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.
No matter how great any NFL team, there’s always that one potentially fatal flaw. Here are the things that could upend each wild-card team.
No NFL team is perfect, no matter how great they may be. The 1972 Dolphins, the only team in NFL history to put up a perfect season from start to finish, lived in an era where they didn’t need much in the way of quarterback performance. So, they could deal with the broken leg and dislocated ankle that cost quarterback Bob Griese eight games in the regular season. The 2007 Patriots, who came within one game of joining the 1972 Miami team with a perfect season, found it more and more difficult to pace themselves through a defensive regression that started with linebacker Rosevelt Colvin’s foot injury in late November.
So, if even the greatest teams in NFL history have potentially fatal flaws, what does that say about the eight wild-card entrants in the 2019 postseason? It says that, for each of those teams, they’ll have to overcome the things that could upend them from the first round on, hoping that the things that make them great are more present at the most opportune moments.
Here are the most obvious flaws for each of those teams as we head into wild-card weekend.
Buffalo Bills: Josh Allen’s ceiling
(Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports)
The Bills have an exciting run game with veteran Frank Gore, rookie Devin Singletary, and quarterback Josh Allen. They have perhaps the strongest defense from front to back in this particular wild-card group. They have Tre’Davious White, the only cornerback this season to pick off six passes without allowing a touchdown. Were it not for the relatively low ceiling Allen brings as a passer, they might be the most formidable team in the 2019 postseason. But Allen’s low ceiling is there, and it might be a problem.
Allen has been reasonably efficient. He’s thrown just three interceptions this season since his three-interception meltdown against the Patriots in Week 4, so at least he’s learned to minimize the damage to his own offense. And he does have 17 touchdown passes in that time period, so productive plays are a possibility — especially in concert with John Brown, who may be the NFL’s most underrated receiver. And certainly, Allen’s two-touchdown game against New England in Week 16 was a nice summary of his growth as a passer this season. But if the Bills wind up in a one- or two-touchdown hole in the playoffs, can Allen turn it loose effectively enough to mount a comeback? For a guy with a big arm, he’s been relatively quiet on bog downfield plays — just 18 completions on 68 attempts for 589 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions on passes of 20 or more air yards this season. And he’s not been terribly efficient under pressure this season, with a 41.2% completion rate and five touchdowns to four interceptions when his dropbacks have been disrupted.
Perhaps the 2019 playoffs is when Allen hits the proverbial next level. If that’s the case, the Bills instantly become as tough an out as you’ll find in this postseason and beyond. If not, everything else will have to work perfectly for a long postseason run.
The Bills will look to do something for the first time in about 24 years on Saturday against the Houston Texans.
Win a playoff game.
As the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs, the Bills will visit the AFC South champion Texans, the No. 4 seed. The Bills have now made the postseason twice in three seasons under head coach Sean McDermott, but can they now crack the win column?
Here are five other storylines to watch for during the Bills’ Wild Card weekend vs. the Texans:
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Josh Allen’s first playoff game
There’s a first time for everything, and this is the first time Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen will taste the playoffs in his young career. When the Bills cracked the postseason in 2017 and ended their dreaded playoff drought, they took the scenic route there. Tyrod Taylor will go down as the QB that ended the drought, but the Bills also tossed Nathan Peterman in there, too.
Allen has a feeling of being much more established than both in regard to their futures with the club. But this could go down as a pivotal moment for Allen. Thus far, he’s proven he can handle the spotlight.
While the Bills did fall short against the Patriots in Week 16, Allen showed up late in the one to make it interesting in front of the national audience. He also beat the Steelers and Cowboys in primetime(ish) football, too. Furthermore, the 2019 NFL season ended with Allen in a three-way tie for the league-lead in game-winning drives. He had five. He shared that with Seattle’s Russell Wilson and… Houston’s Deshaun Watson.
Winning primetime football games and turning it on in clutch moments is a great sign for a second-year pro. But welcome to the playoffs, Josh. Let’s see how he guides the Bills in his first go big or go home scenario.
With the 2019 regular season in the books, let’s take a look at the Bills’ statistical leaders and the team’s ranking compared to the rest of the league.
There were many things to smile about if you’re a Bills fan this year. The team returns to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. Buffalo produced its first double-digit win season in two decades (and their first of this millennium).
