Tag: devin singletary

What we learned from the Bills’ win over the Rams

What We Learned, Buffalo Bills vs. Los Angeles Rams, NFL Week 3.

If the Buffalo Bills continue on this pace, their fans are going to need defibrillators to get through the rest of the season.

For the second week in a row, the Bills won a wild, high-scoring game that required fourth quarter heroics from quarterback Josh Allen. This one was a little different from last week’s 31-28 victory against the Dolphins, a game which was close throughout. On Sunday, the Bills nearly went down to defeat due to the biggest blown lead in franchise history. After giving up four straight touchdown drives and a 28-3 lead to the Rams, Allen and the Bills rallied on their final drive. Aided by a pass interference penalty on fourth down, Buffalo found the end zone for the victory as Allen hit Tyler Kroft for a three-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining to secure a 35-32 win at Bills Stadium.

The big picture is that the Bills are 3-0 and remain in first place in the AFC East. But there are several cracks in the foundation of their first-place start that the team will have to correct as they depart for back-to-back AFC road games against the Raiders and Titans.

The wheels completely came off the Buffalo defense in the second half between the 6:55 mark of the third quarter and the 10:30 mark of the fourth frame. The Bills surrendered 28 first downs and 400 yards of total offense for the second-straight game. Even the return of linebackers Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds to the lineup could not correct the troubles the Bills have had on defense.

But the defensive issues may not matter as long as Allen continues to play at an MVP level. Allen threw for four more touchdowns on Sunday, ran for another, went over 300 yards passing for the third-straight game, and led another game-winning drive. His play remains the story not only of the Bills’ season, but perhaps the entire league.

As the Bills begin a difficult stretch of upcoming AFC games, here are four things we learned from another memorable victory in this 2020 season:

Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Allen May Have Fourth Quarter Magic

When all seems lost, Allen has been the hero there to save the Bills. That was certainly true on Sunday as Allen led a game-winning drive that saved a staggered Bills team that had just taken the blow of four consecutive LA Rams touchdowns.

Sure, Allen made some mistakes that contributed to the Rams’ comeback. And the final drive was by no means a clinic. But all that matters is that the winning points went up on the scoreboard as Allen hit Tyler Kroft in the end zone with 15 seconds remaining.

For Allen it was not just the second-consecutive game-winning fourth quarter drive he has directed. It was the eighth fourth quarter comeback he’s led in three NFL seasons.

Is Allen “clutch?” Does he know how to get it done when it matters most? It’s easy to make that claim when you think of the game-winning fourth quarter drives he’s put together. Three of the last four Bills’ victories dating back to last season have included a go-ahead touchdown drive led by Allen in the fourth quarter. He also led a drive for a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation in the Bills’ playoff loss at Houston.

The truth of it is that the Bills have found themselves in a position where they need to come back in the fourth quarter far too often. That’s largely because Allen has had games with subpar play through three quarters. That’s not the case this season as the Bills have scored 66 points in quarters 1-3 so far through three games. It is true, however, that two costly Allen turnovers helped put the Bills behind the eight-ball in the fourth quarter. Allen threw an ill-advised interception after the Rams’ first touchdown that put a tired Buffalo defense right back on the field, though it appeared the interception should have been overturned by replay (it was not). He also had the ball ripped from his hands by Aaron Donald on a sack in the final frame.

Still, Allen put it all together to pull out the win on the final drive. It was a rocky ride that included a sack and an incomplete pass on back-to-back plays that put the Bills in a third-and-22 hole, as well as a 15-yard facemask penalty on Allen as he tried to avoid a sack, and an incomplete pass on fourth down that was bailed out by a pass interference penalty. But it also included passes of 18, 22, and 19 yards to Cole Beasley, and a 17-yard throw to Stefon Diggs on third-and-25 that put the Bills in a manageable situation to convert on fourth down.

The Bills can’t rely on Allen to bail them out every week. A true mark of a title contender is its ability to win games easily. But the league’s upper echelon quarterbacks are known for pulling games out that appear lost. The Bills never seem out of a game as long as Allen is dealing. That level of trust and confidence in their quarterback could go a long way for Buffalo in 2020.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

PODCAST: After overcoming second-half woes, is Josh Allen an MVP?

Buffalo Bills podcast following Week 3, 2020 NFL season vs. Los Angeles Rams on quarterback Josh Allen.

