Tag: Josh Allen

Dan Campbell was so spooked by Josh Allen that he had the Lions try the most absurd onside kick

Dan Campbell broke his own rules and was punished for it.

Dan Campbell is known for making incredibly aggressive fourth-down calls. They have endeared him to Detroit Lions players and fans alike, specifically because of how much trust he shows in his juggernaut Super Bowl-caliber team. People love that kind of moxie.

However, after an extremely early onside kick call against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Campbell might want to reconsider how he approaches these special teams’ sequences moving forward.

With the Lions getting ripped apart by likely NFL MVP Josh Allen, Campbell showed too much fear about trying to stop the superstar quarterback. In a futile fourth-quarter comeback attempt, Campbell followed a Lions touchdown by having them try an onside kick … with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Mind you, it was only a 10-point deficit at the time.

None of that is a typo. You read that right, dearest readers.

In effect, Campbell broke his own rule about trusting his team because he didn’t show much faith in the Lions stopping Allen and a scorching-hot Bills offense with almost an entire quarter to play. Campbell was appropriately rewarded for his overzealousness (and fear) with an easy return by Mack Hollins, who set up yet another Bills touchdown in a 48-42 Buffalo win.

Even Jim Nantz seemed perplexed by the call:

Given that onside kicks must always be announced and have an extremely low percentage of being recovered by the kicking team, Campbell had too much dip on the chip here. Yes, the Lions defense couldn’t do anything to Josh Allen. But an onside kick with 12 minutes left is basically giving a short field to an unstoppable Bills offense. It is tantamount to punting the game away if you don’t recover the ball. This was not a fourth-and-short play with the NFL’s premier offensive line.

It was literally calling for a lucky bounce of the ball.

Campbell had to know all of this, and he did it anyway. It’s pretty jarring to see him actually NOT trust this Lions team. Suffice it to say, that’s not the Campbell we’re used to seeing.

Mack Hollins of Bills returns Lions’ onside kick attempt to Detroit five

Bills take advantage of Lions’ onside kick attempt

Dan Campbell loves to gamble. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. On Sunday the Lions coach got a case of the Honolulu blues.

Detroit was left black and blue by the Buffalo Bills and it got worse when Campbell had his team attempt an onside kick in the fourth quarter.

Mack Hollins grabbed the high bounce and took off for the end zone. He was tackled at the five and on the next play Ray Davis caught a TD pass from Josh ALlen.

After the PAT, the Bills led 45-28 at Ford Field.

Will Hailee Steinfeld be at Josh Allen’s game for Bills-Lions on Sunday?

Will we see Josh Allen’s fiancée on Sunday?

Taylor Swift isn’t the only famous significant other of an NFL player.

Actress and singer Hailee Steinfeld is dating Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen — and now they’re engaged!! — and even though we’ve seen only glimpses of the pair together, they’re a couple. And earlier in 2024, we saw Steinfeld cheer on Allen during a Monday night game.

Which brings us to this question: will she attend Sunday’s Bills game against the Detroit Lions?

It’s a road game, for what it’s worth, so that may not help. So maybe she won’t attend? We’ve seen no indication either way. But here’s Allen talking about their engagement.

We’ll see!

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421394846]

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Lions in Week 15

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Lions in Week 15

The Buffalo Bills will play the Detroit Lions on the road at Ford Field in Week 15.

The Bills (10-3) are looking to bounce back from a loss to the Los Angeles Rams last week, while the Lions (12-1) are riding an 11-game win streak.

The Lions are favored by 2.5 points in Week 15. The two teams haven’t met since Thanksgiving Day in 2022 when the Bills won in dramatic fashion, 28-25.

The Lions are at the top of most power rankings ahead of Sunday. Buffalo will need to execute its game plan to pick up its eleventh win of the year.

