Tag: boogie basham

Report card: Bills romp Texans, 40-0

Report Card: #Bills romp #Texans, 40-0 (via @NateMendelson):

Well, even the losses are bigger in Texas.

The Buffalo Bills decimated the Houston Texans 40-0, and move to 3-1 ahead of next Sunday’s premier matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Following the Bills’ win, here’s how Bills Wire graded Buffalo out in the week’s report card:

Instant analysis: Bills overwhelm Texans in Week 4 blowout

Instant analysis: #Bills overwhelm #Texans in Week 4 blowout (via @jdiloro):

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Houston Texans 40-0 in a rain-soaked affair, one in which the weather put limitations on big plays and promoted some sloppy play.

For the Bills, it was all too easy. It’s mind-blowing that the Texans have a win this season, as the large underdogs played like a team that was quite overmatched. This was on display from the get-go, as Houston’s offense resembled a junior varsity squad facing off against a varsity defense. Davis Mills was 1-for-7 for three passing yards in the first half. With two sacks by Buffalo, the Bills “allowed” -23 net passing yards in the first half.

Buffalo used the game as an opportunity to try out some new things. The offensive line was shuffled, starting Ike Boettger and Spencer Brown while moving Darryl Williams to the guard spot. The Bills worked a downhill running game to salt this game away. Even Emmanual Sanders was involved in the run game.

After an opening play miscue by Buffalo’s offense in which it appeared that quarterback Josh Allen and wide receiver Stefon Diggs were not on the same page, leading to an interception, the unit settled in and moved the ball methodically throughout the game.

Dawson Knox opened the scoring for the game, reeling in a 25-yard touchdown pass from Allen. It is the third straight game in which Knox has scored a touchdown.

The only concerning deal from this game was that the Bills were unable to finish some drives with touchdowns. Kicker Tyler Bass was good with four field goals. It harkened back to the Buffalo game against the New York Jets when Bass hit six field goals in the game, scoring all 18 points for Buffalo. This is a stretch for the biggest negative on the afternoon.

The Bills offense pushed down the field once again early in the fourth quarter, as the Buffalo offense capped off an 11-play drive with Knox’s second touchdown of the game.  Knox was wide open on the receiving end of a one-yard pass.

Davis Mills had little chance again the Buffalo’s defense.  Star Lotulelei and Boogie Basham recorded sacks. Tremaine Edmunds, Micah Hyde, Tyler Matakevich, and Jaquan Johnson picked off the rookie quarterback. AJ Klein forced a fourth-quarter fumble.

It was quite a stat-building game for Buffalo’s defense. The Bills defensive unit allowed 109 total yards. Houston was credited with only 61 net passing yards.

Buffalo’s defense earned the shutout by getting everyone involved in the game. Deep bench players saw the field and helped close out this affair.

It just didn’t appear that the Texans should have been on the same field as the Bills. And, this was without Buffalo firing on all cylinders. The Bills ground out a 40-point victory, which is quite an accomplishment.

The only real concern from the game stems from Matt Milano’s hamstring. Milano, one of the top linebackers in the league this season, left in the second quarter. His status will be updated later throughout the week.

The road for the Bills becomes much more challenging next week, as the Bills travel to Arrowhead for a Sunday Night class with the Chiefs.

PFF ranks Buffalo Bills defense among NFL’s top tier

PFF ranks Buffalo #Bills defense among NFL’s top tier:

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Pro Football Focus named the Buffalo Bills’ defense at the top of the 32 teams in the NFL of their latest rankings of the best and worst defenses in the league heading into Week 4 of the 2021 season.

And they may have affirmed something many have suspected. That the Bills are currently back to a high level of performance on the defensive side of the ball.

This level of performance is more comparable to their first couple seasons under Sean McDermott than in the 2020 season when the team saw an uncharacteristic drop in production.

This latest PFF poll looks favorably on Buffalo as a team on the rise, with high grades against play (2), the run (3), and (4).

Here is what PFF had to say about the Bills defensive play:

Only the Carolina Panthers have allowed a lower expected points added (EPA) per play figure than the Buffalo Bills this season, continuing the team’s recent history of outstanding defensive results. Second-year defensive lineman A.J. Epenesa looks like a different player compared to his rookie season and is already more than halfway toward surpassing his pressure total from 2020. Epenesa doesn’t have a sack yet, but he’s racked up 11 total pressures and been even better in the run game.

The Bills’ defense is allowing just 4.3 yards per play, the third-best mark in the league. Missed tackles were the team’s Achilles’ heel a season ago, but they rank almost exactly average through three games, with 25 misses combined.

The team was active this offseason in adding depth to their DE group drafting an immediate impact player in first-rounder Greg Rousseau who has quickly exceeded expectations. Adding a big pressure player from the edge rush opposite of fellow big DE AJ Epenesa has led to the two pressuring pockets and opposing QB’s.

Field general Tremaine Edmunds leads a group that includes players looking to take the next step, such as Ed Oliver, as well as veterans like the returning Star Lotulelei who sat out last year’s COVID-impacted season. They are joined by new faces looking to make an impact as well, like second-round 2021 draft pick DE Boogie Basham.

With a replenished defensive group, the 2020 campaign appears to be in the rearview for a team with Super Bowl aspirations in a 2021 season well underway.

