Tag: Cody Ford

2019 Buffalo Bills superlatives

2019 Buffalo Bills awards and superlatives.

Buffalo’s 2019 campaign was quite a successful one. The team won 10 games for the first time in two decades. The Bills buttoned up a playoff berth with three weeks remaining in the season.

For this group, it was a full-team effort to achieve their accomplishments, but a few of those players stood out above the rest.

With that, here are the Bills’ superlatives and awards for what was the 2019 NFL season:

Offensive MVP: John Brown

Buffalo Bills wide receiver John Brown  (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

There were quite a few signature John Brown touchdown dances this year. Brown was easily the best free agent signing for the team this year. The veteran wide receiver gave quarterback Josh Allen a semblance of a No. 1 receiver, and it paid off for the team. Brown set career highs in receptions (72) and receiving yards (1,060). “Smoke” had been known for his speed, but his precise route-running was welcomed addition for the Bills aerial attack.

While Brown and Cole Beasley, another offseason addition prior to 2019, did have successes in their first seasons with the team, the Bills shouldn’t be shy about continuing to add around Allen once again.

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Report: Bills drop $500K on team bonding

Buffalo Bills go on shopping spree pre-Houston Texans game.

The Buffalo Bills were a tight-knit group throughout the 2019 season. In their preparations for the Houston Texans in their Wild Card showdown, the Bills reportedly held a team-bonding exercise on Friday before the game the following day.

Perhaps it wasn’t a team-sanctioned gathering, but players from the Bills hit up Iceman Nick, described as a celebrity jeweler by TMZ Sports, when the team arrived in Houston.

Off the bat… there isn’t anything wrong with that. These guys can spend their time in much worse ways, but reportedly they spent some big dough on some bling, too. Per TMZ, collectively a group of possibly 20 players on the team spent about $500,000 combined.

In the photo above, players above who attended were Vincent Taylor, Dion Dawkins, Cody Ford, Jordan Phillips, Shaq Lawson, Darryl Johnson and Houston native Ed Oliver.

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Report card: Bills lose Wild Card to Texans, 22-19

The Bills lost to the Houston Texans, 22-19 in a heartbreaking overtime defeat.

The Buffalo Bills first playoff appearance of this decade did not disappoint. The Bills and Texans battled all four quarters, forcing overtime.

Ultimately, Deshaun Watson and the Texans offense made enough plays in overtime giving Houston the Wild Card victory.

After a heartbreaking loss, here’s how the Bills graded out in what will be their final report card of the 2019 season:

Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Quarterback: C

Josh Allen started the first half strong, with a touchdown reception on the opening drive that seemingly set the tone for the rest of the game. The Bills never capitalized on that momentum, settling for field goals throughout the game.

When looking at Allen’s stat line it shows that he wasn’t consistent, he completed 24 of his 46 throws, 264 yards, zero passing touchdowns, and zero interceptions. To be fair, Allen wasn’t sharp in the second half and when the Texans were sending pressure he was making rash decisions. As the game progressed Allen started looking for the game winning play, when a more effective option was available.

Allen also tried to extend plays when they were dead, and cost his team valuable yards down the stretch. Allen has been an enigma all season, and Saturday was no exception. At times he extended plays with his legs, and made some sensational throws. Other times, especially late in the game he made some head-scratching decisions, like taking a deep shot to Patrick DiMarco in the fourth quarter.

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Mike Pereira questions penalty on Bills’ Cody Ford

Former NFL referee Mike Pereira questions penalty on Bills OL Cody Ford.

Mike Pereira, the NFL’s former supervisor of officials says a very questionable call against the Bills in their Wild-Card loss to the Texans was wrong, which was part of the reason Buffalo lost.

In overtime, the Bills were nearing field goal range when rookie tackle Cody Ford was flagged for a penalty on a four-yard run by Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen.

It was called a blindside block. Here’s the play via The Bills Wire’s Bradley Gelber:

Many Bills fans thought that call was wrong. Turns out, Pereira thinks so, too.

“I think the call is incorrect,” he said.

Here’s his full thoughts via his social media account on Twitter:

Many plays make a game and the Bills players themselves won’t dwell on this one. But this play set the Bills back and eventually, they lost field position, a kick attempt, and the game. What could have been?

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5 takeaways from the Bills’ 22-19 OT Wild-Card loss to the Texans

Five takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ Wild-Card loss to the Houston Texans.

The Buffalo Bills’ visit to the playoffs ended the same way as their last time two seasons ago, defeat.

Both games were close, but this one, an overtime loss, came in heartbreaking fashion for the Bills after Buffalo held a 16-0 lead over the Houston Texans after the first half of play.