The Buffalo Bills left us with another nail-biter finish this weekend, as they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 35-32 in Orchard Park. With a 28-3 deficit in hand for the Bills early in the third quarter, the Rams rallied back to challenge the Bills, scoring 29 unanswered points, but could not finish the game on top.

It certainly left many scratching their heads, as the phrase “28-3” is not one that is kindly used on the team with 28 points. The Bills, however, avoided that ugly stigma with another incredible, yet roller coaster ride of a fourth-quarter comeback. The Bills now have three wins in as many weeks, with a road trip to Las Vegas to play the Raiders next week.

There are certainly some questions about this Bills defense, and the scheme being used after they jumped to the massive lead that they did. How could a team that was ranked in the top-five last year allow such a comeback? It was certainly worrisome, as that put Bills quarterback Josh Allen and the offense in unnecessarily challenging predicaments the last several weeks,

Allen continues to earn a solid reputation amongst his fans and even his biggest critics. Allen has thrown for 300-plus yards in every game this year, and it isn’t too far-fetched to start mentioning Allen in the MVP discussion. It’s still early, and there’s lots of great football to be played, but he’s playing as great as any elite quarterback in the NFL right now.

Listen to this week’s Bills Wire reaction podcast with host Matt Johnson above and follow on your choice of:

Subscribe

[lawrence-related id=70607,70597,70572,70569]

Stock up, stock down following the Bills’ win over the Rams

The Bills looked really good, then really bad, then really good again after their week three victory over the Rams

Bills Mafia… you can take a deep sigh of relief as the Buffalo Bills had an epic collapse against the Los Angeles Rams, but eventually came back in the final seconds as quarterback Josh Allen found his tight end in Tyler Kroft in the corner of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown in a 35-32 decision. It was a sensational start for the Bills as they had a 28-3 lead in the third quarter, but then the defense collapsed in the third quarter and defensive tackle Aaron Donald of the Rams started wearing down the Bills offensive line. 

It was a thriller from start to finish and moved to 3-0 on the season. It was a game of highs and lows for the Bills and the play of few represented that inconsistent play. 

Following the win, let’s take a look at Week 3’s stock report for the Bills:

Stock up 

Bills running back Devin Singletary shakes Rams tackler Troy Hill. (Gannett photo)
Josh Allen 

Quarterback Josh Allen has had a tremendous start to the 2020 season, with 1,046 passing yards, an average completion percentage of 71 percent and 12 total touchdowns. Not bad. The Bills needed five touchdowns from Allen on Sunday. The quarterback from Wyoming completed 72.7 percent of his passes, threw for 311 yards, and four touchdowns against the Rams. He also rushed for a touchdown, the 19th of his career. Allen was also dropping dimes throughout the game against a stout Rams secondary. The likes of wide receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis benefited most from these passes with the two receivers combining for 181 yards on 10 grabs. 

Allen didn’t have a perfect game, he was sacked four times, threw a controversial interception, and had the ball stripped from his hands. With that being said, he was the reason the Bills won the game. His deep shots to Davis and  Beasley electrified Bills Stadium, and helped lead the team to victory. 

Devin Singletary 

After a few weeks in the proverbial dog house, Devin Singletary had a great game against Donald and the Rams. Singletary had 13 rushing attempts for 71 yards, an eye watering 5.5 yards per carry. His performance against the Rams was reminiscent of his rookie season, he was making defenders miss in the backfield and powering through smaller defensive backs in the open field. It was a refreshing performance because in the past two weeks the sophomore back looked stagnant, hopefully this can be the game that propels his season forward. 

While he contributed in the run game, he also caught four passes for 50 yards, an average of 12.5 yards per catch. He tallied a combined 121 yards, creating plenty of drive extending plays. 

Tyler Kroft 

If at the beginning of the week someone had tweeted that tight end Tyler Kroft would have two touchdown catches, and one being the game winner, many would be skeptical. Kroft did just that though, he had just four catches, for 24 yards, and two scores. While not eye-popping numbers, he was incredibly efficient and incredibly clutch. Like Singletary, this could be a game that kicks starts Kroft’s season. 

Gabe Davis/Cole Beasley 

This is cheating, but the Bills passing attack was led by these two receivers. Davis had his first career touchdown against the Dolphins in Week 2. Against the Rams he had a career high in catches and yards, he had four grabs for 81 yards, and was a safety blanket for his quarterback in the first half. His highlight play came in the form of a 39-yard reception where he displayed some great footwork to drag his toe down the sideline… great technique from the rookie. 