With the 2019 regular season in the books, let’s take a look at the Bills’ statistical leaders and the team’s ranking compared to the rest of the league.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Team offense (yards per game)
Total offense: 330.2 (24th)
Points per game: 19.6 (t-23th)
Passing yards: 201.8 (26th)
Passing touchdowns: 21 (24th)
Rushing yards: 128.4 (8th)
Rushing touchdowns: 17 (t-18th)
Giveaways: 19 (12 INTs): (t-11th)
Tre’Davious White #27 of the Buffalo Bills. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
The Bills lose in their final game of the regular season to the New York Jets.
In the final game of the NFL season, the Buffalo Bills lost to their divisional rival, New York Jets, 13-6. A rainy day in Orchard Park led to sloppy performances from fringe players on the Bills roster.
Thankfully, it was a meaningless loss due to Buffalo locking the fifth playoff seed in the AFC with their victory over the Steelers.
With the final report card of the regular season, let’s see how the backups performed against the New York Jets:
Matt Barkley #5 of the Buffalo Bills. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
Quarterbacks: D
We’ll get Josh Allen out of the way first. He played just two series and threw the ball five times. He completed three of those passes for five yards, but it wouldn’t be fair to add his performance to this grade.
Backup Matt Barkley started the game under pressure, getting hit on his first throw that looked like a fumble but was called an incomplete pass. On his second drive he found more momentum, finding running back T.J. Yeldon, and receiver Duke Williams. Ultimately, it didn’t lead to any points, which was a common theme for the Bills offense in this game.
Barkley also had issues with turning the ball over. Barkley threw two interceptions, both of them were ugly, and he fumbled the ball. He never found a rhythm throughout the game either, so he could never develop a chemistry with his receivers. This led to balls to being under-thrown, overthrown, and a really bad night from the backup.
His final stat-line was 18/35, 232 yards, two interceptions, and one lost fumble which should’ve been two. Oof.
The Bills have a nice tune-up game at the end of the season when the New York Jets come into New Era Field on Sunday.
Well, the Bills are playing another meaningless week 17 game.
This time it’s due to the fact that they’ve already locked up the top Wild Card spot in the AFC. It was announced earlier in the week that the Bills’ starters will be playing, which can be a nice tune-up game facing the lowly New York Jets.
While we’re not sure exactly how much Buffalo’s No.1’s will be playing, the games, within the game, can still make all the difference.
Here are five matchups to watch for sure the Bills’ Week 17 meeting with the Jets:
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Josh Allen vs. Jamal Adams
New York Jets safety Jamal Adams has become enemy No. 1 in western New York after his controversial comments on ‘hunting’ the Bills.
The Jets defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, is the main culprit of the New Orleans Saints ‘Bountygate’ scandal. A payment system where his players earned bonuses for taking opposing players out of the game. It wasn’t a good look for the NFL, the Saints, or the former Bills coach.
So, how does Josh Allen fit into all of this? A mobile quarter, who stands at 6-foot-5, and has already beaten the Jets once this season, he seems like the ideal target to hunt. Allen didn’t have a great game against the Jets, he had four turnovers, but he did throw the game winning touchdown to John Brown late in the fourth quarter.
If Allen is looking to create some momentum going into the playoffs he’ll need to unlock a stingy Jets secondary, led by Jamal Adams. Marcus Maye is his safety partner, and he’s fresh off a check of a game himself. Allen will hopefully only have limited chances to do this, though.
Five Buffalo Bills storylines to watch for during their Week 17 meeting with the New York Jets.
The Bills are hosting the New York Jets to roundout their 2019 regular season.
Things are set for both sides standings-wise heading into this one, and we’ll start with the most obviously overlying storyline for the Bills.
Here are five storylines to watch for as the Bills host the Jets in Week 17:
Buffalo Bills quarterback Matt Barkley. Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
How much will starters play?
Naturally, this.
Only Sean McDermott’s coaching staff knows the true answer to this one, but all we know is the Bills’ starting players will see playing time, or at least a “majority” of them will, including quarterback Josh Allen. It’s not the worst plan, but the Bills have to be extremely careful for the obvious.
If an injury occurs to any starter, let alone a guy like Allen, McDermott is going to be heavily criticized. Also making things a bit more nerve-wrecking is the Jets. Their defensive coordinator is Gregg Williams, who has a history of wanting to put some heat on opposing players, quarterbacks specifically. It doesn’t feel comfortable that Jets safety Jamal Adams said he wants to put a “hunting” on the Bills this weekend, too.
Having said all that, playing the starters for a very, very brief time is a fair move. But don’t get too cute.