With that, here are five takeaways from the Bills’ 22-19 loss to the Texans:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

An ugly end

Bills quarterback Josh Allen had some good moments in this one. He completed deep passes, and made players miss with his legs while picking up chunks of yards. What ensued at the end of the Bills’ loss was nothing short of embarrassing and should’ve put him into perspective of what he is: a young quarterback.

Allen and the Bills’ offense drove into field goal range down three, took terrible penalties via intentional grounding and sacks to take the Bills out of field goal range. To the offense’s credit, the Bills got back into it and tied the game with an excellent rally and kick from Stephen Hauschka. In overtime, the Bills did little right.

To the defense’s credit, the Bills stopped the Texans’ opening drive. The Bills offense then couldn’t get things going much at all, and when they did, Cody Ford took a questionable penalty, but it was a rookie play on a block that didn’t need to happen. On defense, Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson broke a sack from Matt Milano and Siran Neal and dumped it off for a deep gain, setting up a chip-shot game-winning kick for the Texans. The Bills looked like a team in a playoff pinch for the first time.

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Bills O-line in middle of pack in PFF’s 2019 rankings

Buffalo Bills offensive line in Pro Football Focus’ end of season 2019 rankings.

The Bills gave their offensive line nearly a complete re-do last offseason. Things were certainly better than 2018, but overall, Pro Football Focus only ranked the new-look line as a middle of the pack unit in the NFL.

In PFF’s final overall offensive line rankings following the 2019 regular season, the Bills clocked in at No. 21.

Here’s how PFF broke down the Bills’ offensive line:

The Bills invested in their offensive line this offseason between free agency and the draft, and we’ve seen improvement from the unit over last season. Those additions along the line, combined with an emphasis on the short passing game and a resulting quicker release from Josh Allen, has lowered the signal-caller’s pressure rate roughly seven percentage points from where it was last season. The Bills’ top pass blocker has been Dion Dawkins with a 76.4 pass-blocking grade.

Overall, Dawkins was the Bills’ best offensive lineman via PFF this season, clocking in at a 73.3 overall mark. That earned him the mark of being their 24 best offensive tackle in the NFL. Aside from Dawkins, no one on Buffalo’s line fell in PFF’s “good” category.

Mitch Morse and John Feliciano, earning grades of 65.9 and 64.1, respectively, were considered “average” by PFF’s grading landscape.

Quinton Spain and Cody Ford landed at 55.8 and 52.4, respectively, very much below average.

The other missing Buffalo lineman is Ty Nsekhe, who landed with a solid grade of 67.3.

Moving forward, the Bills might make a lone change or two, but don’t expect a massive overhaul again from the Bills again this offseason. While Buffalo has cap space or draft picks to add to their line, it’s a safer bet that the Bills coaching staff will give this group another year to gel and build on their first season together in 2019. Spain is a free agent, though.

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How much Texans’ JJ Watt could play vs. Bills

Playing time for Houston Texans DE J.J. Watt vs. Buffalo Bills.

If there’s any single defensive player in the NFL that could be a big difference-maker in a single game, it’s Texans pass rusher JJ Watt.

Bad news: He’s back against the Bills on Saturday when the two teams meet in the AFC Wild Card.

Watt returned off the team’s injured reserve list earlier this week. That’s not a surprise, but a week or two ago, it was certainly shocking to find out he might return at first.

In Week 8, Watt tore a pectoral muscle that was once believed to have kept him out until next season. But all things considered, it’s hard to imagine Watt being 100 percent healthy. Could the Texans still exercise some caution?

According to Houston head coach Bill O’Brien, maybe some, but not much.

“He’s playing,” O’Brien said via Texans Wire. “That’s what I mean, though. He’ll be in there quite a bit.”

The responsibility of defending against the former Defensive Player of the Year will fall on the right side of Buffalo’s offensive line. That’s where rookie Cody Ford comes in, as veteran Ty Nsekhe is listed as questionable heading into this one with an ankle injury.

Where Watt most makes his presence felt in his career is by letting the quarterback know he’s there. The two-time 20-plus sack gainer in a season will be looking to beat Ford en route to Buffalo QB Josh Allen on Saturday. The Texans aren’t even being shy about that this week, either.

“Well, he’s a pretty good pass rusher, so I would like to get some pass rushing reps out of him,” Houston defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel said this week. “So, you’re looking at third down, two minute and then we’ll see after that.”

Watt likes the sound of that.

“I think we have a good plan,” said Watt. “I think we have a good plan for how we’re going to utilize the game and how we’re going to go throughout the game. I think today was a good day for me. [Wednesday] was my first day in pads. We were in pads out there on the field and it was good. I went through a lot of tests that I wanted to go through personally.”