Cole Beasley had another great game in a Bills’ uniform, he had six grabs for 100 yards, an average of 16.7 yards per reception. Beasley had an incredibly clutch catch on the Bills’ game-winning drive, where he picked up 24 yards on a third-and-22. This was an important step for the Bills offense who didn’t need to rely on either Stefon Diggs or John Brown to make plays for the unit, instead having contributions across the board, a good sight to see. 

Honorable mentions: 

The defense got absolutely rinsed in the second half against the Rams, but the first half looked like they were going to shoutout Rams QB Jared Goff & Co. The defense was bolstered by the return of linebacker Matt Milano who tallied one sack, and a Levi Wallace interception… even rookie AJ Epensesa got in on the action. The former Hawkeye tallied his first sack of his career on a Goff rollout. 

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

5 takeaways from the Bills’ 35-32 win over the Rams

Here are five takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ 35-32 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3.

The Buffalo Bills never make it easy, do they?

But at the end of the game, the Bills had more points on the scoreboard than the Los Angeles Rams and have survived the battle of undefeated teams. Buffalo took the 38-35 win over Los Angeles to jump to 3-0 this season.

Here are five takeaways from the win:

Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Allen, wow

How else do you explain that fourth quarter by the Bills quarterback? Down and out, Josh Allen found a way. While Allen did enter the game with eight fourth-quarter comebacks, which included a tie for the league-lead in that category in 2019 with Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, this one was just… different.

For the first time in a comeback win for the Bills, they were down and out. No, no… they were just out cold. There were no signs of life from the Bills.

Enter Allen.

Without a doubt after three games of the season, Allen would have won the MVP Award after that showing on his final drive. Allen found deep completions to Cole Beasley on third and 22, and then another to Stefon Diggs to get into the red zone. With the help of a fourth-down penalty from the Rams, Allen found Tyler Kroft, again, in the end zone for the game-winning score. Ugly sacks and second-half penalties aside, the Bills had an incredible win in Week 3.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5

Stock up, stock down following the Bills’ win over the Dolphins

Josh Allen and co. impressed against Miami in their week two victory

The Bills 31-28 victory over the Miami Dolphins had a little bit of everything: a power outage, a lightning delay, a goal line stand, and Josh Allen throwing for over 400 yards. At times, Buffalo looked electric on offense, with Allen hitting different receivers in different parts of the field. That was reflected in the first half as the team jumped out to a 17-10 lead before halftime. As the Bills offense started to get into gear, their defense bottomed out. Dolphins quarterback, and Bills fan favorite, Ryan Fitzpatrick ripped the Bills secondary to shreds, throwing for more than 300 yards. 

The Bills relied on Allen, Stefon Diggs, and theior offensive weapons to win them the game in Miami, and they delivered. That’s new and that’s great.

Now let’s look at who performed, and who hindered the Bills vs. the Dolphins in this week’s stock report: 

Stock up

Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Allen 

In two consecutive weeks  Allen leads the charge for the Bills. Last week, he threw for a career-high 312 yards and contributed three touchdowns. This week, he threw for a staggering 417 yards and four touchdowns. Allen looked crisp from the jump, hitting the likes of Diggs, Cole Beasley, and John Brown in the center of the park, gashing the Dolphins in the process. In Buffalo’s Week 1 victory, most of Allen’s completions came within 15 yards from the line of scrimmage. This week he was pushing the ball downfield, hitting receivers John Brown, and Isiah McKenzie for over 40-yard gains. 

While completing 68.5 percent of his throws, and throwing for four touchdowns, Allen is putting up some impressive numbers early in the season, let’s see if he can extend this run against a tougher Rams defense in week three. 

Stefon Diggs

Here’s another familiar face from last week. Diggs had a nice game against the Jets, but against the ‘Fins he had a miraculous game. The receiver had eight catches, for 153 yards, and one touchdown, his first with the Bills. Whenever Allen needed a big play he looked toward his new target, and for the most part, he delivered. Whether it was on third down, or starting a drive, Allen threw it Diggs way, and the Dolphins didn’t have an answer. 

Diggs will have a massive challenge lining up against cornerback Jalen Ramsey against the Rams in Week 3, but he will definitely be up to the challenge and that’s going to be one of the best battles to watch this season. 

