Tag: John Brown

ESPN names 2 Bills players on ‘All-Underrated team’

ESPN named 24 total players to an “All-Underrrated team” for the NFL’s 2019 season thus far. Buffalo earned two nods to the list via wide reciever John Brown and cornerback Tre’Davious White.

The Bills have quietly gone about their business in 2019. Buffalo, one of the NFL’s smallest markets, always has players that are underappreciated. Have you seen a team that’s 8-3 talked about any less nationally? Ever?

Well the world-wide leader decided to give the Bills some credit, or at least two of their players some credit.

ESPN named 24 total players to an “All-Underrrated team” for the NFL’s 2019 season thus far. Buffalo earned two nods to the list via wide receiver John Brown and cornerback Tre’Davious White.

Here’s why both made the cut:

Wide receiver: John Brown, Buffalo Bills
Brown has a well-earned reputation as a downfield burner from his time in Arizona, but when the Bills signed Brown away from the Ravens on a three-year, $27 million deal, it was to serve as Buffalo’s primary wideout.

The Bills hoped Brown would become a No. 1. Their hopes were answered.

Cornerback: Tre’Davious White, Buffalo Bills
We’ve all come to a conclusion that Stephon Gilmore is the best cornerback in football. I’m not going to disagree, especially after he erased Amari Cooper from existence during Sunday’s win over the Cowboys. If we’re trying to pick the second-best cornerback in football, though, you could do a lot worse than White, who repeatedly doesn’t get the attention he deserves while anchoring one of the league’s best defenses.

He’s a superstar.

As the Bills head toward the postseason with a promising record, these two and the team has a whole can start to appear from the shadows. The Bills have the hardest remaining schedule in the NFL currently. If Buffalo performs well and wins multiple games, over the next month-plus, the NFL can no longer point to a weak schedule. They’ll have to take notice.

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What we learned from Bills’ Week 12 win over Broncos

What We Learned, Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos, NFL Week 12

The Buffalo Bills find themselves in unfamiliar territory heading into Thanksgiving: comfortably in a playoff position with one of the best records the AFC.

The Bills improved to 8-3 for the first time since 1996, Jim Kelly’s final season with the team, with a workman-like 20-3 victory over the Denver Broncos. It took a while for the Bills’ offense to get going, but once they did they were able to pull away from a Denver team that never seriously threatened Buffalo in this game. The Bills racked up over 240 yards rushing and Josh Allen tossed a pair of touchdown passes, including a 34-yard rainbow to John Brown that should satisfy fans who have been calling for Allen to deliver on a deep ball.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo defense was dominant, holding Denver to just nine first downs and 134 total yards. Young Broncos’ signal caller Brandon Allen tallied just 82 passing yards on 25 attempts. The Bills also sacked him four times, and the yardage from those sacks brought Denver down to just 49 net passing yards for the day. The run defense also held Phillip Lindsay and company to just 85 yards on the ground.

There was little to criticize from a complete effort from this Bills’ team as they find themselves in strong position heading into the final stretch of the regular season. The schedule does get considerably tougher beginning on Thanksgiving Day Thursday in Dallas.

Here are four things we learned as the Bills won for the second week in a row to continue their playoff push:

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Report card: Bills top Broncos 20-3

The Buffalo Bills moved to 8-3 on Sunday, after beating the Denver Broncos 20-3.

The Buffalo Bills have now moved to 8-3 after beating the Denver Broncos, 20-3 on Sunday. It was a defensive battle throughout most of the game but, Buffalo generated offense in key moments late in the game. At 8-3 this is the best start Buffalo has had since 1996. The team is currently holding onto a wild card spot in AFC postseason.

With that being said, here are the positional grades after Buffalo’s win vs. the Broncos: 

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

Quarterback: C+

We will start with the ugly, Josh Allen threw a bad interception in the second quarter, as the pass sailed over the hands of John Brown and into the arms of Justin Simmons. Allen also had some ugly passes in the third quarter that should have been intercepted, but the Broncos secondary couldn’t handle Allen’s passes. 

Outside of some ugly throws, Allen converted 15 out of his 25 throws, a completion percentage of 60 percent. On his 15 throws he had 185 yards, an average of 12.3 yards per completion. Allen also flashed his escape ability and mobility, he had multiple scrambles that resulted in first downs. This was shown by his 56 yards on the ground. 

