By the numbers: Important stats to know from Bills’ loss to Browns

Numbers and stats to know from the Buffalo Bills’ 19-16 loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 10.

This type of loss, the optimism turned gut-wrenching, was all-too familiar.

The Bills had a chance to pull even, at the very least, in the waning moments of a 19-16 loss to the Browns.

There was more to the loss than questionable play-calling, a few poor reads from the quarterback and a lackluster afternoon for the kicker. It’s easy to pile on – we’re all guilty of it – but there’s plenty of blame to go around.

As the dust settled, here are important stats and numbers to know from the Bills’ Week 10 loss to the Browns:

116

In what’s becoming a bit of a trend here at By The Numbers, the Bills rushing defense is garnering (negative) attention. Cleveland running back went for 116 yards on 20 carries – the second straight week in which Buffalo has allowed a 100-yard rusher. The Browns rushed for 147 yards as a team on 26 carries, good enough for 5.7 yards per carry.

The Bills rank 21st in the NFL, allowing 115.6 rushing yards per game. The troubling trend has worsened in recent weeks; Buffalo has allowed an average of 164 yards per game over the last three games; only Carolina (172 per game) ranks worse.

Zero

Buffalo’s defense had a golden opportunity to wreak havoc against Baker Mayfield and the Browns Sunday. Mayfield entered the afternoon with 12 interceptions, tied for most in the league with Jameis Winston. Arizona picked off Winston twice, while the Bills failed to generate a turnover.
Instead, Buffalo allowed Mayfield to throw for 238 yards and two touchdowns on 26 of 38 passing and a season high 102.7 quarterback rating.

Missed opportunities have become too much a trend of late, as the Bills have forced just one turnover over their last three games and three since the bye week. Prior to the bye, Buffalo forced eight turnovers in five games.

23

Ed Oliver played just 23 of 70 defensive snaps (33 percent) Sunday. Oliver saw the field on fewer plays than his counterparts Jordan Phillips (50 snaps) and Star Lotulelei (49). Newly acquired Corey Liuget played 17 snaps.

Oliver, Buffalo’s first round pick in 2019, has not started either of the last two games and has played 50 percent or more of the defensive snaps just once since the bye week. He failed to record a stat of note Sunday – marking the first such occasion of his career.

62.7 percent

Everyone wants to talk about Stephen Hauschka. The 34-yard miss was unforgivable, granted. You’ll get no argument there. For his career, prior to the miss from 34, Hauschka converted 96.5 percent (85 of 88) of his kicks between 30 and 39 yards. That was brutal.

As for the 53 yarder he missed on Buffalo’s last drive, it’s a bit more excusable. Prior to the fateful miss, he hit on 64.3 percent (27 of 42) of his kicks from 50 yards or more. The miss drops Hauschka to 62.7 percent – hardly gimme range. In his three years in Buffalo, he is now 11 of 19 from kicks from 50 yards or further.

-6.0

Buffalo will wrap up a two-week road trip with a trip to Miami in Week 11 to take on the Dolphins. Miami is riding a two-game winning streak and just knocked off Colts in Indianapolis.

The Bills, who opened as six-point favorites, will be eyeing the first sweep of the Dolphins since 2017.

An impressive road win would be a reprieve of sorts heading into the home stretch of what should still be a playoff-caliber season. On the other hand, a loss might signal the wheels falling off the wagon.

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Brian Daboll discusses late pass vs. Browns: ‘I should’ve given them a better play’

Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll on late pass play vs. Cleveland Browns in Week 10.

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The Bills’ mantra of “culture” dictates there’s no room for finger pointing in Sean McDermott’s house of process.

But the Bills offense did fumble, metaphorically, down the stretch against the Browns during their 19-16 loss in Week 10. It was one step forward and a bunch back.

Quarterback Josh Allen hit rookie running back Devin Singletary with a quick pass just short of the first down near the sideline. The good stopped there. The receiver didn’t get out of bounds.

Buffalo huddled with less than a minute on the clock with that same clock still running thanks to Singletary not getting out of bounds, something head coach Sean McDermott admitted “wasn’t part of the plan.”

What was part of the plan, according to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll was what ensured.

After Singletary’s six-yard gain on second down setting up a third-and-4 scenario, Allen tossed a deep pass to wideout John Brown down the right sideline. That pass with Browns defensive back Denzel Ward in coverage fell incomplete and moments later, Stephen Hauschka’s kick from 53 yards missed and the Bills lost.

