Tag: devin singletary

ESPN: Don’t be surprise if Devin Singletary is Bills’ RB1

ESPN: Don’t be surprise if Devin Singletary is #Bills’ RB1:

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbw1j59gmjw5gdj player_id=none image=https://billswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

ESPN NFL Insider Dan Graziano did his training camp rounds this summer.

Visiting just about every team in the league at some point, the Buffalo Bills made his list as one of the first stops.

After concluding his cross-country tour, Graziano revealed one under-the-surface thing he learned at each stop. Following a stay in Orchard Park, Graziano’s analysis insists that Devin Singletary might be back.

In his “don’t be surprised” thoughts on the Bills, Graziano explained that Singletary should have a bounce-back year.

Here’s how he came to that conclusion:

Don’t be surprised if … Devin Singletary is the Bills’ lead running back ahead of Zack Moss.

What I’m hearing: The Bills say conditioning was the main reason Singletary didn’t follow up on his promising rookie year with a strong 2020. They say the lack of a true offseason program last year affected some players more than others, and Singletary was one of them. He’s in better shape now and has had a strong camp.

They still like Moss, a third-round pick last year, and will use him. But if last year’s split morphs into something that tilts a little more toward Singletary, don’t be surprised.

What conclusion ESPN is drawing is essentially that the Bills might have their hot hand. All throughout the summer, Buffalo’s coaching staff has said the offense will feed whichever running back is playing well.

As referenced, Moss will still have a role. That is likely one near the goal line. However, Singletary could be the workhorse throughout the rest of the field and in the passing game.

Bare minimum, choosing between Singletary and Moss could turn out to be a good problem for the Bills to have.

[lawrence-related id=86685,86809,86812]

Bills’ Devin Singletary tells GMFB his 2021 goals (video)

#Bills’ Devin Singletary tells GMFB his 2021 goals (video)

https://embed.sendtonews.com/oembed/?SC=P5vLg8aP7j-1491675-7498&autoplay=on&V=2&format=json

Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary is looking to have a bounce-back campaign in 2021. After a strong rookie year, last season saw Singletary preform in an up-and-down manner.

So far in the preseason, Singletary has had an strong showing and he looks poised to contribute to Buffalo’s high-powered offense in 2021.

The Bills rusher got into more detail on his goals for next season during a recent appearance on NFL Network‘s Good Morning Football.”

Check out Singletary’s interview in the video player above.

[lawrence-related id=86809,86812,86751]

Is it time for Zack Moss to emerge in Buffalo?

Moss stands out among a crowded backfield.

With training camps and preseason games officially in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take a look at crowded depth chart positions and hopefully provide a little clarity as to what the 2021 season will look like in fantasy football.

A season ago, the Buffalo Bills ended New England’s stranglehold on the AFC East and then advanced to the AFC Championship Game before falling to Kansas City. While the rise of QB Josh Allen took center stage, Buffalo has also assembled a talented backfield that features a pair of Day 2 picks from the 2019 and 2020 drafts, respectively. Now the question becomes how that workload will be divvied up this season.

It’s not too late to sign up for The Huddle and dominate!

Of course, it’s worth pointing out that Allen was among the more prolific runners at the position, ranking fourth among QBs in carries (102) and eighth in yards (421). If that level of activity continues it will have the same trickle-down effect that Lamar Jackson has on the Baltimore running game, albeit on a smaller scale. Conversely, if Allen dials that aspect of his game back it could increase the Bills’ RBs workloads.

Devin Singletary fantasy football outlook

Selected 74th overall in 2019, Singletary has led the Bills in rushing in each of his first two seasons. There wasn’t much growth in Year 2, however, as his rookie year totals of 151 carries and 775 yards (5.1 YPC) were marginally better than the 156-687 (4.4 YPC) mark from 2020. The big plays also dried up with just three carries of 20-plus yards last season compared to seven in his debut campaign.

Singletary showed some strides as a receiver, increasing his receiving output from 29-194 as a rookie to 38-269, and he was more careful with the football (he reduced his fumbles from four to one).

Some of the shine seems to be off Singletary, though, as he is undersized and lacks big-time speed — he has scored just six times in 374 combined touches. Despite being the nominal starter, Singletary is best suited as an RB4.

Zack Moss fantasy football outlook

Moss followed Singletary as another third-round selection, coming off the board with the 86th pick last year. His final numbers weren’t great (112-481-4), but the then-rookie started seeing more action late in the year. In fact, over the team’s final three meaningful games, Moss logged 38 carries to Singletary’s 25.

Moss is clearly the more powerful of the two backs, which should allow him to be a bigger factor in the red zone, regardless of how many carries between the 20s are allocated in a given week.