Allen also threw for two touchdowns on the day. In the second quarter he found Cole Beasley from 18 yards out, who created separation with his quick burst speed off the line of scrimmage. In the fourth quarter Allen hit the deep ball to John Brown which gave Buffalo their 17 point lead. Allen ended the game with 241 yards, a very productive game for the quarterback. 

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PODCAST: Can Bills carry consistency vs. Broncos into Cowboys meeting?

Buffalo Bills podcast following Week 12 in over Denver Broncos, ahead of Thanksgiving meetings vs. Cowboys.

The Buffalo Bills won their second straight game to improve to 8-3 on the season for the first time since 1996. It was a remarkable game, with the team displaying proficiency in all three phases of football that put up points and yardage on a top defense, halting a strong run offense, and did it’s job on special teams.

Denver had played much better than it’s record until this point, and they hit an absolute brick wall at New Era Field. The Bills defense only allowed 167 yards of total offense in Week 12. Buffalo downed talented running backs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman. In fact, it seemed that Broncos play calling didn’t aim to target Buffalo’s sketchy run defense in the second half, as they became very pass happy and one-dimensional.

In the Broncos closest venture towards the end zone, they could not get the job done as Tre’Davious White was essentially handed an interception and a broken route intended for Courtland Sutton, who was held for one catch in the outing.

The offense did well, aside from a bad Josh Allen interception that gave Denver some of the best field positioning that they had all day. 244 yards on the ground, again dominated by Devin Singletary.

However, the big news was that, Frank Gore, the journeyman running back, passed Barry Sanders to become third all-time in rushing yards. A tremendous accomplishment, and extra satisfying that it happened with him wearing a Bills jersey.

Buffalo prepares for Dallas on a short week for this Thursday, as the Bills play their first Thanksgiving game in several years. The quick turnaround has affected many teams this year, not being allowed to play to their full potential. Everyone is already hard at work at One Bills Drive to ensure the Bills are prepared for their latest National Spotlight opportunity.

Podcast Hosts Matt and Jeremy examine the win over Denver, and the road to Dallas:

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Broncos’ Chris Harris no longer has ‘advice’ for Josh Allen

Following Week 12’s 20-3 Bills victory over the Broncos, cornerback Chris Harris no longer seemed to want to joke around when it came to discussing Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Despite Thanksgiving being only a few days away, one Denver player is eating a bit of crow rather than turkey on Sunday.

Following Week 12’s 20-3 Bills victory over the Broncos, cornerback Chris Harris no longer seemed to want to joke around when it came to discussing Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

On Monday, Harris chatted with local reporters and was all smiles talking about Allen and the Bills.

“If I can give him a little advice… I don’t want to actually,” Harris said with a grin and chuckle. “I’m going to say all positive about him today.”

Perhaps it was best that Harris kept that advice to himself, as he ended up getting beat on a 34-yard deep throw from Allen to wide receiver John Brown, that put the Bills up 20-3 in the third quarter:

After the loss, Harris was asked point blank what advice it was that he wanted to give to the quarterback.

“That [expletive] is over with now,” Harris said straight faced in front of his locker.

When asked about the throw that beat him, Harris dismissed it as more of his error, than it being a great play by Allen, or Brown.

“They had run that play like 10 times,” Harris said. “I was just pressing, trying to make a play for our team… so, that’s all it was.”

When John Brown was asked about the TD score, he seemed to sing a different tune.

“He’s a great DB, he reads concepts,” Brown said after the game.

“Every time we came to the flat, you know, he was jumping inside preparing for the slant, or the curl route. I went to the coaches and I told them, you know, double move and you know it was a great call, at the right time.”

While the win put the Bills at 8-3 for the first time since 1996, quieting a player that talked some smack before the game had to be the cherry on top.

As Jalen Ramsey learned first-hand last season, if you’re a DB going up against Allen and the Bills, you might be better off saving the trash talk for after the game.

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Instant analysis: Bills make easy work of Broncos

The Buffalo Bills had their way against the Denver Broncos, improving their record to 8-3 after a 20-3 victory Sunday afternoon. 

