Tag: bills

5 Chargers games most likely to be prime time in 2020

The Los Angeles Chargers should garner the attention of prime time television in 2020.

The NFL will announce the regular season schedule for 2020 on Thursday at 5 p.m. PT. We already know who the Chargers’ opponents will be, but just don’t know the dates and times.

From that list of opponents, we can predict which games might get national attention on prime time television. Los Angeles played in three nationally televised games in 2019.

L.A. didn’t have a lot of success last season, finishing 5-11. However, given the talent on the roster, the fact that a new era at the quarterback begins, and they’re moving into a new stadium, they should be sure to earn the spotlight.

With that, here are five games that could be prime time this upcoming season:

Chargers at Saints

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

The next time that the Chargers will play the Saints will be in 2024, which is likely the same year that New Orleans will have a new quarterback because Drew Brees is nearing the final leg of his professional career.

This would be the perfect opportunity to nationally televise Brees play against the team that originally drafted him back in 2001 one last time. Since Brees took over under center for the Saints in 2006, the Bolts have suffered defeat all three of their meetings.

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Bills GM Brandon Beane again explains reasoning behind Jake Fromm pick

Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane went into detail on why he picked Georgia football QB Jake Fromm when Josh Allen and Matt Barkley are there.

Buffalo Bills general manager Brandon Beane has fielded a ton of questions about his selection of Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Beane made it clear that he never planned on taking Fromm, but when the Bills were on the clock and Fromm was still available, it was “too good to pass up.”

The pick came as a surprise. Buffalo already has its definite starter under center in third year pro Josh Allen, who played collegiately at Wyoming.

Behind Allen on the depth chart is Southern Cal’s Matt Barkley.

Some thought that the reason he took Fromm was to motivate Allen with a little competition. Though that will end up being the case, Beane said that drafting Fromm was not meant to send a message to his starting quarterback.

“There’s no message at all,” Beane said. “We believe in Josh.

Recently, Beane joined Pro Football Talk to again explain the thought-process behind drafting Fromm:

“He wasn’t in our plans, he really wasn’t,” Beane said. “But you set your board and if a player is sticking out especially at the quarterback, that is the premium position in all sports, and is definitely in our game. So we had a pretty good grade on Jake and he was clearly sticking out on our board, the highest player, and unless you got three guys that you are going, ‘Man, we are set for years to come,’ why would you ignore the premium position? And that is why we selected Jake, and he is a winner.”

Beane then went on to discuss what Fromm did at Georgia in terms of beating out two five-star quarterbacks in Jacob Eason and Justin Fields.

“If you look at what he did, he held off [Jacob] Eason who ended up transferring, and then he held off Justin Fields who is at Ohio State, so he has got to have something to him,” Beane explained. “He is very smart and scored very high on the Wonderlic. If he had all the measurables, if he was 6’5” with a cannon arm, this was a guy that would have been talked about a lot higher.”

NFL team win total best bets: How many games will the Buffalo Bills win in 2020?

Assessing the Buffalo Bills’ projected win total for the 2020 NFL season, with best bets for their Over/Under.

How many games will the Buffalo Bills win in the 2020 NFL season? We look at BetMGM‘s projected win total and the Over/Under odds, while looking back at the 2019 season and key offseason roster changes.

Buffalo Bills’ 2019 season

The Bills picked up 10 victories in 2019, qualifying for an AFC wild-card spot. They were particularly impressive on the road, going 6-2 straight up as opposed to 4-4 SU at home, and they were a favorite of bettors, too.

The Bills were 9-5-2 against the spread during the regular season, with the Under cashing in 12 of their 16 games, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most Under results in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills’ 2020 offseason changes

The Bills made a huge splash when they acquired WR Stefon Diggs via trade from the Minnesota Vikings for draft picks. LB Mario Addison, CB Josh Norman and OT Daryl Williams were also added via free agency, while RB Frank Gore, CB Kevin Johnson, DE Shaq Lawson and DT Jordan Phillips declared for free agency.

The team also added EDGE A.J. Epenesa in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, RB Zack Moss in the third round, WR Gabriel Davis in the fourth, QB Jake Fromm in the fifth, PK Tyler Bass and WR Isaiah Hodgins in the sixth and CB Dane Jackson in the seventh round.

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Buffalo Bills’ 2020 opponents

The Bills face the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Pittsburgh Steelers at home, in addition to hosting the division rival Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and New York Jets.

On the road, the Bills will travel to meet the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans, as well as the Dolphins, Patriots and Jets.

Buffalo Bills’ 2020 win total: Best bet

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Friday, May 1 at 10:45 a.m. ET.

Projected wins: 8.5 / OVER: -162 / UNDER: +135

The Bills made some huge splashes this offseason, and they had a very good draft in the eyes of most talking heads. Buffalo is trending in the right direction, and with QB Tom Brady finally gone from the hated Patriots, many feel the Bills are now the favorites to win the AFC East.