John Brown 

Brown continued his streak of strong performances in a Bills uniform, with five catches, 82 yards, and one touchdown. His highlight catch was a 49-yard touchdown reception, where he lived up to his nickname ‘Smoke’ in that he completely smoked Miami’s secondary with his underrated speed. Miami seemed overly concerned about Diggs, leaving Brown with one-on-one matchups throughout the game. Allen and Brown exploited those matchups giving Buffalo big plays throughout the contest. 

Ever since the offseason acquisition of Diggs, pundits have made claims that the Bills could have one of the deepest receiving corps in the league, and through Week 2 they’re living up to the hype. 

Tyrel Dodson 

In a week where the Bills missed their two starting linebackers, Tyrel Dodson had to fill the void left by Tremaine Edmunds, and for the most part he stepped up. Dodson was one of the vocal leaders on defense, and also third on the team in tackles with eight. While he doesn’t have the athleticism or length of Edmunds, he still was able to fill gaps in the run game and apply pressure to Fitzpatrick when called upon. 

Dodson starting at linebacker every week isn’t what McDermott or Leslie Frazier want but he was an effective stop-gap against the Dolphins. 

Honorable mentions

Receivers Cole Beasley and Gabriel Davis deserve a shout, Beasley’s 70 receiving yards set-up a majority of Buffalo’s touchdowns, and then Davis had an exceptional touchdown grab to give Buffalo the lead in the fourth quarter. Ed Oliver had a great sack on Fitzpatrick, and some decent tackles in the run game, but was largely ineffective throughout the game. Finally, fullback Reggie Gilliam, who had one catch, for one yard, and one touchdown, the first of his NFL career. 

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Bills teammates pumped for Josh Allen’s big day vs. Dolphins

Following the game, while Allen wasn’t pumping himself up, some of his teammates certainly were.

[sendtonews_embed video_id=”nb3bZApBc9-978216-7498″]

Bills quarterback Josh Allen is always pretty even-keeled. He just had a 400-plus yard game to help bring his team to 2-0 on the season against a division rival in the Miami Dolphins.

His head coach in Sean McDermott said after the game that he had ice in his veins as he played. Allen’s always showed that calm, cool, and collected personality whenever he’s behind the microphone as well.

But that doesn’t mean his teammates are.

Following the game, while Allen wasn’t pumping himself up, some of his teammates certainly were, namely Micah Hyde and Tre’Davious White. First, Hyde decided to crash Allen’s post-game video conference and hype him:

When the mic was finally on, White let out a “damn” while Hyde looked over and the two laughed with how impressed they were. Check out more from Hyde and White, along with Jordan Poyer and Devin Singletary:

[lawrence-related id=70224,70194,70191,70150]

Sean McDermott says Bills’ ground game needs ‘mindset’ improvement

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott on his team’s rushing attack.

As happy as the Bills were with Josh Allen in Week 1 against the Jets, the passing attack got the job done all alone. In terms of the run game? It was non-existent. On 18 carries, nine apiece for both, running backs Devin Singletary and Zack Moss only combined for 41 yards.

That’s not going to get it done most days and Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott can even easily acknowledge that. On Wednesday, McDermott said the problem was as much of a problem in the mental aspect of the game as much as it was physically on the field.

“I think it’s a mindset. That’s where it all starts. Playing well from the line of scrimmage is important… it’s never just one person or one position,” McDermott said.

Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll came in to the 27-17 win over the Jets with the intention of using Allen’s legs as the main attack on the ground. Allen rushed 14 times for 57 yards.

Unfortunately, Singletary and Moss could not break free in the outing, as Singletary had only one explosive run during the game. Moss had 11 total rushing yards.

While McDermott preached on mindset, Daboll showed that the situation against the Jets could’ve been a game planning situation.

Daboll emphasizes that the game plan is established on a week-to-week basis. The number of zone reads this week may decrease, or conceivably increase, based on the opponent.

Still, Buffalo would like to get more out of their running backs duo. Singletary and Moss because even with his rushing efficiency, Allen lost two fumbles on rushes.

Also worth noting, Buffalo’s offense was operating with an adjusted offensive line. With Jon Feliciano’s injury, the Bills moved Cody Ford to guard, and Darryl Williams started at right tackle. The unit did fairly well in the pass game, but it could not gain a consistent footing on the ground.