The Buffalo Bills had their way against the Denver Broncos, improving their record to 8-3 after a 20-3 victory Sunday afternoon.

You might wonder, “How could a team dominate but win by only 17 points?” In reality, the game was not really as close as the score indicated.

Buffalo’s defense dominated a weak Broncos offense. Denver quarterback Brandon Allen was under duress all afternoon. Shaq Lawson recorded two sacks, while Star Lotulelei and Ed Oliver each added a sack to the team total. Lawson was in Denver backfield all afternoon, blowing past the Broncos offensive tackles with ease.

Tre’Davious White was a blanket on the Broncos best player, Courtland Sutton, all afternoon. Sutton only reeled in one pass out of eight targets, a catch on Denver’s first drive. White was credited with five passes defended on the day.

Linebacker Matt Milano was all over the field as well, registering six tackles and three passes defensed.

As a unit, the defense completely shut down the aerial game for the Broncos, allowing the fourth-year pro to collect only 82 yards through the air. Erase the yards lost via sacks by the Bills, and the Broncos gained only 49 net yards through their passing game.

Offensively, it took some time for Buffalo to put some distance on Denver. However, they stuck to the plan, and it turned out favorably for the team.

The Bills ran wild on Denver’s defense, gaining 244 yards on the ground as a team. Devin Singletary totaled 106 yards on 21 carries, while Frank Gore gained 65 yards on 15 rushes. Josh Allen added 56 yards on nine runs on the day.

Gore, the consummate professional, added another record to a memorable career. On a six-yard carry in the fourth quarter, Gore passed Barry Sanders for third all-time on the career rushing list.

Singletary also reached a milestone, as he eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the first time in his career.

Josh Allen had another solid game for the Bills, throwing two beautiful touchdown passes. He went 15-for-25 and 180 passing yards on the day. His streak of games without an interception ended with an errant pass in the second quarter. However, that miscue did not hurt Buffalo, as the defense eliminated any progress of the Broncos on the subsequent derive with a Tre’ Davious White interception.

Cole Beasley reeled in an 18-yard drive. His route was perfect and Allen put a throw on a rope to complete the score. The worries of Allen’s deep ball were put to rest in the fourth quarter, as the quarterback delivered a perfect pass for 34 yards to John Brown. The play initially was ruled incomplete, but the call was revered as Brown’s dive into the back corner of the end zone showed a clean catch.

Beasley led the Bills with six receptions for 76 yards.

Stephen Hauschka hit both of his field goals and point-after-touchdown attempts, helping put to rest some of his struggles from earlier in the season. Andre Roberts had a good day in the return game, averaging 8.2 yards on punt returns. He also returned a kickoff for 25 yards as well.

It was a complete game for Buffalo. The team followed the game plan by putting pressure on Denver through the Bills run game. They also played strong defense, forcing the Broncos to rely on their passing game, which was obviously not a strength this afternoon.

This are looking good for Buffalo, as they move to 8-3 for the first time since 1996.

Buffalo has a quick turnaround, as the team will get ready for their Thursday night Thanksgiving tilt against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. It will be a big game for both teams, as the Bills are working toward solidifying their second playoff berth in three years while the Cowboys are facing a challenge from the Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the NFC East.

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5 takeaways from the Bills’ 20-3 win over the Broncos

Five takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ 20-3 Week 12 win over the Denver Broncos.

The Bills continued their winning ways against the Denver Broncos at Week 12. After letting the Broncos stick around a little early, things were heavily in Buffalo’s favor when things were all said and done as the Bills took a 20-3 win at New Era Field.

Here are five takeaways from the Bills’ win over the Broncos:

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Big day for Beasley

The Bills offense is usually led by No. 1 receiver John Brown. Instead, Cole Beasley took the reigns against the Broncos.

Beasley led the Bills with six catches for 76 yards and a touchdown. Beasley had a 30-yard grab, which was his longest catch as a member of the Bills since his 51-yard catch against the Giants in Week 2. Beasley came in handy over the middle of the field and the gameplan that unfolded was one many expected of him throughout the season.

Beasley has heated up as of late. He had scores in three-straight games from Weeks 7 to 9, but his catches as Josh Allen’s “security blanket” out of the slot haven’t been there with the scores. It’s been one or the other.

Both were on display against the Broncos.