Watt notched four sacks in eight games before his injury earlier this year. Ford graded out as Buffalo’s worst offensive lineman this season via Pro Football Focus’ grading system, a 52.4 overall mark.

It’s been an up and down year for the rookie, but the Bills will hope Saturday will be an “up” outing for Ford.

 

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Bills at Texans: 5 matchups to watch

The Buffalo Bills are back in the playoffs and will be facing the Houston Texans.

The Buffalo Bills are back in the playoffs for the second time in three years, and will be facing the AFC South champions Houston Texans. After a surprising 10-6 season, the Bills will be going to Houston to face Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt, and DeAndre Hopkins on Wild Card weekend.

Here are the five matchups to watch against Houston on Saturday:

Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White. Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Tre’Davious White vs. DeAndre Hopkins 

Let’s not beat around the bush here, this is the biggest test in the young career of Tre’Davious White. These two locked horns last season and White had an underrated performance. He held the Pro Bowl receiver to five catches, 63 yards, and one touchdown. White was in a great coverage, but Hopkins made an exceptional back shoulder grab that only a few players can make in the NFL. 

White has had the best season of his career, with six interceptions, and 17 pass breakups the most important stat for White though, is that he’s allowed zero touchdowns this season. Putting him in the running for Defensive Player of the Year. 

DeAndre Hopkins on the other hand, has been having a down year by his lofty standards. The Pro Bowler has 104 catches, 1,165 yards, and seven touchdowns. His past two seasons saw him go over 1,300 yards, and go into double digits for touchdowns as well. 

With fellow wide receivers, Will Fuller V and Kenny Stills both listed as questionable for Saturday the offense will run through quarterback Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins. 

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7 Bills players who need to step up in playoffs

Buffalo Bills players that need to step up in 2019 playoffs against Houston Texans.

The Bills are now in win or go home mode heading into the 2019 playoffs. That journey will begin on Saturday in Houston against the Texans.

While the Bills have had a successful season to this point, some players will certainly need to step it up if the Bills are going to win their first playoff game in over two decades.

Here are seven players who need to step up for the Bills in the playoffs:

Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Cody Ford. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

RT Cody Ford

The status of offensive lineman Ty Nsekhe is up in the air this week. He injured his ankle again in Week 17 against the Jets. He’s practiced in a limited capacity this week, but regardless, Cody Ford will see playing time and Nsekhe likely won’t be 100 percent, at least.

No longer a rookie, Ford cannot afford to be the weak link of Buffalo’s offensive line. That’ll involve a very tough matchup as defensive end JJ Watt is going to return to the lineup this week for the Texans. Watt was once thought to be done for the season with a pec injury, but remarkably will return to face the Bills. How close to full health he’ll be will be a question mark, but he’s still a former three-time Defensive Player of the Year. He can end a gameplan before it ever gets going.

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What we learned from Bills’ Week 17 loss to Jets

What we learned, Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets, NFL Week 17

There’s little that should be taken away from the Buffalo Bills’ final game of the 2019 regular season, a 13-6 loss in the rain against a New York Jets’ team that was finishing up its playoff-less season.

The Bills, with nothing to play for on Sunday, rested several key players and played mostly backups throughout the contest. In what looked like a preseason game, the Bills struggled to do much of anything on offense. The Jets struggled as well, but did just enough to outlast the Bills as both teams ran for the proverbial bus, just hoping to get this game over and done with.

The Bills wanted to get this game out of the way without any significant injuries before they made their journey out to the Central time zone for a Wild card Matchup against the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, the Bills were unable to escape without significant injury.

Levi Wallace and Ty Nsekhe were knocked out of Sunday’s contest and failed to return. Cody Ford, Taron Johnson and Siran Neal also left the game with injuries, but returned. The injuries were the last thing the Bills’ coaching staff wanted to see. The injury to Wallace was particularly troubling. The Bills’ No. 2 cornerback was hurt making a first quarter interception. It was a non-contact injury, which is never a good thing, as he planted his foot awkwardly in the wet New Era Field turf while trying to pivot and intercept a pass from Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Wallace turned his ankle on the interception and hobbled off the field with help from a couple of teammates. The Bills get ready to face a Houston passing attack.

Nsekhe and Ford, Buffalo’s two right tackles, were banged up in this game and their absence was felt greatly. The Buffalo offensive line struggled all day against the Jets’ defensive front.

The Bills finish the 2019 regular season at 10-6, earning the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. Their wild card matchup with Houston will be the first game of the coming weekend, kicking off at 4:30 at NRG Stadium.

Here are four things we learned about the Bills from Sunday’s game and how they relate to Buffalo’s attempt to finally win a playoff game for the first time since 1995 this coming Saturday in Texas.

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