Bills QB Josh Allen’s 52-yard tightrope pass had this unique stat
The Buffalo Bills experienced the first loss of the season, falling 35-10 to the Baltimore Ravens.
While the Bills certainly had their struggles during the game, quarterback Josh Allen did take several big shots downfield.
While receiver Keon Coleman and tight end Dalton Kincaid missed on some contested jump balls that would have made for some big time plays, the game had some highlight reel plays as well.
Those highlights were headlined by Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who managed to complete his latest jaw-dropping play.
On a 3rd-and-5 possession in the third quarter, Allen threw a lofty pass 52-yards for a completion to receiver Khalil Shakir.
What’s more, the play featured some interesting Next Gen Stats that stood out…
Josh Allen was 0.9 yards away from the sideline when he threw a 52-yard completion to Khalil Shakir.
Since entering the NFL in 2018, Allen has completed 6 of 7 passes for 118 yards & 3 TDs within a yard of the sideline. The rest of the NFL is 1 for 16.
Allen was less than a yard from the sideline when he completed the throw before going out of bounds, and Shakir adjusted to haul in the catch for the big gain.
While the play was a big one on its own, it also puts Allen into an interesting category.
Since his rookie season in 2018, the Bills QB has completed 6-of-7 such passes within a single yard of the sideline on plays he’s extended.
What’s more, those went for 118 yards with 3 touchdown scores.
While evading tackles to accomplish such a feat on passes within a yard from going out of bounds is, in and of itself impressive, it’s the basis for comparison that goes even further as to distinguish how special that ability is.
On passes within less than a yard of the sideline, the rest of the NFL is only 1-for-16 on such attempts.
Allen’s been impressive overall so far this season, ranking in the top ten of passers in the league in completion percentage as well as touchdowns, and going for 198 straight pass attempts without an interception.
Bills lock room weigh-in following loss to Ravens: ‘Got to be better’
[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media]The Buffalo Bills lost their first game this season, 35-10 to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night.
The Bills coaching staff has some important things to look at in terms of what could have been done differently, and their players are doing so as well.
The Ravens scored an 87-yard rushing touchdown courtesy of RB Derrick Henry. He would have almost 200 yards on the ground in the game.
The Bills defense allowed almost 300 yards of offense in the first half alone, allowing a 21-3 lead in that first half, not to mention the total 35 points.
Linebacker Baylon Spector took responsibility and commented on the defensive issues that allowed Henry to have the success he did.
“I gotta do a better job communicating, getting everyone lined up, gotta read the keys,” he said.
Spector, who has stepped up in the absence of starting inside linebacker, captain, and defensive play-caller Terrel Bernard, recovered a Lamar Jackson fumble during the contest and also noted the importance of repeating and communication.
“We just got to come out and be ready to play; come out and communicate,” he added. “I’ve got to do a better job of communicating. I’ve got to do a better job of getting the guys on the same page and getting everyone ready to go.”
Starting defensive tackle DaQuan Jones also chimed in on how they can examine what led to Henry’s big effort against the Bills defense.
“We’ll know when we watch the film,” Jones said. “They just kept getting them creases and Derrick is one of those backs, you give him a lane and he’ll take it to the crib and first play of the game, he did that, and I felt that got them in a rhythm and that kept them going after that.”
Special teams had a missed Tyler Bass field goal, and the Bills offense struggled to get on score board and comeback in the game.
“Not everything was bad in this game,” the Bills QB said postgame. “I don’t want us to come away from this saying ‘We’re the worst.’ A lot to learn from. I’m glad this happened early in the season so we can correct things.”
Allen knows a loss of this kind is both one to glean from as well as one to move on from to focus on the team’s next road opponent, another AFC contender in the Houston Texas.
“A lot to learn from,” Allen said. “We’ll watch this tape, learn from it, flush it, and look to the next.”
Bills’ Sean McDermott on Ravens loss: ‘They outplayed us’
The Buffalo Bills had their first loss of their 2024 NFL season on Sunday Night Football this weekend, falling 35-10 on the road in Baltimore.
After a strong 3-0 start, the Bills seemed to be soaring following their biggest effort of this year’s campaign, and one of their strongest outings with Josh Allen under center, in a 47-10 rout of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
But the Ravens quickly grounded them in NFL Week 4, and Buffalo found itself on the receiving end of the type of dominant performance they had delivered to the Jags.
The Bills struggled on and off the field and lost in all three phases, and their head coach commented on that after the game.
“Give credit where credit is due, Baltimore Ravens came out and they beat us,” Sean McDermott said to the press. “They outplayed us. They outcoached us, and we’ve got to identify the problems and get them fixed.”