The Bills could continue to use Allen as a weapon on the ground against the Dolphins, as the team has in the past successfully, but one could expect all three rushers to get involved. Such a game plan was used by the Patriots in their season-opening win over the Dolphins and New England led the entire NFL with 217 rushing yards in the contest.

[lawrence-related id=69996,70001,69991,69984]

What we learned from Bills’ season-opening win over Jets

What We Learned, Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets, NFL Week 1.

One year ago, the Bills needed a furious fourth quarter rally to beat the Jets in the season opener, scoring 17 unanswered points to steal a win late at the Meadowlands. In the 2020 season opener, the Bills didn’t wait around to put the Jets down for the count.

Buffalo jumped out to a 21-0 lead halfway through the second quarter and were never really threatened in a dominating 27-17 victory over a Jets team that looked rather hapless. The 10-point margin of victory is not exactly indicative of how much the Bills controlled this game. Buffalo more than doubled the amount of first downs the Jets had (31-15), ran 81 total plays to the Jets’ 53, outgained the Jets by 150 yards, and dominated in time of possession (41:16 to 18:44).

Still, the Bills had enough slip ups that they allowed the Jets to hang around in the second half and keep the final score somewhat respectable. Buffalo could have been up by as much as 35 in the first half, but two Josh Allen fumbles short-circuited a pair of drives deep into Jets’ territory. The Bills then struggled for a while to deliver the knockout blow in the second half.

New placekicker Tyler Bass missed his first two field goal attempts, both in the third quarter. In between, Jets wideout Jamison Crowder slipped a Tremaine Edmunds tackle on a short pass from Sam Darnold and broke free for a 69-yard touchdown to bring the Jets within 11 (21-10) with 5:10 left in the third quarter.

The Bills locked the game down from there as Buffalo safety Jordan Poyer forced Chris Herndon to fumble on the Jets’ next possession and Jerry Hughes recovered. Bass rebounded to connect on field goal attempts of 22 and 19 yards in the fourth quarter to give the Bills a 17-point lead with 3:15 to play.

While the Bills had some hiccups along the way, they were in command from start to finish and had little trouble with the Jets on Sunday. The big story from the game was the play of Josh Allen, who became the first Bills quarterback to pass for 300 yards in a game since Tyrod Taylor in 2016 and the first since Kyle Orton in 2014 to do so in regulation. Allen completed 33 passes for 312 yards and used a well-designed passing game to pick apart a beleaguered Jets secondary. The only thing that stopped Allen was himself as he put the ball on the turf twice and had a couple of poor throws that could have gone for touchdowns if thrown accurately.

With that, are four things we learned as the Bills started the 2020 season with a victory at an empty Bills Stadium:

Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Brett Carlsen)

The Passing Game Appears to Have Taken a Step Forward 

Bills fans were treated to the full Josh Allen experience on Sunday. They saw the passing talent that has been so often promised since Allen was drafted seventh-overall in 2018. They saw efficiency and well-timed throws to open receivers. They also saw critical mistakes that Allen has become well-known for. He fumbled the ball away twice in the first half and also had some inaccurate throws that took touchdowns off the board. But overall, it might have been Allen’s most impressive game as a passer for the Bills in his three seasons in Buffalo.

Allen reached the plateau that so many Bills fans have been fixated on for years: the 300-yard passing game. It’s incredible enough that no Bills’ quarterback has done so in a game since 2016, but it becomes absolutely dumbfounding to think about how no Bills’ quarterback had thrown for 300 yards in regulation since 2014. That streak has finally been broken as Allen hit 312 yards.

The Bills’ passing game has often been a source of frustration in the past and quite frequently the weakness of many Bills’ teams from years gone by. That claim could have been made about last year’s Bills’ team. But on Sunday, the passing game looked like a strength for Buffalo.

The Bills built a 21-0 lead in the first half on the back of Allen and the passing game. Allen was sharp throwing the ball in the early going, hitting his first seven passes of the game. After an Allen fumble on Buffalo’s opening drive, they responded with three straight touchdown drives. Allen ran in for a two-yard score on the first touchdown drive and then threw touchdown passes to Zack Moss and John Brown on the next two drives.