They will have a chance to continue to develop as they host the Houston Texans in NFL Week 4, before facing the next big test of the year with a trip to Kansas City for an AFC Championship game rematch against the Chiefs in Week 5.

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What Sean McDermott said about Bills’ scratches Zach Moss, Boogie Basham

What #Bills coach Sean McDermott said on the radio about RB Zack Moss, DE Boogie Basham being scratched:

Sean McDermott and the Buffalo Bills (0-1) turned some heads in Week 1 before even kicking off against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team’s inactives had some surprises.

The first of two was running back Zack Moss. Expected to be a contributor after a promising rookie season, McDermott said earlier this week that Moss being left on the sideline had to do with “numbers.”

Now, a different tune.

Speaking to the team’s radio broadcast partner, WGR-550, on Friday, the coach now attributed some of the reasoning to Moss being injured.

“Zack missed quite a bit of training camp for us and was out so we’ll see where it goes this week,” McDermott said.

Between rehabbing his broken ankle from last year’s playoff run and a hamstring injury in training camp, the second-year rusher certainly has had to work to get back on the field.

But this is a change of reasoning from the coach. Previously it sounded like Moss was jumped on the depth chart by both by Devin Singletary and Matt Breida.

Now maybe we’ll get a dose of Moss this week against the Miami Dolphins (1-0), if healthy. McDermott did add that he liked the way the running back practiced during the week.

Along with Moss, Boogie Basham was also scratched.

Bills fans might be able to swallow the pill of the second-round pass rusher being an opening-day healthy scratch because that same thing happened to AJ Epenesa last year… This still doesn’t make it the norm.

In many cases, a second-round pick is a difference maker on game days. At minimum, they’re not standing in the press box, when healthy.

McDermott did not exactly provide much detail when discussing why Basham wasn’t playing against the Steelers, though.

“It’s tough, it’s always tough. Those are two good football players,” McDermott said. “We’ll see where it goes this week. Two young players that continue to develop for us.”

Time will tell when Basham will get a chance to further his development on the field, in a game setting.

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WATCH: Brian Baldinger breaks down Boogie Basham pass rush

WATCH: Brian Baldinger breaks down #Bills DE Boogie Basham pass rush:

“That Carlos Basham has got skills, man.”

NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger didn’t mince words when breaking down the play of the Buffalo Bills’ rookie defensive end. Earlier this week, the former NFLer-turned-analyst was certainly impressed with the way Basham played against the Chicago Bears.

Before watching Basham and the Bills host the Green Bay Packers on Saturday, check out what Baldinger had to say about Basham here:

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What Greg Rousseau, Sean McDermott said about first sack in preseason win

What Greg Rousseau, Sean McDermott said about first sack in #Bills preseason win vs. the #Lions:

The Buffalo Bills beat the Detroit Lions 16-15 in a late-game comeback Friday in the Motor City.

One of the big stories of the game was the pocket pressure that came by way of Buffalo’s defensive end group throughout the contest.

The team made headlines this year using their first and second-round picks in the 2021 NFL Draft to select players at the same position, defensive ends Gregory Rousseau and Boogie Basham.

This, only a year after using their highest selection in the 2020 draft to take edge rusher A.J. Epenesa.

These young players on the Bills defense are looking to impact games for a chance at more time in their position group rotation in the regular season.

And on Friday’s first live game competition, they did just that.

The 30th overall pick in 2021, Rousseau had 11 pass rushes, including three pressures, and a sack. That sack came early in the first quarter against none other than the seventh overall pick from the same draft class, Penei Sewell, who Rousseau powered his way around to push Lions QB Jared Goff to the ground.

After the game, the rookie who sat out last season at Miami was asked about the play.

“I just got off the ball, made sure I worked my hands, I think I did like a little stutter bull, and I saw Jared Goff and I tried to reach out and get him,” Rousseau said while addressing the media. “It was really great to be back out there, it was a lot of fun, the D-line we’re really tight, we live for things like that, the whole team does.”

The pressure created by Rousseau and Epenesa on the corners in closing and collapsing the pocket could be a preview of things to come, and the rookie knows it took the whole defense to get to the QB.

“It was a great feeling to get my first sack, and to be able to get back there,” Rousseau added. “But really it’s a testament to the whole defense, the secondary holding up in coverage, the other three D-lineman rushing their butts off, so really even though if I got the sack or whoever got the sack, it’s really a team effort and I’m glad we got him done.”

Rousseau wasn’t the only one happy with the results of his first game as a Bill, as head coach Sean McDermott shared his thoughts on the play.

“That’s what we want to see,” said McDermott during his media session. “We want to improve our pass rush, we were very intentional about that this offseason, so it’s good to see in particular against a guy that was picked high like Penei.”

The Bills defensive contributions didn’t stop there, 61st overall pick, Basham had a productive day as well.

While outsized at times, he was unrelenting in pressuring Detroit’s offense. It paid off in the third quarter when he combined with DE Darryl Johnson for a sack.

Free-agent addition Efe Obada joined him in making their presence felt. He played the inside and outside, and broke up a running play in the middle on fourth down.

While both players were each called during the game for roughing the passer penalties, they were part of the consistent effort that gave the Lions’ offense headaches.

The two lined up inside during the final minutes of the game with Epenesa and Rousseau on the edges, hinting at packages opposing offenses might see this season with their added versatility, size, and strength.

If this first preseason gameplay is any indication, early returns on the Bills’ DE group appear favorable. 

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