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Bills opponent outlook: Broncos history, statistics and more

The 7-3 Buffalo Bills meet the 3-7 Denver Broncos this Sunday at New Era Field.

Denver Broncos quarterback Brandon Allen. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The 7-3 Buffalo Bills meet the 3-7 Denver Broncos this Sunday at New Era Field. Buffalo is riding high after it’s best offensive endeavor of the season against the Dolphins in Week 11. Denver is one of the better teams in the NFL with a sub .500 record, and will be a handful to compete against.

Here is everything that you need to know about the history between Denver and Buffalo:

  • Buffalo and Denver first met on September 18, 1960 in the inaugural season of the AFL. Denver won that game 27-21.
  • Buffalo won nine straight against Denver between 1962 and 1967.
  • Buffalo and Denver met in the 1991 AFC Championship Game. The Bills narrowly defeated the Broncos 10-7.
  • Their last meeting was on September 24, 2017. The Bills won 26-16.
  • The Bills have the all-time record lead, at 20-16-1 against Denver in the regular season.
  • The Bills also lead in scoring all-time versus Denver, outscoring them 891-818

2018 Season

Denver, much like this year, was a relatively competitive team in 2018, despite their record. Case Keenum was signed in the offseason, in hopes to solidify their quarterback woes since Peyton Manning retired. It wasn’t enough, as the Broncos offense didn’t have a lot of star power, and the defense, although very talented, gave up some losses for them.

Denver finished the season 6-10, missing the playoffs for the third-straight year. They earned wins over Seattle, Arizona, Oakland, Cincinnati, Los Angeles (Chargers), and Pittsburgh.

Another disappointing season for General Manager John Elway, who would look to bring about more change following the 2018 year.

Last season, Denver finished 19th in Total Offense, with 5,602 yards. 24th in scoring, with 329 points. 19th in passing yards with 3,695 and 12th in rushing with 1,907 yards.

Case Keenum, coming off of his miracle season with the Minnesota Vikings, actually threw for a few more yards with Denver. His touchdown to interception ratio is what hurt him and his tenure, as he was traded to Washington after his year with the Broncos was over.

Keenum was ranked 14th in passing yards in 2018, with 3,890 yards to his credit, along with 18 touchdowns to 15 interceptions.

Rushing was a strong point for Denver in 2018,. After losing C.J. Anderson, who had regressed, quarterback wasn’t the only hole that the Broncos faced. Led by drafted rookie Royce Freeman, and undrafted rookie Philip Lindsay. One of the more underrated one-two punches in the NFL, the pair finished very well, and helped carry struggling offense.

Lindsay finished the highest as far as yardage, ranking ninth in the NFL amongst rushers, with 1,037 yards. He also accrued nine rushing touchdowns. His backfield partner, Freeman, finished 38th in rushing yards, with 521 and five touchdowns.

Receiving hasn’t been one of Denver’s strong aspects either, as they have lost a few weapons over the years since Manning left. Emmanuel Sanders was their leading receiver in 2018, finishing 27th with 868 yards and four touchdowns.

Emerging receiver Courtland Sutton, was next in yardage totals at the receiver position, with 704. He came in at 51st in the NFL. No other Broncos receiver or tight end finished in the Top 100.

Defensively, the Broncos were 13th in total defense, allowing 5,842 yards, as well as in points allowed with 349 points scored on them. Their passing defense came in 20th, giving up 3,929 yards by air. The rush defense, 12th with 1,913 yards given up on the ground.

2019 So Far

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Josh Allen has chance to prove himself in countdown to playoffs

This is the time for which the Buffalo Bills and their fans have been waiting. It’s the perfect moment for Allen to begin his ascent into Bills lore.

Buffalo Bills Josh Allen is on an upswing, as his impressive performance against the Miami Dolphins earned him AFC Player of the Week awards. Allen lit up Miami’s defense for three passing touchdowns and 256 passing yards on a 21-of-33 passing day. He added another touchdown on the ground and finishing the day with 56 rushing yards, bringing his total contributions to 312 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns. 

In victories, Allen has varied from steady-to-spectacular, making smart decisions and showing progress in his second season in the NFL. He has averaged 226.7  yards through the air, sporting an 11-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He’s also added four rushing touchdowns to the equation. 