Although he was used sparingly as a receiver last season (14-95-1), Moss’ hands and blitz pickup were considered above-average coming out of Utah.

It certainly feels like there’s more upside with Moss, who improved as his rookie year went along and will now have the benefit of a full offseason program with the team heading into his second season.

Moss may currently sit behind Singletary on the depth chart, but Moss’ upside is higher. This is going to be a true committee, and really may be closer to a hot-hand scenario. Allen, not Singletary, should be his biggest enemy for limiting touchdown opportunities.

Moss can be drafted to fill an RB3/flex role and may be leaned on for more if the Bills were to lose star WR Stefon Diggs for extended time.

Matt Breida fantasy football outlook

After spending his first three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Breida was traded to Miami before last year’s draft. It didn’t pan out. In a running back room that included both unproven (Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed) and over-the-hill (Jordan Howard) options, Breida could never carve out on a meaningful role with the Dolphins.

A hamstring injury and a trip to the COVID list rounded out an inauspicious stint in south Florida with Breida setting career lows in carries (59), yards (254) and TDs (0).

Buffalo signed him in free agency in the hope they’ll see the 49ers version of Breida, who averaged 634 yards on 127 carries (5.0 YPC) and 2 TDs per year during his three seasons with the club.

He’ll operate behind Singletary and Moss in the backfield, but offensive coordinator Brian Daboll had Breida line up wide in the preseason, which could open some action on jet sweeps or quick passes to get him the ball in space. It’s unlikely to be enough to generate meaningful fantasy value, but Breida would be worth a look if either Moss or Singletary were to miss time.

Bills run game gains ground in win against Bears

Even #Bills FB Reggie Gilliam didn’t realize he’d be getting so much work against the #Bears:

While it’s only the preseason, the Buffalo Bills racked up a high-scoring 41-15 win against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

Although it was due in no small part to the record-setting passing game and emergence of quarterback Josh Allen, the Bills ground attack has been seen as an area in need of improvement.

Bills running back Devin Singletary got the ground scoring started in the first quarter, turning what appeared to be a play that wasn’t going anywhere on fourth-and-one into a 14-yard touchdown run.

Singletary had a down-year numbers-wise last season after a breakout 2019 rookie campaign and is looking to bounce back. In the first two games of the season, Singletary has done just that.

And it caught the attention of Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who liked what he saw from his players carrying the ball. 

“Great effort. Guys were ready to play and to continue with that effort in the second half after the first half we had,” McDermott said during his media session. “We got off to a good start, and played well in all three phases. I thought some guys stepped up, guys that you don’t hear a lot about. Reggie Gilliam carrying the ball at the end and two big returns from Isaiah and Speedy (Marquez Stevenson).”

In the second quarter, Gilliam added two 1-yard rushing touchdowns for good measure, in a game that fell one day after his 24th Birthday. It was his first pair of scoring TD’s since high school..

“Going into the game, I had no idea I was going to be playing so much running back at the end,” Gilliam said while addressing the media. “So I was just going out there and playing football like I’d always done as a kid.”

The fullback plays as a blocking Tight End as well and saw time at that position last year with Buffalo after the team signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo following the 2020 draft.

“Coach always says, ‘be ready to adjust and adapt’, that’s what I did today,” Gilliam added.

McDermott echoed similar sentiment while praising the FB.

“Reggie is a real serious young man. Football is important to him. His role is important to him as well,” McDermott said. “Happy to see him have success. He’s worked hard. He’s a team player. We got short a little bit on the backs and we knew going into the game he was going to need to be ready to go.”

In the third quarter, 2021 sixth-round pick WR Marquez Stevenson brought some energy to special teams with a 79-yard highlight-reel punt return score adding to Buffalo’s lead.

Stevenson left the game with a limp, however, among some injuries that took place in the second half. The receiver is getting an x-ray done on his foot/ankle per Buffalo Bills PR.

Next up, the team will face a potential Super Bowl opponent in the Green Bay Packers at 1 p.m. on Aug. 18 in Buffalo to roundout the preseason. 

[lawrence-related id=85559,85554,85547]

What we learned from Bills’ preseason win over the Bears

What we learned from Bills’ preseason win over the Bears (via @NateMendelson):

The Buffalo Bills made it look awfully easy from start to finish against the Chicago Bears in their second preseason game. The Bills leave Chicago with a 41-15 win.

As is always the case in the preseason, there were plenty of things to note in the contest when reading between the lines.

Here are eight things we learned from the Bills’ preseason win over the Bears:

Instant analysis: Bills destroy Bears in Week 2 preseason action

Instant analysis: #Bills destroy #Bears in Week 2 preseason action (via @jdiloro):

This was as close to a perfect preseason game as could have occurred. The game dubbed as the “Mitchell Trubisky revenge game” fell in the Buffalo Bills’ favor in every possible aspect.