Allen was efficient running the Buffalo offense in the first half, but much of the credit should also go to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. The Bills had a well-conceived offensive scheme as they picked on a weak Jets secondary. The Bills forced New York to expose the most vulnerable part of their defense by starting the game with four wide receivers on the field. Daboll also utilized the screen game effectively as the Bills created easy throws for Allen that were well blocked and resulted in sizable gains. The touchdown throw to Brown was an inside screen that actually came on an audible at the line of scrimmage by Allen when he saw the Jets’ secondary playing well off Brown.

The Bills also got their new toy involved. Stefon Diggs, the most notable offseason addition by the Bills, caught eight passes for 86 yards in his Buffalo debut. Six of his receptions went for first downs. His presence allowed Brown to see single coverage.

Even with Diggs in the fold, Brown still has a chance to post another big season as defenses focus their attention on the receiver the Bills traded a first round pick for. Brown enjoyed a nice day on Sunday with six catches for 70 yards and his touchdown reception.

Even though the offense was slowed a bit in the second half, they showed enough in getting out to a 21-0 lead that you have to be encouraged by their potential for the rest of the season. It’s only one game, but the passing offense certainly looks stronger to start 2020.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Tunnel Vision of Week 1

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass-Rush TD
Josh Allen 312-57 3
Russell Wilson 322-29 4
 Aaron Rodgers 364-2 4
 Matt Ryan 450 2
 Kyler Murray 230-91 2
Running Backs Yards TD
Josh Jacobs 139 3
Christian McCaffrey 134 2
Nyheim Hines 73 2
Raheem Mostert 151 1
Chris Carson 66 2
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Davante Adams 156 2
Calvin Ridley 130 2
DeAndre Hopkins 151 0
Adam Thielen 110 2
Julio Jones 157 0
Tight Ends Yards TD
Mark Andrews 58 2
Dallas Goedert 101 1
T.J. Hockenson 56 1
Travis Kelce 50 1
David Njoku 50 1
Placekickers XP FG
Daniel Carlson 3 3
Mason Crosby 5 2
Josh Lambo 3 2
Matt Prater 2 3
Joey Slye 1 3
Defense Sack-TO TD
Saints 3-3 1
Football Team 8-3 0
Ravens 3-2 0
Bills 3-2 0
Chargers 3-2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

RB Le’Veon Bell – Hamstring
RB Marlon Mack – Achilles
WR  Devante Parker – Hamstring
RB Jordan Howard – Hamstring
RB Justin Jackson – Quad
TE David Njoku – Knee
TE Blake Jarwin – Knee (ACL?)

Chasing Ambulances

A light week is always great to see. But it also

RB Marlon Mack – Reported to have torn his Achilles and that clears up the Colts’ backfield. Jonathan Taylor becomes the primary rusher but he was snapped up in all fantasy leagues. Nyheim Hines is the free agent to note with seven carries for 28 yards and one touchdown as a rusher, and then eight receptions for 45 yards and a second touchdown. The next three opponents – Vikings, Jets, and Bears – all sport above-average defenses but that likely prompts more passes to Hines and Taylor.

RB Le’Veon Bell – While Bell left the Bills game after only six carries, the woeful Jets only totaled 14 runs in the game anyway. Frank Gore would start if Bell misses time but Josh Adams ran in the score against in Buffalo. The Jets face the 49ers next and that won’t be much better than what happened against the Bills. Gore and Adams come into play only in the biggest of leagues and even then, only for the Bell owners.

RB Jordan Howard – Left with a hamstring strain but like Bell, or even worse than Bell, the Dolphins offense is just not something to waste a free agent move on. Matt Breida wasn’t a factor and Myles Gaskin was the best back with just nine runs for 40 yards. He added four catches for 26 yards but Patrick Laird also had a couple of catches. They face the Bills next as well. Gaskin is worth a stash only in the deepest of leagues but keep all expectations from this backfield low.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

TE Jordan Akins – The Texans are searching for new receivers since DeAndre Hopkins left and while Will Fuller had another Week 1 explosion, that’s not going to happen often (or ever if last year serves). The third-year tight end Akins was a star in training camp and caught two passes for 39 yards that included a 19-yard touchdown. Not reliable yet, but at least Akins deserves to land as fantasy depth. The Texans have a bad stretch up next – Ravens, Steelers and Vikings – so Akins won’t be a starting option this month.

TE Greg Olsen – Like Akins, he surprised with four catches for 24 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons. There’s not enough left after D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett take their share, but Olsen is worth at least watching.