With that, here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 15:

Attack the Lions’ man coverage

Getty Images

The Lions are a defense that stays true to who they are. According to Pro Football Focus, they currently rank first in the NFL in man coverage rate (42.4%) and dead last in zone coverage rate (53.2%). And, they rank in the top three in defensive success rate while in man coverage. They will line up man-to-man and make opposing receivers win their matchups.

Buffalo offensive coordinator Joe Brady has provided quarterback Josh Allen with simple looks to beat man coverage this year. If Allen can take advantage of the one-on-one matchups, it will be a long day for the Lions’ secondary. Look for Allen to lean on Amari Cooper against man, and if Keon Coleman (wrist) can play, he is usually a mismatch one-on-one with his athletic ability.

Better performance from the D-line

Getty Images

The Bills’ defensive line had a rough outing against the Rams They couldn’t generate a pass rush and they were getting pushed around against the run. They will need to step up considering their opponent. The Lions have arguably the best offensive line in football when healthy. Penei Sewell is their best player, as his 88.5 overall PFF grade leads all tackles this year.

Buffalo defensive coordinator Bobby Babich called out the defense following their lackluster performance in Week 14, saying it was a “conglomeration of people not doing their jobs at a high level.”

Babich did note that he has to be better, but it will be interesting to see how the defense responds in a tough environment at Ford Field.

Get out to a fast start

Getty Images

The Bills are 6-0 in home games this year, but just 4-3 on the road. And, it mostly boils down to the fact that they have put themselves in a hole early in away games. In five of the seven road games, the Bills fell behind early and had to claw back into the game. The only road games where they started fast were blowouts at the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks.

If the Bills can set the tone with some early stops on defense and scores on offense, it would be a huge momentum boost. Ford Field is a difficult environment to play in, and it would become much more difficult to play from behind.

[lawrence-related id=144142,144146,144151]

Why Bills-Lions promises to be offense explosion in Week 15

Why Bills-Lions promises to be offense explosion in Week 15

When the Buffalo Bills travel to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions in Week 15 they will face the only team in the NFL that scores more points than them.

The Lions (12-1) average 32.1 points per game, leading the NFL. The Bills (10-3) average 30.5 points per game, second in the NFL. They are the only two teams in the league that average over 30 per game.

Though both teams are well-rounded in all phases, their explosive offenses are the reason they are both among the favorites to win the Super Bowl.

But, they haven’t always produced these types of numbers. Both Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady made drastic differences recently for their franchises.

Johnson took over the reigns as OC in Detroit in 2022 and immediately enhanced the offensive output. The Lions improved from the 25th-most ppg in 2021 (19.1) to the 5th-most in 2022 (26.6). And in return, the team improved from a 3-13-1 record in 2021 to 9-8 in 2022.

In 2021, quarterback Jared Goff posted the 17-highest passer rating in the NFL (91.5) and with Johnson in 2022, he shot up to 7th-best in the NFL (99.3). It was his best passer rating since the 2018 season in which he went to the Super Bowl under the offensive-minded Sean McVay with the Rams.

Goff earned a Pro Bowl appearance in 2022 and posted a career-low interception percentage (1.2%). Fast forward a couple of years and the combination of Goff and Johnson continues to get better. He is currently second in the league in passer rating (109.1).

Brady had had a similar effect on Josh Allen. From 2021 through 2023, Allen averaged a passer rating of 93.7, and so far in 2024, Allen has a rating of 101.9.

In 2024 (Brady’s first full year as OC), the Bills are averaging the second-most points per game in a season in Bills history. Their 30.5 ppg trails only the 2020 team (31.3 ppg).

Since Brady took over as the interim OC in Week 11 of 2023, the Bills are 16-4. But, both Johnson and Brady would tell you that they wouldn’t be as effective as coordinators if they didn’t have the special talent that they do on offense. And it’s not just the talent of the players they have but rather the versatility of their guys that can allow their offenses to win in many different ways.