The Bills dominated the Chicago Bears in all facets, winning 41-15 in Week 2 preseason action.

Trubisky played the first half in flawless fashion for the Bills. The 2017 second-overall pick had a day against his former team, going 20-of-28 for 221 passing yards and touchdown pass.

From the first series, Trubisky was in control. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll started with a high tempo to start the game. From there, Trubisky was decisive in the pocket and accurate with his passes. It was an impressive first half, and it should give confidence that Trubisky can guide this team if he’s called upon in the regular season.

Along with the QB, the Bills running backs flashed throughout the game.

Devin Singletary had another nice outing, making it challenging to keep him off the field in the regular season. Singletary ran only two times, but the second rush found the end zone, as the third-year pro took a toss to the end zone on fourth down.

Matt Breida made a nice play in the red zone, taking a screen pass and cutting across to the one-yard line on an 18-yard reception. Breida rushed five times for 18 yards as well. Fullback Reggie Gilliam punched in two touchdowns from one-yard out.

Overall, it seems that each running back will have a role when the regular season commences. It also showed that the offensive line, even with starters mixed with reserves, can hold their own. In particular, it was promising to see left tackle Dion Dawkins get his first action of the preseason returning from his battle with coronavirus.

Buffalo dominated the Bears offense in the first half. The Bills had a 57-percent pressure rate in the first two quarters of the game. Greg Rousseau recorded another sack this week, causing massive problems for the Bears offensive line.

The Bills defense forced multiple turnovers as well. Cornerback Nick McCloud reeled in a late first-half interception to put Buffalo in position to add points before halftime. Linebacker Tyler Matakevich forced a fumble that rookie defensive back Damar Hamlin recovered.

The Bills defense only allowed on 145 yards in the first half. They forced four Chicago three-and-outs with Andy Dalton at the helm of the Bears offense. Half of the yards allowed occurred on one play, as Rodney Adams reeled in a contested catch against Bills cornerback Siran Neal. Adams scored on the play, giving Chicago their first points on the afternoon.

Buffalo’s special teams also found the highlight reel, as Marquez Stevenson returned a punt 79 yards to the house. The entire play worked well for the Bills’ special teams unit, as Stevenson caught the ball with at least 10 yards of running room.

Buffalo’s defensive line worked well today, which will make it challenging for Sean McDermott and company to cut the roster down its final form. The depth positions in the secondary could be an interesting point to watch moving forward as well, as the Bills have options behind Tre’Davious White, Levi Wallace, Micah Hyde, and Jordan Poyer.

As it’s the preseason, it’s a time to knick-pick at some things in the game. However, most of the issues occurred with players deep on the roster bubble. When Justin Fields entered the game, the defensive line had to adjust to a mobile quarterback who could make something happen outside of the pocket. Even so, the unit improved at keeping Fields at bay as the game progressed.

The only challenge from this game: the roster bubble questions will still exist. Jake Kumerow put together a nice game, but it was matched by a couple of drops. Isaiah McKenzie fumbled a punt but returned with a solid overall game, catching seven passes for 72 receiving yards. Matt Haack, who isn’t facing a challenge on the roster, did not have a stellar day punting. Davis Webb fumbled on consecutive possessions. Tight end Dawson Knox had a drop.

But I’m reaching for negatives, especially in a four-score victory.

It’s all smiles in western New York. The bottom of the roster will have one more chance next Sunday against the Green Bay Packers at Highmark Stadium.

[lawrence-related id=85389,85498,85477]

5 takeaways from the Bills’ 41-15 preseason win over the Bears

5 takeaways from the #Bills’ 41-15 preseason win over the #Bears:

The Buffalo Bills’ exhibition season continued on Saturday and they topped the Chicago Bears, 41-15, in their second preseason outing.

Here are five takeaways from the game:

WATCH: Devin Singletary turns nothing into Bills touchdown

Motor’s TD run was a thing of beauty for the #Bills:

The Buffalo Bills cruised in the first half against the Chicago Bears. Buffalo went up 28-0 on Chicago, with all that starting with running back Devin Singletary.

On a bit of trickery on a fourth-and-short, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky faked one handoff and tossed it out wide to Singletary to his left.

With defenders all around him, the Bills rusher still got the first down… and then some.

Somehow, Singletary ended up scampering to the end zone.

Check out Singletary’s score here:

[lawrence-related id=85389,85477,85490]

Stock up, stock down following the Bills’ preseason win over the Lions

Stock up, stock down following the #Bills’ preseason win over the #Lions (via @mckennamiddle):

The Buffalo Bills kicked off their preseason with a dramatic 16-15 win over the Detroit Lions. The Bills controlled the game early, but a fourth quarter push from Detroit needed to see a late field goal from Tyler Bass to win the game for Buffalo.