Oh, and he’s completed 65.4-percent of his passes in these games as well. 

Now, let’s play the temper-the-expectations game right now. While these numbers are nice, only one of these games has been played against a team with a defense, the New York Jets in the top half of the league with respect to yards allowed per game. If the perspective shifts to pass defense, the Washington Redskins are the only team that resides in the top-half of passing yards allowed through the air, as they currently reside at 16th in the league. 

Now, Allen and the Bills do not make the schedule. Optimistically, he has put to bed inferior teams to bed, putting Buffalo on a path for the playoffs. 

At times, he’s looked dominant with his control of these opponents. 

The challenge comes into play when facing prospective playoff teams, or teams who have defenses who reside in the top half of the league in yards allowed. 

In Buffalo’s three losses, Allen has completed 49.5-percent of his passes and averaged 196 yards passing per game. He has a two-to-three touchdown-to-interception ratio, which isn’t horrendous against difficult defenses. He has also fumbled five times in these games. 

Moving forward, though, there is a reason to be hopeful. He has not thrown an interception since Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans. He has found a strong target in wideout John Brown, who leads the AFC in average receiving yards per game and is currently second in the AFC with 817 receiving yards, only 16 yards behind leader Travis Kelce of Kansas City.  

The upcoming path is challenging. Denver, Dallas, Pittsburg, and New England all sport pass defenses in the top-ten of the league. 

With the Bills on the cusp of reaching the playoffs for the second time in three years, their quarterback has a chance to silence the doubters with a strong run of games to close out this season. 

The good news for Buffalo is that it is not inconceivable for Allen to make such progress over the final portion of the season. It’s a point in the season where issues for the offense need to be resolved if they wish to make a legitimate run into the playoffs. 

It has to start this Sunday. Denver’s quarterback situation is unsettled, indicating that the Bills defense should have a solid showing at New Era Field. Thus, it’s a week where Allen may be able to play more aggressively, building upon the idea of playing fearlessly against a team that’s a definite step up from the lowly Dolphins defense. 

Allen is arguably the most talented quarterback that has played behind center for Buffalo in the last two decades. Now, he has an opportunity to eradicate any uncertainty about his play. 

This is the time for which the Buffalo Bills and their fans have been waiting. It’s the perfect moment for Allen to begin his ascent into Bills lore.

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Bills vs. Broncos: 5 matchups to watch

The Buffalo Bills face the struggling Denver Broncos at New Era Field on Sunday, here are the matchups to watch

The rivalry between the Bills and the Broncos goes back to the AFL and the two have shared memorable moments throughout the years. Their last matchup was in Week 3 of the 2017 season, which resulted in a 26-16 victory for Buffalo.

This week the two teams are facing off with two contrasting seasons. The Bills are sitting at 7-3 and on the verge of a playoff birth. The Broncos though are at a disappointing 3-7.

Records aside, it will be the games within that games that will help us find the winner.

With that, here are five key matchups to watch in Sunday’s Bills-Broncos meeting:

Buffalo Bills linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Spots

Phillip Lindsay vs. Tremaine Edmunds 

Second-year running back Phillip Lindsay has made a splash since his arrival in the NFL, amassing 1,688 yards, 5.2 yards per carry and 14 touchdowns a a rookie. Now, Lindsay is the focal point of the struggling Denver offense. 

This season Lindsay is averaging an impressive 4.9 yards per carry, which should unnerve Buffalo’s shaky run defense. The Bills’ rush defense has allowed 106.3 yards per game, which is 18th in the NFL. The Bills should be prepared for heavy doses of Lindsay, due to how poor the Broncos passing offense has been this season sitting at 25th in the league with just 206.6 yards per game. 

While the Bills rush defense has had poor form recently, they bounced back against Miami, holding the Dolphins rushing attack to just 23 yards. The Bills were led by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who had 12 tackles against Miami.  

Edmunds was sent on more blitzes versus Miami than the rest of the season. These blitzes let him use his natural athletic talent to reach the running back in the backfield, or at the line of scrimmage. He blew up runs on a consistent basis which turned Miami into a one dimensional offense. 

If Edmunds can have a similar performance on Sunday, he can force quarterback Brandon Allen to try to beat the Bills secondary. 

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