The schedule looks rather daunting, especially since they have to face both teams who played in the Super Bowl a season ago, however playing OVER 8.5 wins (-162) is the way to go. This team won 10 games last season and has gotten better during the offseason.

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Bills GM: Jake Fromm selection does not ‘send message’ to Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills GM Brandon Beane says that the selection of Georgia football QB Jake Fromm does not threaten Josh Allen’s starting spot.

In the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Buffalo Bills selected Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm.

The pick came as a surprise. Buffalo already has its definite starter under center in third year pro Josh Allen, who played collegiately at Wyoming.

Behind Allen on the depth chart is Southern Cal’s Matt Barkley.

The selection of Fromm, a decorated collegiate quarterback who went 35-7 during his three years at Georgia, is in no way a threat to Allen, said Bills general manager Brandon Beane. He said they took Fromm because ‘he was too good to pass up.’

The Bills GM was asked about the pick again recently.

Here’s his response:

“No, there’s no message at all,” Beane said. “We believe in Josh.

“That’s been the whole goal, to add weapons. We didn’t score enough points last year and that starts with me. Giving him and [offensive coordinator] Brian Daboll as much, as many weapons as we can. Adding Fromm was just… a guy that we had on our board that we really thought had a great college career and he’s very smart. He’ll add to the competition to backup Josh, but Josh is our entrenched starter.”

Don’t expect Fromm to take Allen’s starting spot. But if Allen goes down or struggles with his game, it will be interesting to see who gets the nod between Fromm and Barkley.

“I wouldn’t have told you going into today (draft day) that he was on our radar, but we had him in a spot that you just can’t ignore and we gave him his due,” Beane said. “This guy, he’s a winner at the highest level of college. You look at all the guys that come out of the SEC … He’s got all the intangibles. He’s smart.”

Over/Under: Projecting Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen’s stats

Projecting Josh Allen’s 2020 passing statistics and how they match up with the over/under betting odds.

Looking forward to the 2020 NFL season, it’s time to start breaking down how individual players will do statistically. Today we focus on Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen’s projected passing numbers and how they match up against future odds at BetMGM sportsbook.

Josh Allen’s stats history

Allen will be entering his third season in the league. After a rookie campaign with 2,074 passing yards, 10 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions, he played much better in 2019, leading the Bills to the postseason. He finished his sophomore season with 3,089 passing yards, 20 TD passes and nine interceptions. With talented WR Stefon Diggs and recently-drafted RB Zach Moss, the Bills’ third-round pick, being added in the offseason, Allen should be able to build on those numbers.

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Josh Allen’s projected stats and odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Monday, April 27 at 1:20 a.m. ET.

Passing Yards: 3,349.5 / OVER: -110 / UNDER: -110

Passing Touchdowns: 20.5 / OVER: -125 / UNDER: +105

Looking ahead to 2020, Allen should see a bump in production. The Bills have more talent on offense, especially with Diggs. Passing for 3,349.5 yards would only rank 19th last season. That is a reasonable expectation for Allen in 2020. Throwing more than 20 touchdowns would put him in the top 20 last season. BET THE OVERS ON BOTH PROPS.

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PODCAST: Bills 2020 Draft recap; How’d they do?

Buffalo Bills Wire podcast on the Buffalo Bills and 2020 NFL Draft.

For the first time in seemingly forever, the Buffalo Bills entered a NFL Draft without much need for urgency.

Of course, you want to hit at every pick, but it was nice to know that the future of the team didn’t ultimately depend on any selections made in this 2020 draft.

Utilizing their seven draft picks, Beane acquired it’s highest priority, a second running back to complement Devin Singletary. He also grabbed depth at receiver, adding two pieces to aide join the likes of Diggs, Beasley, Brown and others. A quality prospect for the defensive line, and a cornerback were sprinkled in as well.

Perhaps the most surprising choices were quarterback Jake Fromm and kicker Tyler Bass. Those two choices have been quite the discussion topic in the stratosphere of Buffalo social media. Regardless of what side you are on, how long has it’s been since the Bills could get away with something like this? It’s a good feeling.

Billswire Podcast Hosts Matt Johnson and Jeremy Juhasz recap the weekend, and discuss the newest acquisitions:

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Brandon Beane: Bills QB Jake Fromm will earn spot

Buffalo Bills general manager says 2020 NFL Draft QB Jake Fromm will earn spot.

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With a selection that came as a surprise to many, the Buffalo Bills took quarterback Jake Fromm with pick No. 167 in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Adding a relatively known QB to the Bills roster with Josh Allen and recently extended backup Matt Barkley raises some questions. There were several other positions that could have used depth. 

But Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane didn’t bounce around the question, Fromm was the best player available on the Bills’ draft board when they were on the clock. 