Let’s see which of the preseason performers for the Bills excelled (and which didn’t) against the Detroit Lions in Bills Wire’s stock report:

Instant analysis: Bills kickoff preseason with dramatic win vs. Lions

Instant analysis: #Bills kickoff preseason with dramatic win vs. #Lions (via @jdiloro):

The Buffalo Bills brought as much drama as possible to a preseason game, besting the Detroit Lions, 16-15, in Week 1 of preseason action. Buffalo ruined Dan Campbell’s head coaching debut for the Lions, as Tyler Bass’s 44-yard field goal with 19 seconds left ended up being the difference.

The first exhibition game for the Bills game gave an opportunity for several depth players to flash their skills and challenge for a depth spot on the roster. Buffalo rested several starters, including Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, Jerry Hughes, Tremaine Edmunds, Matt Milano, Tre’Davious White, Jordan Poyer, and Micah Hyde.

The good news: Many of the reserves who should make Buffalo’s final roster kept Detroit off-balance when they were on the field. In particular, the Bills defense limited any meaningful progress by the Lions offense in the first half. When this group was pushed back, they still refused to concede a touchdown.

The Lions managed only three points in the first half, as kicker Randy Bullock completed an 18-play drive with a 28-yard field goal. Levi Wallace made a nice play in the end zone to deny progress as the Lions entered the red zone.

Offensively, the Bills made a commitment to the run game in the first half. Devin Singletary carried eight times for 42 rushing yards, while Matt Breida ran 10 times for 27 rushing yards. Meanwhile, quarterback Mitchell Trubisky threw only two passes in a quarter of work, completing one for 10 yards. With Buffalo’s receiving room basically set entering the season, the Bills could place an emphasis on the run game in the first half.

Singletary scored the Bills’ only touchdown in the game. The third-year pro was on the receiving end of a play-action pass, where he found the end zone with no resistance from the Lions defense.

While the night seemed to drag on, the fourth quarter became very interesting. As several deep roster players took the field, the Bills defense started to falter, allowing the Lions to claw back into the game.

The tackling of this unit was questionable at best. A massive swing occurred in one segment of the fourth quarter, as a Nick McCloud pick-six was overturned as an incomplete pass. On the play, Olaijah Griffin was flagged for a personal foul, setting up Detroit in good position for their first score of the game.

Craig Reynolds weaved his way through Buffalo’s defense for a 24-yard rushing touchdown. The Bills responded to negate the Lions two-point conversion, still giving Buffalo a 13-12 lead.

Buffalo’s offensive line had some struggles in the closing of the game, leaving Jake Fromm little time to throw. The Bills punted away, giving Detroit an opportunity to take the lead.

Lions quarterback David Blough responded with two big passes on the subsequent drive, completing a 35-yard pass to Javon McKinley and a 29-yard pass to Tom Kennedy. Kicker Randy Bullock was successful on a 28-yard field goal to give the Lions their first lead of the game, 15-13.

As they have done many times before, the Bills rallied their squad to mount a comeback. Even with third and fourth stringers, Buffalo’s offensive depth found a way to pull off the revival. On fourth down, Jake Fromm found Marquez Stevenson for 25 yards to extend the drive. From there, Fromm kept things under control, slowly moving the team into field goal range. From there, a Tyler Bass 44-yard field goal put the Bills in the lead for good.

Several players made the most of their opportunities on the field. Davis Webb showed that he could guide the offense, going 11-of-16 for 90 passing yards and one touchdown pass. Webb added 26 rushing yards on two scrambles. Fromm’s late-game response in the face of pressure was impressive. Singletary’s game gave some confidence in the run game. Stevenson’s performance on the final drive will keep him in the conversation for a depth receiver.

On the defensive side of the ball, Andre Smith seemed to be everywhere, leading the Bills in tackles with eight in the game. Cam Lewis followed with seven tackles. Joe Giles-Harris also made his presence known with six tackles.

First-round draft pick Gregory Rousseau was as advertised, recording his first sack in the NFL, albeit in the preseason. He recorded three pressures on 11 snacks. More impressively, his sack came against Penei Sewell, the No. 7 overall draft pick this year.

Tyler Bass showed that he is automatic, making all three of his field goals, including a 50-yard bomb in the first quarter and the game-winner from 44 yards out.

Overall, the Bills had a nice start to their 2021 campaign. Most of the mistakes that occurred were by players who were not threatening to make the 53-man roster, so all in all, this result is just what Buffalo needs to get the ball rolling for a successful season. It took the entire roster to seal this victory for Buffalo.

[lawrence-related id=85027,85163,85159,85025]