WR Russell Gage – The Falcons produced three wideouts with nine catches for over 100 yards in one game thanks to the 450 passing yards by Matt Ryan. It was a great game by Gage to be sure, but he’ll never be as reliable as either Julio Jones or Calvin Ridley. He’s worth rostering only if you own Ridley or Jones as insurance.

Browns running backs – Nick Chubb’s value took a hit with the Browns falling behind so badly since Kareem Hunt plays in more passing situations. Chubb ended with only ten carries for 60 yards and Hunt finished with 13 runs for 72 yards and four catches for nine yards. The good news is that the next two games are at home against the Bengals and Redskins so Chubb should improve.

RB Mark Ingram – The Ravens decimated the Browns and yet Ingram only ran ten times for 29 yards while the rookie J.K. Dobbins gained 22 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. Gus Edwards had four carries as well so Ingram’s role appears to be shrinking.

RB Devin Singletary – Like Ingram, Singletary’s team had their way with the Jets but he only ran nine times for 30 yards while the rookie Zack Moss took nine carries for 11 yards.  Worse yet, Moss scored a touchdown on his three catches for 16 yards while Singletary went scoreless despite five receptions for 23 yards.  At least he did not fumble, but the expectations that Singletary’s role would get dialed back was correct.

WR Nelson Agholor – He only caught one pass for the Raiders but it was a 23-yard touchdown and the rookie starter Bryan Edwards settled for just one catch for nine yards. The Raiders are still throwing mostly to Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller, but Agholor is worth noting.

WR Robby Anderson – While No. 1 wideout DJ Moore was held to only four catches for 54 yards in the Panthers new offense, Anderson turned in 115 yards and one score on six catches thanks to a 75-yard touchdown. The scheme intends to be pass-heavy and Anderson has already made a splash as the No. 2 receiver.

RB Adrian Peterson – Kerryon Johnson only ran seven times for 14 yards against the Bears while Peterson accounted for 93 yards on 14 runs and even caught three passes for 21 yards. D’Andre Swift ran in a score but was only used on three rushes for eight yards. Peterson’s value is higher than expected but this will remain a committee.

TE T.J. Hockenson – He caught all five passes and gained 56 yards with the lone receiving touchdown. That’s a positive sign for the tight end that was drafted specifically to be a cog in the passing game.

RB James Robinson – The Jaguars game of musical chairs for their backfield ended with the undrafted Robinson getting the starting nod. He handled all the backfield carries with 16 for 62 yards and even caught a 28-yard pass. He’s worth owning if only for Week 3 when the Dolphins visit.

WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling – Davante Adams is simply a pass-sponge but MVS turned four catches into 96 yards and a score on the Vikings on Sunday. He’s had good showings in the past and then disappeared for almost all of 2019. But notable that he generated some buzz this summer and then delivered.

QB Cam Newton – What says Tom Brady is gone more than having the Patriot’s quarterback run 15 times for 75 yards and two scores?  Newton threw for 155 yards and even completed 15 of 19 passes. But a muddle committee backfield just got a lot worse with less scoring and runs to go around.

TE Dallas Goedert –  Carson Wentz was surprisingly less effective passing with only 24 of 42 passes completed and Goedert was the only one with notable production when he turned a team-high nine targets into eight catches for 101 yards and a score. That was the same number of catches by all wide receivers combined. The Eagles disappeared after leading 17-0 so hard to rely on any of the outcomes, but Wentz is still having trouble connecting with his wideouts even though they are all healthy now.

RB Peyton Barber – While Antonio Gibson (9-36) got all the hype this summer, Washington turned to Barber (17-29, 2 TD) to lead the backfield in carries. Touchdowns aside, the running backs only combined for 65 yards on 26 carries in a home game they controlled for the second half. Playing in Arizona next week doesn’t look like as much fun as it used to be so Barber is still no safe fantasy start.

RB Joshua Kelley – The Chargers lost Justin Jackson to a quad injury so Kelley hasn’t formally become the No. 2 running back. But the rookie gained 60 yards and a score on 12 carries. Austin Ekeler (19-84) also ran effectively though never more than 13 yards on any carry. But the offense only threw one pass to a running back all game. That’s a major shift from life with Philip Rivers under center.