Baltimore scored early on an 87-yard touchdown run by Derrick Henry, and never looked back, dominating the rest of the way.
“Schemed up well, yes, because they executed and we really didn’t even touch the running back,” head coach Sean McDermott said about Henry’s run. “They ran what we call ‘wham’ exactly our three-technique there. We’ve got to be in better position. I know we’ve done that before, so that’s one of the things.”
It was a tough night overall for the Bills coaching staff.
The Ravens out-schemed them in this matchup, Buffalo was slow to adjust until the second half and was not aggressive on some 4th-and-1 plays, and mismanaged the following sets of downs after conversions on others.
Then there was that failed trick play.
With the Bills trailing 21-10 in the third quarter, offensive coordinator Joe Brady dialed up a trick call on 2nd-and-7 that fell apart at the line of scrimmage.
Quarterback Josh Allen lined up at receiver, while receiver Curtis Samuel lined up at quarterback, flipping the ball to Allen, who then got hit and stripped of the pass from a hit by Kyle Van Noy who had broken through to get to the QB. The target, WR Mack Hollins, had been in double coverage downfield, and the Ravens recovered the fumble.
“I think that’s something Joe and I will talk about and something we’ll learn from,” McDermott noted. “Certainly a momentum change right there.”
Obviously the timing of the play when the offense was trying to stage a comeback was ill-advised, though successful trick plays were a staple of OC Brian Daboll’s offense with the Bills, he’d scheme them in a way that got the targeted receiver wide-open downfield.
“That’s something that Joe and I will discuss at length. I’m sure he wants that call back. I do as well. We’ll learn from that and move forward,” he added.
The loss does give them a game to reflect on and learn from before turning their focus to their next opponent, another challenger, and potential playoff squad, the Houston Texans.
#Bills’ S Jordan Poyer lands at No. 57 on NFL Network top-100 players list (via @TejasVemparala):
Jordan Poyer is one of the top safeties in the NFL, and he’s earned the respect of his peers with his elite play during his career.
NFL Network kicked off its Top 100 Players of 2023 list, and the 2021 All-Pro continued to perform at the top level, earning a spot on the Pro Bowl roster last season and land him at No. 57 in the latest release.
Poyer ranked No. 45 when he first appeared on the list after his All-Pro selection. Despite multiple injuries limiting his availability, the Pro Bowl defender logged 63 total tackles, 8 passes-defended, four interceptions, and one forced fumble last season. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week in October 2022, when he secured a pair of interceptions against the Baltimore Ravens, the latter sealing the game for the Bills.
This year, he joins linebacker Matt Milano who recently debuted on the list at No. 69. For the 13th consecutive year, current NFL players have voted to determine the Top 100 players in the NFL.
NFL Films produces the series and provides an inside look at the stars around the league entering the 2023 season.
Premiering this past Monday, July 24, The Top 100 Players of 2023 counts down the top players in the NFL as determined solely by the players themselves.
The Top 100 Players of 2023 streams on NFL+ beginning July 24, with players, ranked No. 100-91. Then, over the next ten days, NFL+ will reveal players ranked 90-11 over eight episodes. Finally, The Top 10 will be announced during a two-hour NFL+ show on Monday, August 7, at 8:00 PM ET on NFL+. The live show will be hosted by Rich Eisen and Andrew Whitworth, with special guests featured from the Top 10 players selected.
On Sunday, August 6, NFL Network will air a four-episode marathon counting down from No. 50 – No.11 starting at 9:00 AM ET. We definitely expect more Bills players to appear in the coming week.
While it might not have seemed it, #Bills RB Devin Singletary was integral for his team in the final seconds vs the #Ravens:
Buffalo Bills RB Devin Singletary got off to a shaky start during Week 5’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, which included a fumble.
Yet he would bounce back to be a significant contributor on offense, including one pivotal play in a contest where the Bills would also comeback to win.
“That’s always tough when you have a mistake like that, but my guys were behind me,” Singletary via the Buffalo News. “We kept rallying. We knew that wasn’t us in the first half, and all we were preaching is to come out and be us in the second half and we were able to do that and get the win. All you can do is keep going and take it play-by-play. Execution fuels the team, and that brings energy, and we were able to get that going.”
Head coach Sean McDermott allowed QB Josh Allen to lead the offense in clock and game management on what would prove to be the teams game-winning drive.
While in the huddle Allen reminded Singletary to get down before the goal line, Baltimore could let him score a touchdown to give themselves a shot at a kickoff return and another offensive possession. The Bills RB did just that, allowing Allen to take two kneel-downs and Tyler Bass a game-winning field goal in the final seconds.