Buffalo Bills snap count depth chart from Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots.
The Bills put a strong foot forward against the New England Patriots in Week 16, but fell 24-17.
In this one, the Pats took their 11th straight AFC title. The Bills saw their chance for an upset fall short, but it’s still been a fun ride to this point.
Who did and didn’t play a big role vs. the Patriots?
Here’s a full depth chart breakdown via snap counts for the Bills against the Patriots in Week 16:
Buffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Offense
Notes:
For the fifth-straight game, rookie Cody Ford played in every snap. Ty Nsekhe (ankle) was still injured and missed the game.
After not playing in a single snap on offense in Week 15, WR Robert Foster saw eight snaps vs. the Patriots.
After playing in 48 percent of snaps last week, TE Lee Smith only saw two snaps vs. the Patriots.
RB Frank Gore also only played two snaps and for the first time in his 15-year career, Gore did not get a carry in a game.
C Mitch Morse played in 89 percent of snaps after leaving the game with an ankle injury.
From Week 11 to 14, TE Dawson Knox played in 72-plus percent of snaps each week, which dipped to only 48 percent vs. the Steelers in Week 15. Against the Patriots, he jumped back to 74 percent.
WRs Andre Roberts and Isaiah McKenzie saw 24 percent and 57 percent of snaps, respectively. From Week 12 to 14, Roberts played in 5, 2, and 0 percent of snaps, respectively. Over the past two games, Roberts has played in 26 percent and 24 percent.
Without Gore, RB Devin Singletary saw a whopping 96 percent of snaps. His previous career-high was 82 percent.
The Bills had their first chance to win the AFC East in 20 years on Saturday, but couldn’t seal the deal in New England.
The Buffalo Bills went to Foxborough and gave the New England Patriots an intense matchup that resulted in a 24-17 win for the home team. Both defenses played well in the cold New England night.
Buffalo made the game competitive, but they couldn’t seal the victory in the fourth quarter.
With the unfortunate loss against the Patriots, here’s how the Bills were graded against New England:
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Quarterback: C
Josh Allen started off the game terribly, completing just three passes before the end of the second quarter. At the end of the first half Allen found his footing and drove the offense down the field, and tied the game. That drive saw Allen hit a deep ball to Dawson Knox, and the touchdown came from finding Dion Dawkins in the back of the end zone on the final play of the first half with some trickery.
The second half Allen found more consistency, and again connected on the deep ball but this time to John Brown. Brown made a great move against Stephon Gilmore to create separation, and walked into the end zone with the ball was in hands.
Allen had an improved stat line from his first game against the Patriots, he completed 13 of his 26 passes for 208 yards and had two touchdowns. His biggest flaw though was his accuracy. He missed Cole Beasley twice, once in the middle field, and again on an out route where the ball was behind Beasley.
The Buffalo Bills are playoff bound and can make a run at the AFC East if they can beat the dreaded New England Patriots.
The Buffalo Bills have punched their ticket to the playoffs after their road win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday Night Football. Now the Bills have a chance in winning the AFC East with a victory of the dreaded New England Patriots… though the Bills will need some help.
The Bills and Pats met once this season, week four in Buffalo where the Patriots won 16-10. It was a defensive battle throughout the game, and game that saw Josh Allen leave with a head injury in the fourth quarter.
This will be a tough matchup for the Bills at Foxborough on Saturday, so these are the important matchups to watch:
Jordan Phillips vs. Ted Karras
After two strong seasons with the New England Patriots, center Ted Karras has taken a step back in his third season. Throughout the season he has allowed two sacks, and been called for three penalties. On Saturday, he’ll be facing the underrated defensive tackle Jordan Phillips.
Jordan Phillips has had a career resurgence in Buffalo since joining during the team late last season. In his first full season with the Bills, Phillips has ten sacks, one forced fumble, and 12 tackles. Phillips has been able to create pressure inside the pocket, which has resulted in quarterbacks releasing the ball earlier than expected and leading to errant throws.
Phillips didn’t have a great game against the Patriots, he had just four tackles, and didn’t contribute any sacks. The Patriots offense is based around quick passes, and a stout run game. Which doesn’t play to the strengths of Phillips game.
If the Bills want to get the best of the Hall of Fame quarterback, Tom Brady, Phillips will need to collapse the pocket and make the 42 year old scramble, and try to extend plays. Phillips will be vital for the potential divisional push, which starts on Saturday.