In the 2024 offseason, Brady coined the phrase “everybody eats” as he was sharing his vision for the Bills offense. In July, he said, “We’re kind of in the process of trying to see what all of our guys can do, their different skill sets. I’m so excited about the group that we have, the tight ends and the receivers, because it’s so many different skill sets. You hope that the versatility allows it to play a little harder for defenses to defend.”

His vision has come true. The Bills have multiple weapons at running back, tight end, and receiver that can all hurt a defense in different ways. As for Johnson and the Lions, they are taking a similar approach due to their plethora of playmakers at the skill positions.

Following a Week 5 win over the Cowboys in which they scored 47 points, Johnson talked about the ways he can get creative as a playcaller and give a defense different looks due to the variety of talent he has to work with. Not only can he spread the ball around, but he can mix in trick plays, too.

“The well is deep,” Johnson said regarding his playbook. “We can run a million different types of plays. With that, I don’t like to run the same one twice.”

Over their last four games, the Lions have four pass-catchers averaging at least 35 receiving yards per game: Amon-Ra St. Brown (84.8 ypg); Jameson Williams (74 ypg); Tim Patrick (43 ypg); Sam LaPorta (36.3 ypg). And, they have two running backs averaging at least 60 rushing yards per game over that time: Jahmyr Gibbs (72.3 ypg); David Montgomery (62.8 ypg). Add in the fact that both Gibbs and Montgomery can hurt you in the passing game, and that St. Brown and Williams can take a jet sweep, and you can see why defenses have been in a bind all year against them.

As for the Bills, they have a strong possibility to get WR Keon Coleman and TE Dalton Kincaid back into the lineup after they have both missed time. They would join an offense that just scored 42 points last week without them, scoring six touchdowns and committing zero turnovers.

The Bills are looking to get the sour taste of last week’s loss to the Rams (44-42) out of their mouth. With Week 15 being another game in cozy dome between two high-powered offenses, this one may be a second-straight shootout for Bills.

Both teams still have a lot to play for, with the Bills chasing the one-seed in the AFC and the Lions trying to fend off an 11-2 Vikings team in the NFC North.

Mic’d up: Josh Allen asked for Matthew Stafford’s jersey after wild Rams-Bills game

Josh Allen to Matthew Stafford before Rams-Bills: “Dude, I’m like the biggest fan of yours.”

Matthew Stafford has always been a widely respected quarterback in the NFL, but he’s become particularly popular among his peers in recent years. He’s received high praise from several younger quarterbacks around the league this year alone, from C.J. Stroud to Caleb Williams.

The latest to give Stafford his flowers? Josh Allen, the MVP frontrunner.

Before kickoff in the Rams-Bills game on Sunday, Stafford and Allen shared a cool moment together that was filmed by the Rams in a mic’d-up video. Very candidly, Allen told Stafford how much he respects him.

“What’s up, brother?” Allen said.

“You’re playing great, man. Good to see you,” Stafford said.

“Dude, I’m like the biggest fan of yours,” Allen replied.

After the Rams outdueled the Bills in a wild 44-42 shootout at SoFi Stadium, Stafford found Allen again for a quick postgame chat.

“Thanks for lettin’ me hang out,” Stafford said jokingly. “Great job, man. Great (expletive) playing. Battled (expletive) tough.”

Allen then had a request for Stafford: He wanted to swap jerseys.

“I hate doing this, but is there any way I could…”

Stafford cut him off and told Allen he wanted to get his jersey, too.

“We’ll do both. I’ll send it to you in the locker room,” Stafford said.

The entire video shows what a great leader Stafford is, but those pre- and postgame chats with Allen were particularly cool.

Rich Eisen calls Bills’ Josh Allen the 2024 MVP after Rams loss

Rich Eisen calls Bills’ Josh Allen the 2024 MVP after Rams loss

The Bills lost to the Rams… but some still see Josh Allen as the MVP for the 2024 NFL season.

Count NFL analyst Rich Eisen among them.

Despite a 44-42 loss to the Rams, Eisen is on the bandwagon for Allen as MVP after his record day.