Replays showed that slot target Cole Beasley was likely open enough over the middle to gain a first down. But Allen opted to go deep.

Daboll broke down everything about the play on Monday.

The coach defended Allen’s decision, but with Beasley in mind, also added that’s a hard play to make, especially when the Browns dialed up a blitz on the play. He also kept in-step with taking some blame himself.

“(Allen) has to make a split-second decision when you have all those people up at the line of scrimmage in there. And the blitz, he has to make a quick read on that. We had a three-man route combination over to the left, and he had a one-on-one with John to the right, and threw it up there, and we just didn’t connect on it,” Daboll said.

“I should’ve given them a better play,” Daboll later added.

But with what Allen had to work with, such as the play called and blitz, Daboll defended that throw to Brown. It appeared to a throw tossed behind Brown, but Daboll indicated that it was an intended back-shoulder throw that didn’t connect, a similar play the Bills have run throughout the season.

“Let’s hit it and win it. We have a one-on-one matchup,” Daboll recalled of his thoughts in the moment. “It wasn’t the same play, but similar to the third down and whatever it was against the Jets, with Smoke on the left hand side, where he caught it and ran into the end zone. You have to have confidence in your guys. You hit some and you don’t.”

Of course, Allen didn’t have a problem with the play after the game, either. He took responsibility as well immediately following th eloss.

“Put the blame on me,” Allen said. “I didn’t play well enough today.”

Buffalo’s second-year quarterback still appears to have some growing pains to go through. The deep pass falling incomplete stung a bit more because of the nature of the pass. According to The Athletic, the Bills QB is 0-for-16 on passes that have traveled more than 30 yards in the air this season. There’s also the decision not to look Beasley’s way, really at all, to consider as well. That’s a concerning trend.

After the way things unfolded, the Bills will hope Allen learns from such a scenario to better prep himself while the game is on the line and that the learning experience didn’t cost them a potential playoff spot in the coming weeks.

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Bills snap counts: Depth chart breakdown vs. Browns

Buffalo Bills snap counts vs. Cleveland Browns in Week 10, 2019.

Buffalo Bills tight end Dawson Knox. Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

The Bills fell is another gross game against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10, 19-16.

Buffalo falls to 6-3 on the year and with the loss and news around the league, the loss looks like a big one.

Who played the biggest and smallest roles in Buffalo’s defeat?

Here’s a full depth chart break down via snap counts for the Bills vs. the Browns in Week 10:

Offense

Notes:

The rotation at right tackle resumed with a health Cody Ford (elbow) in the lineup. Veteran Ty Nsekhe played in 61 percent of snaps while the rookie saw 41 percent.
Tight end Lee Smith took two penalties in only 18 snaps played vs. the Browns.
Rookie running back Devin Singletary was the No. 1 in terms of snap counts playing in 67 percent of snaps as opposed to Frank Gore’s 33 percent, but Singletary only have eight carries in the game.
Rookie tight end Dawson Knox played more snaps than veteran Tyler Kroft for the second-straight week, 58 percent to 43 percent.
In terms of snap counts, Isaiah McKenzie saw another big role for the Bills. He played in 66 percent of snaps last week, second-most amongst his position. Against the Browns, he played in 54 percent, trailing Cole Beasley’s 67 percent and John Brown’s 93 percent.

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PODCAST: Did the Bills offense hand the Browns a win?

Buffalo Bills podcast following Week 10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The Buffalo Bills failed to defeat the Cleveland Browns, falling 19-16 in Cleveland to fall to 6-3 on the season. While at first glance, it’s easy to point the finger at kicker Stephen Haushcka for missing a game-tying field goal, the problem is much deeper, yet obvious.

For months, many of the Bills critics have questioned the Bills offense, with much push back from biased “Billievers” and Josh Allen apologists. If this game doesn’t change those opinions, nothing will. Poor clock management, conservative play-calling and key plays not extending drives were all a major part of this team’s misfortunes in Cleveland.

Daboll has been a figure who, if this Bills season goes south quick, could find himself as the scapegoat when it comes to appeasing the fan base at the end of the season. His play calling has seemingly limited this offenses potential, and does not look as explosive as it could. It has even led many to believe that Josh Allen isn’t the franchise quarterback that the team thought he was.

Fortunately for Buffalo, if there is anything positive to examine, the Bills are not down and out, and have the opportunity to build their cushion as the first Wild Card spot, although there are some teams beginning to catch up.

Billswire Podcast Hosts Matt and Jeremy discuss the Week 10 loss to the Cleveland Browns:

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Tag: Browns