McDermott was impressed by the overall play of the running back in the victory.
“Very impressed. Not surprised. He does a great job resetting and sticking with it,” McDermott said to the media. “Really good football player, great intangibles and we’re happy to have him.”
“I can’t rave enough about what he is, who he is, and what he does for this team,” Allen said to the media after the game. “I urge everybody that’s watching football, if you’re a young kid, if you’re in college, whatever, you turn on Devin Singletary tape and you watch him, how he sprints to the ball, whether he’s got it or not. He’s downfield picking guys up, he’s doing everything right in practice. He’s running 50-60 yards, getting in the end zone and coming right back and running another play. The dude, all he knows is work and that’s why his name is ‘Motor’ and he lives up to the name. I can go on and on about what’s type of person he is. I freaking love the kid.”
Bills center Mitch Morse also heaped praise on Singletary and his work ethic as well.
“He’s a professional,” Morse said to the press. “Really takes pride in his work, pride in what he does for this offense and we love him for it. He’s been doing it at a high level for a very long time. It seems like when we need those big moments, he’s one of those guys that steps in.”
After the game, Singletary noted how the team practices final-play situations.
“We kept preaching to each other, ‘Let’s be us, take it play and play, and let’s try to execute,” the RB added. “When we were able to execute, you can see the energy in the game. To come out on the winning side, it feels great, and it shows that we are continuing to grow.”
#Bills’ Josh Allen on comeback vs. #Ravens: ‘Those are games you love winning’
The Buffalo Bills finished the day on Sunday with a 23-20 lead that gave them a victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
While the final score might suggest the game was close, it wasn’t for very long.
In fact, Buffalo was down early in the game as Baltimore leapt to a 20-3 lead before QB Josh Allen and the Bills offense scored 17 points to take that lead and win the game in the final seconds on a Tyler Bass field goal.
Those points would go unanswered thanks to another shutdown effort by the Bills defense that included an interception by Jordan Poyer in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
No moment was too big, the Bills (3-1) kept their poise and played their way back into the contest.
“It’s situational football. It’s what coach McDermott preaches to us,” Allen said while speaking with the media after the game. “Defense leads to offense and offense puts us in positions to win games, a couple of huge kicks by Tyler Bass. Those are games that you love winning. It’s just a hard-fought battle both ways. Winning on the last play of the game is always fun and just proud of our guys for how they played.”
Despite their defense giving up 20 points early and the offense committing an interception and a fumble, those turnovers did not deter the team.
“I’ll tell you what, it would be very difficult if we didn’t have the guys in the locker room that we did,” Allen added. “Guys that just love each other, want to play for each other, aren’t going to stress in frantic situations.”
The QB executed effectively in managing the final 1:50 minutes of the game, which put the Bills in field goal range. It was an awareness by the QB of the time left on the clock that led to his instructing RB Devin Singletary in the huddle to make sure to go down and not score a TD on that last play by his offensive unit. Scoring a TD would have left time on the clock for the Ravens to return a kickoff and possibly have an offensive possession.
“He’s such a competitor to get us even into that situation to begin with,” McDermott said of Allen prior to leaving the stadium. “He loves to compete. And then what I saw today, in particular, Albert, was just he was so calm. He knew exactly what he wanted to do with the ball, and then he knew exactly what the situation was as we got closer to the goal line.”
Allen’s playmaking is not lost on his teammates either.
“We don’t take that for granted,” center Mitch Morse shared. “The offense goes the way he goes. That’s a lot of pressure to have on one pair of shoulders, and he carries it with grace. He always executes when we need him the most.”
The all-around win also demonstrated ways the Bills have improved across all three phases of football this season.
“It’s a combination of the defense doing their job, the offense, and even special teams,” TE Dawson Knox pointed out. “You want to treat each play like it has a life of its own, not harping on the past, not looking too far ahead. You want to dominate one play at a time and start to crawl back. The defense pitched a shutout in the second half. When they do that, it’s fun to be out there on offense.”
Kyle Silagyi is joined by McKenna Middlebrook to discuss the Buffalo Bills’ Week 14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
For the second consecutive week, the eyes of the collective football world were glued to a Buffalo Bills football game.
Only this time, the team failed to impress in a game that could’ve shifted national perception.
The contest was supposed to feature a battle between two of the league’s most exciting young quarterbacks. Instead, fans tuned into a defensive stalemate, a game in which neither Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen were able to construct strong outings.
It was ultimately Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens who got the upper hand, leaving New Era Field with an underwhelming 24-17 victory. On this episode of The Kyle Silagyi Variety Hour, host Kyle Silagyi is joined by BillsWire staff writer McKenna Middlebrook to discuss Buffalo’s Week 14 loss. They also talk about beards and Kyle’s pregame festivities.