RB Ronald Jones – The jury was still out on Jones and then once Leonard Fournette was acquired, the fantasy world figured that the third-year back wasn’t going to be a factor. Not so fast. Fournette ran five times to gain five yards while Jones handled 17 rushes for 66 yards and caught two passes for 16 yards. We should know a lot more after the Bucs host the Panthers this week, but Jones ran strong and Fournette isn’t effective, at least not yet.

TE George Kittle – Caught four passes for 44 yards in the first half but then had a shot to his left knee that looked bad and sent him to the sideline. He played in the second half but never caught a pass so fantasy owners need to pay attention to practices to see if Kittle will be healthy to play at the Jets this week. The 49ers ran out of starting wideouts already and finally started throwing to Raheem Mostert (4-95, TD).

RB Malcolm Brown – Cam Akers ran for 39 yards on 14 carries but Brown took the lead against the Cowboys with 18 runs for 79 yards and both rushing touchdowns, along with three receptions for 31 yards. Akers may eventually become the new Gurley, but so far Brown owns that role.

The Week 1 Chill Pill

Before you freak out that your players all suck or that we all whiffed on drafting the stars of 2020, the annual reality check is in order.

The top 3 wideouts from Week 1, 2019 were Sammy Watkins (9-198, 3 TD), DeSean Jackson (8-154, 2 TD), and John Ross (7-158, 2 TD). All three got you nowhere last year after Week 1.

T.J. Hockenson turned in six catches for 131 yards and one score. David Johnson totaled 137 yards, five receptions and one touchdown. Case Keenum ended with 380 passing yards and three touchdowns. It happens.

Joe Mixon opened 2019 with just 17 yards. Tyreek Hill had 21 yards. Mike Evans only managed 28 yards in a season where his team passed for over 5,000 yards.

It’s just one week. And usually very different than the rest of the season.

Huddle player of the week

Davante Adams  –  While Michael Thomas was turning in a head-scratching Week 1, Davante Adams richly rewarded the fantasy drafters that probably spent a first-round pick on him. Adams roasted the Vikings with 14 receptions for 156 yards and two scores as the best fantasy play on opening weekend. That tied the all-time Packer record for single-game receptions.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Cam Newton 230 2 QB Drew Brees 160 2
RB Peyton Barber 29 2 RB Devin Singletary 53 0
RB Nyheim Hines 73 2 RB Le’Veon Bell 46 0
WR Jamison Crowder 115 1 WR Michael Thomas 17 0
WR Robby Anderson 115 1 WR Odell Beckham 22 0
WR Russell Gage 114 0 WR Keenan Allen 37 0
TE Dallas Goedert 101 1 TE George Kittle 44 0
PK Matt Prater   2 XP   3 FG PK Ka’imi Fairbairn  2 XP
Huddle Fantasy Points = 134 Huddle Fantasy Points = 39

Now get back to work…

5 takeaways from the Bills’ 27-17 win over the Jets

Takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ 27-17 win over the New York Jets.

The Buffalo Bills handled their business against the New York Jets in their first contest of the 2020 regular season. While a win is a win, the Bills certainly made things interesting in a few ways… and unfortunately we’ve got some important bumps and bruises to keep an eye on.

With that, here are five takeaways from the Bills’ win over the Jets:

Bills outside linebacker Matt Milano. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Linebacker injuries

The Bills potentially have two huge losses in this victory. Both starting linebackers, Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano, left the game due to injury. They suffered shoulder and hamstring injuries, respectively. This could potentially be back-breaking.

In Sean McDermott’s defensive scheme, it calls for heavy nickel formation. That means two linebackers most of the game. When healthy, both Edmunds and Milano will traditionally play every single defensive snap. Without them the drop off is huge in terms of the depth chart on Buffalo’s roster. Linebacker is the position group with the worst depth on the team’s entire roster.

When Milano went down, veteran AJ Klein slid into his spot. Without Edmunds, essential rookie undrafted player Tyrel Dodson filled in. Of those two, you’d expect Klein to play better, but even before Edmunds went out of the lineup, Klein was leaving something to be desired. Dodson had his first-career sack, which was nice to see, but it came via a pretty bone-headed play from Sam Darnold when he ran out of bounds. If you notice, the Jets certainly got some momentum around the time these two defenders left the lineup.

Moving forward into Week 2 against the Dolphins, monitoring the health of these two is very important. Miami will attack this area if both guys are out.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5