th down was 75% with a 63% probability of winning the game. That was a 21.3% better chance than the alternative:

Had the Bills coach decided to play it safe and kick a field goal to tie the game in the final three minutes, the win probability would have only been 42% if they went for a field goal. The difference of exactly 21.3%.

It was a statistically sound call, with a high probability of success.  Allen slipping on the play and Titans DE Jeffery Simmons penetrating the left side of the offensive line were both surprises, as the Bills came up short in the contest.

Nonetheless, the QB’s coach had no hesitation in doubling down in support of rolling with him in the clutch while addressing the media after the game.

“At the end of the day, I trust (Allen), and I’ll trust him again if we’re in that situation again,” McDermott said. “I’ll take Josh Allen 10 times out of 10.”

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Bills’ Sean McDermott costly penalties: ‘Discipline is important’

#Bills’ Sean McDermott costly penalties: ‘Discipline is important’

The Buffalo Bills came up short against the Tennessee Titans 31-34 on Monday Night Football during NFL Week 6 in Nashville.

Both teams fought hard and made some highlight-worthy plays, but in the end, the Bills would lose the game on an unsuccessful fourth-down conversion attempt at the goal line. But the final score reflected more than just the broken-up play.

Wide receiver and return man Isaiah McKenzie opened the Bills’ final drive by taking the kick-off catch 101 yards for a touchdown that would have given the Bills the lead in the final three minutes of the game.

The touchdown would have done just that, had it not been for an offensive holding penalty on Bills linebacker Andre Smith all the way back at the Buffalo 28 yard line that nullified the electric score by Mckenzie.

This after a long day that saw missed red zone opportunities, missed tackles, and penalties that added up and, in the end, proved costly.

After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott was asked about the impact of those penalties on the outcome.

“They’re big,” McDermott said during his post-game press conference. “It comes back to making sure we’re using the right technique, and moving our feet, using our hands, getting our hands inside.”

Two of those penalties cost Buffalo touchdowns, the holding call on Smith as well as another holding call in the second quarter on Bills WR Emmanuel Sanders that nullified a running touchdown by tight end Dawson Knox.

Those scores would have made a difference in the score in those final minutes, giving Buffalo a better chance to win.

“You know, discipline, discipline is important if you want to be a good football team,” he added. “The red zone, the turnover, you know the difference of points right there, that’s a potentially different game.”

And for McDermott, it came down to learning from those mistakes.

“We got to learn from that and get better, and then we’ve got to fix some things on defense as well, and then penalties overall. You know we can’t kill ourselves with penalties like that.”

Those comments on penalties and discipline echoed a similar remark the coach made after a game against the Titans during this same week of last season, in which he said “I can handle aggressive penalties but I can’t handle lack of discipline penalties.“

The Bills will have plenty of time to think about the tough loss and to learn from the tape, as they enter their bye week. The Coach and his players will roll up their sleeves and get back to work ahead of a Week 8 matchup with their AFC East Division rival Miami Dolphins in Orchard Park on October 31st.

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PFF: Jonnu Smith is ‘perfect free-agent fit’ for Bills

Pro Football Focus calls Tennessee Titans TE Jonnu Smith the perfect free agent fit for Buffalo Bills.

Pro Football Focus must have been listening to Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane speak at the end of the season.

Breaking down 2020 and looking ahead to the offseason, Beane mentioned how the tight end position might be an area that needs an upgrade. In two seasons, Dawson Knox hasn’t overly impressed.

Regardless of whether or not they were listening, PFF recently released a list of “perfect fits” for every team in the NFL on the free agent market. According to the football analytics outlet, that free agent for the Bills is Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith.

Here’s why PFF thinks so:

2020 team: Titans | Age entering 2021 season: 26

The Bills did not get a lot of production from their tight ends in the passing game last season, so bringing in Smith would complete what would be a marvelous receiving corps. The rising fifth-year tight end is a capable blocker, but his usefulness truly comes when the ball is in his hands. Among tight ends with at least 25 targets over the past three seasons, Smith is fourth in yards after the catch per reception at 7.1.