Everything you need to know about the Baltimore Ravens, the Buffalo Bills’ Week 14 opponent.
Dec 1, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs during the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
The Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens square off this Sunday in a match up of AFC Heavyweights in Orchard Park. The Ravens are the hottest team in the NFL right now, defeating the Patriots and the 49ers over the last month. For the Bills, the chance to hang with a team of this caliber, is one to salivate at.
Here is all of the history that you need to know between the Ravens and Bills to get you ready for Sunday:
Since the Ravens inception in 1996, these two have played the Bills eight times.
They first played on Halloween in 1999, with the Bills getting a narrow 13-10 victory.
Their most recent encounter was the season opener just last year. The Ravens won 47-3 in that game.
Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson both made their NFL regular season debuts in last years game. Allen came in for a struggling Nate Peterman after he failed to move the offense down field, and Lamar was given the opportunity to get repetitions after the Ravens were well ahead.
The Ravens lead the all-time series, 5-3 , outscoring the Bills 180 to 112 in those eight encounters.
2019 So Far
Baltimore is way ahead of what many experts thought that they would be. Lamar Jackson’s growth, combined with excellent coaching from the Ravens staff, has propped the Ravens up as the best team in the NFL currently. Greg Roman, their offensive coordinator, is the dual-threat quarterback whisperer, and has this Ravens offense exciting to watch, and efficient, utilizing well sold trickery and misdirection.
After a good start, which saw them begin the season 2-2 with a blow out victory over Miami, a close victory over the Cardinals, and losses to Kansas City and division rival Cleveland, Baltimore hasn’t looked back since. Garnering eight straight wins, the Ravens have mostly dominated, with seemingly no end in sight.
Their major victories have been giving the Patriots their first loss of 2019 on primetime television, a double-digit victory over the Seattle Seahawks, led by another MVP candidate in Russell Wilson, lopsided victories over the Texans and Rams, and most recently, a strong four quarter effort to defeat the San Francisco 49ers.
It’s safe to say that 2019 has been good for the Baltimore Ravens. They currently sit at second in total offense, behind the Cowboys. Baltimore has accumulated 5,049 yards of total offense this season, with one fewer game than the Cowboys currently. Although they haven’t really needed too, they are the 26th ranked passing offense, with 2,555 yards passing for Jackson. By a long shot, they are the number one rushing offense, with 2,494 rushing yards in total, over 700 rushing yards ahead of the second best rushing offense, who they defeated in last week.
The Ravens also happen to be the highest scoring offense, by nearly 60 points ahead of the 49ers, who come in at number two. Baltimore is tied at first with Seattle for 26 passing touchdowns, and first in rushing touchdowns with 18.
Jackson comes in 18th for passing yard leaders this year, with 2,532 passing yards, just 59 yards behind Josh Allen. His 25 passing touchdowns are good for second in that category, only one touchdown behind Russell Wilson. Jackson is also 11th in completion percentage, with 66.5%. He’s doing well in the interception category as well, throwing only five this year, tied for 23rd with Matthew Stafford, Gardner Minshew, and Joe Flacco.
As for rushers, Jackson is in the top-10 of the NFL, 977 yards for him on the ground, with a good chance of crossing 1,000 this Sunday, averaging 81.4 yards per game. Mark Ingram, the starting running back, is not far behind, sitting at 12th with 837 rushing yards. Ingram has been a complementary and integral part of the offense, not only with yardage and production, but with selling fake handoffs. Gus Edwards sits at 32nd in yardage with 460 yards.
Obviously, with such a run heavy team, receivers aren’t having “career-years,” but it does not matter, they are doing their part to put their team in a winning position. Tight end Mark Andrews leads receiving for Baltimore, with 693 receiving yards, coming in at 32nd in the NFL. Andrews is fourth amongst tight ends however, just behind Travis Kelce, Darren Waller and Zach Ertz.
Marquise Brown is the leading wide receiver for the team. The rookie sensation is 58th in receiving yards with 520 yards by air, and six touchdowns of his own. Willie Snead is the next closest, ranked 125th with only 289 yards.
Historically, Baltimore has always been a defensive heavy team, and this year is no different. Despite losing some talented players, they traded for Marcus Peters and have a very young, and talented defense. The Ravens are currently the seventh ranked defense, allowing 3,881 yards against them. They are the 11th ranked passing defense, giving up 2,742 yards by air, and are the sixth ranked rush defense, allowing 1,139 yards on the ground. Baltimore is also the fourth ranked defense in points allowed, giving up 219 points so far, just behind the Buffalo Bills.