Eisen’s full breakdown on Allen can be found below:

Colin Cowherd: Bills are letting down QB Josh Allen (video)

Colin Cowherd: Bills are letting down QB Josh Allen (video)

Longtime FOX Sports analyst Colin Cowherd had a lot of praise for Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

But not a lot for the Bills (10-3).

After Allen’s history performance against the Rams in a 44-42 loss, Cowherd’s analyst was very much negative against the franchise.

Cowherd said he feels “terrible” for Allen based on the stats that Allen has put up in losses, similar to the way Week 14 went.

Cowherd’s full breakdown can be found below:

Bills’ Josh Allen had an all-time fantasy football day (video)

Bills’ Josh Allen had an all-time fantasy football day (video)

The Bills got an all-time performance from Josh Allen against the Rams.

While the quarterback’s actual team lost 44-42 in a heartbreaker in Week 14, anyone who has him on their fantasy football team won’t be too upset.

Allen made NFL history by becoming the first-ever quarterback to score three rushing and three passing touchdowns in one game. In doing so, he did wonders for his fantasy football owners.

ESPN NFL insider Field Yates reported that Allen made history for that secondary football game as well in Week 14. According to his analysis, Allen put up the most-ever points in fantasy football for a quarterback… ever… against the Rams:

Bills’ offensive coordinator Joe Brady explains late QB sneak vs. Rams

Bills’ offensive coordinator Joe Brady explains late QB sneak vs. Rams

The Buffalo Bills lost to the Los Angeles Rams 42-44 on Sunday in Inglewood, CA.

The Rams came out swinging, competing in all three phases early to take a sizable lead.

Their offense never took their foot off the pedal, and while the Bills offense kept pace in a scoring shootout their defense and special teams were not able to get meaningful stops.

Near the end of the contest, some questionable playcalling caused a domino effect sequence that has raised game and clock management questions similar to the team’s loss to the Houston Texans earlier this season.

And it started with a failed quarterback sneak attempt at the goal line.

Head coach Sean McDermott would call a timeout after a failed QB sneak and before their last touchdown, which then led to an onside kick the Bills didn’t recover. The Buffalo defense was able to force a punt but needed to attempt a block to have the best chance, but there was no punt rush on the play.

“The highest percentage play at that point was just doing a QB sneak,” OC Joe Brady said about the play call. “At the same time, the cost of not getting it essentially, potentially, and kind of did cost us the game. So I have to do a better job in that situation. At the end of the day, we can’t burn a timeout there.”

Josh Allen rushing is as good a play as any in the red zone. After all, he has more rushing touchdowns at age 28 than some Hall of Fame running backs had in their entire careers. Still, on this attempt, the unsuccessful play proved costly.

“If we’re going to call it, we have to make sure that we know 100% that we can get it. I felt confident in it and felt confident in doing it. But that doesn’t make it right,” he said.

The sequence garnered a strong response from long-time Bills divisional nemesis and UGG spokesman turned FOX Sports analyst, Tom Brady.

“To me, take three shots throwing it—don’t use a timeout. Then you can kick it deep, use your three timeouts to still get the football with good time. That changes the entire complexity of the last 1:02 of the game. I did not like that one bit. That could’ve just cost them the game right there.”

While these statements all ring true, the Bills defense also had some explaining to do after failing to stop much less slow down the Rams offense.

DC Bobby Babich spoke about the grouping of issues that compounded throughout the game after his unit gave up a season-high 44 points.

“When you look at it and you really watch the tape, it’s, and I used this word earlier today, it’s a conglomeration, and I’m including myself, of people not doing their jobs at a high level,” he said. “The recipe to lose a football game is what we did yesterday, and it starts with me, first and foremost, what I did yesterday, and we just got to learn from it. Move on and not let it happen again.”

They’ll face a Lions team next week that has the No. 1 ranked scoring offense in the NFL, and Babich knows they will need to be at their best in the matchup.

“I believe our guys are up to the challenge, and they’re ready to respond.”