As a second or third threat, this is the type of player you want; someone who can play a limited role yet still create extra yards when his number is called.

Knox still might have a future in the NFL, but perhaps knocking him down to the No. 2 tight end spot could help his development. Smith would certainly slot in on top of the depth chart if the Bills sign him.

By comparison, here’s both of their stats from the past two seasons combined, side-by-side:

  • Smith: 76 catches | 887 yards | 11 TDs
  • Knox: 52 catches | 676 yards | 5 TDs

Regardless of Smith or another potential addition to the TE room in Orchard Park, it would be interesting to see how much an new face would change the Bills’ game plan on offense. Buffalo used 11 personnel more than nearly every team in the NFL last season. That means one tight end and one running back formation.

If the Bills hypotactically had Smith and Knox in the fold, do we see more two tight end sets? Will quarterback Josh Allen look for tight ends more often in the passing game? We’d find out those answers with such a signing.

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Josh Norman replaced, Titans’ Derrick Henry stiff-arms Lions DB into oblivion

Like with Buffalo Bills CB Josh Norman, Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry lays big stiff arm on Detroit Lions CB Alex Myres.

Congratulations to Buffalo Bills cornerback Josh Norman, who is no longer “that guy who got stiff-armed into next year by Derrick Henry” this season. He now has company in that department.

In Week 5, the Titans (10-4) bowled over the Bills (11-3), 42-16, and Henry quite literally did that to Norman. It was the stiff arm heard around the world.

The Titans running back, who rushed for 147 yards and a touchdown against the Lions in Tennessee’s 46-25 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday… did it again. This time the victim was Alex Myres.

Like with Norman, Myres actually kind of did his job. There was little gain on the play. But Henry did put him on the wrong end of a poster.

Check out the latest episode of Henry’s stiff arms here:

It’s tough to decide which one is worse. If you’re a Bills fan, you’re clearly not going to be objective at all. Myres got the worst of it.

But if you’re feeling nice enough, you’ll pick Norman. Really it’s just a nice gesture to default to Norman because, as a former All-Pro and multi-year vet of the NFL, it’s easier to pick him. Myres was playing in his first-ever NFL game in Week 15. Be easy on the guy.

Either way, personally, no one at Bills Wire plans to attempt a tackle on Henry any time soon.

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Potential Bills trade target Desmond King sent to Titans

Desmond King was traded to the Titans by the Chargers.

The Buffalo Bills haven’t gotten a great effort on defense this season and some had hoped that Desmond King would be the answer to those questions. Turns out, he won’t be.

The Chargers shipped the cornerback to the Tennessee Titans on Monday, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport for just a sixth-round pick. King, 25, was an All-Pro in 2018.

The trade comes one day ahead of Tuesday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline in the NFL.

In King, the Bills could have found themselves an upgrade at the nickel cornerback position. Taron Johnson has had his fair share of struggles there this season.

Per NFL Next Gen Stats, King would have been a better option there because he’s better than any player in that area this season. King has allowed just 0.3 yards per coverage snap this year, almost half the amount of any other slot cornerback.

King did not play in Week 8 because of a “team decision” the Chargers said. The defensive back is in the final year of his rookie contract.

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Bills Wire podcast: Who to blame for blowout loss, Chiefs bounce back?

Buffalo Bills podcast, who to blame for blowout loss to Titans?

Bills Wire managing editor Nick Wojton joins podcast network host  Ryan O’Leary (@RyanOLearySMG on Twitter) to discuss the Bills’ surprising performance against the Titans in Week 5.

After that dismantling, who’s to blame? Where do the Bills go from here? Well the Chiefs will have something to say about that this week.

Listen to this week’s episode of the show here, and be sure to follow it on Apple Podcasts or on your podcast service of choice (rate us 5 stars!).

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Sean McDermott: Titans loss will ‘make Bills stronger’

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott, Leslie Frazier on Tennessee Titans loss in Week 5.