“Simple as the [draft] board,” Beane said. “I wouldn’t have told you going into the day that (Fromm) was on our radar. But we had him in a spot that you just can’t ignore.”

“He’s a winner at the highest level of college. He’s got all the intangibles,” Beane added. 

But that doesn’t answer the question everyone is wondering. What will happen with Fromm? Well, he’s going to be treated the same as Allen, Barkley, and everyone else. 

“He’ll have to earn a spot,” Beane said. “I don’t know if he could knock Matt Barkley.”

The biggest knock on Fromm during the pre-draft process was likely some of his work at the combine. His hands measured in under the traditionally wanted nine inches and his arm is not the strongest you’ll find. With that in mind, Fromm is kind of the oppose of Allen. His arm isn’t big and he’s not the mobile type. 

Only time will tell as to how the Bills will approach this situation. Beane didn’t rule out the possibility of using three roster spots on quarterbacks for the upcoming season. The last time the Bills did so, it Joe Webb, a special teamer, was the third guy. Davis Webb is also on Buffalo’s practice squad. 

However the Bills approach it, they have a prospective starter in the backup roll. It’s unlikely that there will be a QB controversy, but, in the case that Josh Allen can not succeed with the plethora of talent around him, Fromm could eventually find himself in a much larger role within the Bills offense. We’ll cross that road when we get there.

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Instant analysis: Bills add overlooked Dane Jackson to finish 2020 draft

The Buffalo Bills put a cap on its 2020 NFL Draft class by selecting Pitt Panther cornerback Dane Jackson. 

The Buffalo Bills put a cap on its 2020 NFL Draft class by selecting Pitt Panther cornerback Dane Jackson in the seventh round at pick No. 239.

Projected as a nickel corner at the NFL level, Jackson flashes good footwork and stays on the hip of receivers. He has unparalleled competitiveness and feistiness, playing bigger than his size would indicate. This aggressiveness dovetails into his willingness in run support. Sometimes that aggressiveness leads to penalties.

As a senior, Jackson earned second-team All-ACC honors as a 13-game starter. He accumulated 43 tackles, three for loss, one interception and a team-high 12 pass breakups.

Even though Jackson does not jump off the charts in terms of athletic testing, he had a good showing at the Senior Bowl, which likely helped his stock. In fact, don’t sleep on Jackson. While Buffalo’s final draft pick, he was labeled at a fifth-round pick by NFL.com prior to the draft and he fell to the Bills.

With the Bills, Jackson has the opportunity to compete for roles on special teams and offers depth in sub-packages. He will have to beat out the likes of Taron Johnson, Siran Neal and safety Jaquan Johnson for a roster position. His a 6-foot, 187-pound frame probably keeps him away from seeing time competing outside as a boundary corner, at least early in his career.

At this point in the draft, you believe coaching can refine Jackson’s technique and vulnerability to penalties. However, the willingness and competitiveness is there, so at the very least you bring in an ultimate competitor and three-year starter to push veterans already on the roster.

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Instant analysis: QB competition? Bills take Jake Fromm at 2020 draft

In a bit of a surprise, the Buffalo Bills ended the long anticipated wait for Georgia QB Jake Fromm taking the former Bulldog in Round 5 at pick No. 167 in the 2020 NFL Draft. 

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In a bit of a surprise, the Buffalo Bills ended the long-anticipated wait for Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm, taking the former Bulldog in Round 5 at pick No. 167 at the 2020 NFL Draft.

This is beyond intriguing, to say the least.

For starters, Fromm is the complete opposite of Josh Allen as a quarterback in so many aspects. Fromm relies on anticipation and rhythm, not the fastball, big arm and dual-threat skills. Fromm is careful and a heady game-manager with great processing, recognition and scans the entire field. He enters the NFL from a perennial national contending program in the SEC, not the Mountain West. While the differences are striking, the marriage may be a perfect blend in the QB room with Allen helping Fromm and Fromm helping to prepare Allen. He’s not going to push Allen for playing time right away, rather…

Matt Barkley, take notice…

For many reasons, you quickly understand the selection from the Bills’ perspective for many reasons.

Ultimately Fromm signifies a developmental player and security blanket in case Allen were to miss a significant amount of time. Due to Allen’s aggressive playing style, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane wanted insurance and was likely to bring another QB in the fold anyway this offseason.  The value this late in the draft justifies the selection as well. Did head coach Sean McDermott and Beane also want to keep another QB heading to the Patriots?

Fromm was a durable leader throughout his collegiate career and leaves behind a legacy of one of the winningest quarterbacks to ever play for Georgia. He finished fourth in school history in passing yards (8,224), second in touchdowns (78), fourth in completions (621), and fifth in attempts (982). His career completion percentage of 63.2 percent ranks third in school history.

A high-character quarterback, Fromm lacks raw skills but possesses all the intangibles that you would want in a backup.

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