The Buffalo Bills are regrouping following their first loss of the season on Tuesday to the Tennessee Titans. A lopsided evening to forget and, hopefully, one to build on.

The Bills looked uncharacteristic and out of rhythm in a matchup that was uncertain to take place following roller-coaster weeks of positive COVID tests from Titans players and personnel. Buffalo ended up being blown out, 42-16. 

But ever the optimist and football guy, Bills head coach Sean McDermott said his team will still find positives out of the loss. Buffalo will use what happened in Tennessee as a learning experience. 

“As we go through through the week and certainly the next game, and on through the season, and these are the moments that make you stronger,” McDermott said on Monday via video conference. “You learn from adverse times in your life, and I’ve said to the players before- I’d rather have a player that’s been through things, been through stuff in their lives, than a player who hasn’t because I know they’ve had to deal with some stuff in their life. And I think that builds that resiliency, and that mental fortitude if you will, that mental toughness that we all need to accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish here.”

Overall, the Bills defense this season has yet to reach the level of performance and consistency the team has been known for on that side of the ball in recent memory. Assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier detailed on Monday exactly where the Bills defense has come up short. 

“We’ve struggled to play good man coverage at times & even in our zone coverage,” said Frazier said. “We haven’t been able to put together a consistent rush with good coverage, so we’ll have to continue to work on it to get there.”

Moving forward, the Bills will have to put the Titans in the rearview mirror almost immediately. A big test awaits ahead and the Bills and Frazier know it. The defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs will visit Buffalo next in Week 6. But again, there’s another silver lining to be found: A strong performance against the Chiefs will make any shortcomings earlier this year by Buffalo’s defense a distant memory. 

“Limit the explosives and try to take the football away. Those are the priorities when playing an Andy Reid offense so you can limit their time on the field,” Frazier said. “Those guys are pretty good, that’s for sure. The good thing is we get to line up again and play another game.”

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Stock up, stock down following the Bills’ loss to the Titans

Stock report following the Buffalo Bills’ loss to the Titans.

Our latest Buffalo Bills stock report is going to be a change of pace, but not one that is in any way surprising.

The Bills were nothing short of smacked by the Tennessee Titans, 42-16, on Tuesday. Buffalo’s offense showed a blip or two of life, while the defensive woes hit a fever pitch.

With that, here’s Bills Wire’s latest stock report following the Bills’ loss to the Titans:

Stock up

Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs. (AP Photo/Brett Carlsen)

WR Stefon Diggs

Seeing as the way things turned out, maybe Buffalo shouldn’t bank on this, but Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs certainly showed he can carry the load. Diggs had a game-high 16 total targets which turned into 10 catches for 106 yards. A good personal game, but again, not the best for the offense overall.

WR John Brown

John Brown had zero targets, catches, yards, routes run, and snaps played against the Titans. That’s because he missed the game due to a calf injury. Forcing the ball to Diggs helped his personal stats, but Buffalo lost and the offense was not as dynamic as it was with Brown in the lineup the first few games.

RB TJ Yeldon

In a surprise, TJ Yeldon finished the game as Buffalo’s leading rusher with 52 yards, which included a 34-yard scamper. Yeldon also had a 22-yard touchdown catch. And we can’t forgot, he did win Bills Wire’s Player of the Game. Good day at the office for a guy who is typically inactive on game day.

DT Harrison Phillips/ DT Vernon Butler

These guys won’t show up much in the box score, but the Bills held Titans running back Derrick Henry to 3.0 yards per carry because of some good plays by these guys. A big part of the time when Henry gained anything over three yards, he was bouncing runs to the outside because either Harrison Phillips or Vernon Butler were right in his face. Problem is, these two also didn’t get much help after they did their jobs.

WR Cole Beasley

Cole Beasley had six catches for 53 yards. A solid stat line for him… and it’s an even better one considering that was his work from just one half of the game. Beasley had zero targets in the first half. Why wasn’t he involved earlier?

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