Tag: Justin Zimmer

Bills’ ‘silent assassin’ cements victory over the Patriots

Defensive Tackle, Justin Zimmer’s forced fumble helped Bills improve to 6-2.

Another week, another win and another unlikely hero.

Heading into Sunday’s game vs. the New England Patriots, few observers of the Bills were probably familiar with defensive tackle Justin Zimmer.

But following his potential game-saving forced fumble against Cam Newton in the fourth quarter, his name is one plenty will know now.

“I don’t know what to feel right now. I’m still breathing heavy from the game,” Zimmer said following the game. “I’m excited. It’ll probably take me 24-hours before I realize what happened. I’m just excited.”

With the Bills leading 24-21 late, Newton and the Patriots were driving down the field with the clock winding down. well within field goal range, looking for the game-winning touchdown. This is when Zimmer jarred the ball lose for safety Dean Marlowe to recover, cementing the victory and sending the Bills to 6-2.

“They were all just hugging me, giving me congrats, saying ‘huge play’, things like that,” Zimmer said of his teammates. “We’ve got a great team around here. Everyone’s a tight-knit family. It was just great to do it as a team, honestly. I might’ve made the last play, but everyone played a part in this. That one play didn’t win us the game, the whole game did.”

As one would expect, Zimmer’s teammates were extremely complimentary of the defensive tackle after the game.

“We call him our, ‘silent assassin’,” Jerry Hughes said.

Not bad praise from last week’s AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Left Tackle Dion Dawkins & safety Jordan Poyer also added to the praise. Both referencing Zimmer’s strength quiet nature and extremely impressive work ethic.

Poyer even went as far as to call Zimmer’s forced fumble “the play of the year.”

Zimmer’s journey in the NFL actually started in Buffalo back in 2016, when the Bills signed him as an undrafted free agent.

Zimmer was waived before the season and saw his career take him to the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad, the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL, the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad, the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad, before ending back up on the Bills’ practice squad this season.

Zimmer eventually get the permanent call-up to the active roster on Oct. 21 and he has taken full advantage.

Head Coach Sean McDermott, mentioned Zimmer fighting through all of that adversity in his career, to get to this point and Zimmer himself mentioned this easily being the biggest play of his career.

While the Bills now sit atop the AFC East with a 1.5 game lead over the second place Miami Dolphins, the road ahead gets much tougher, with Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks on deck.

In the meantime though, the Bills and Zimmer are going to enjoy this win over the Patriots, their first at home since 2011, just like Zimmer likely was happy to be honored by McDermott in the team’s locker room after the win:

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Bills vs. Patriots game recap: Everything we know

Patriots at Bills: Everything we know from Bills 24-21 victory

The Buffalo Bills have put an eight-game home losing streak to bed against the New England Patriots in Week 8 with a 24-21 win. It was an old-school affair, as both teams were forced to emphasize the ground attack due to the weather conditions. Both teams ran the ball at will, as the offensive lines dominated in the trenches.

Buffalo and New England put up 378 rushing yards on 72 combined carries. The bills’ Zack Moss and Pats’ Damien Harris broke out in this game. Moss scored two touchdowns and averaged 5.8 yards per carry, while Harris ran for 102 yards and a touchdown.

Both quarterbacks were expected to use their legs to move the ball and Josh Allen and Cam Newton found the end zone with rushes.

Buffalo’s defense, in search of re-establishing their role as the alphas for the Bills, were struggling to stop the Patriots on the ground. New England was driving late in the game, putting themselves in prime position for at least a game-tying field goal. The Patriots put the ball in Newton’s hands, and for the first time all afternoon, the Bills forced a turnover. It was the most opportune moment for the Bills, as they recovered a fumble with 31 seconds left, cementing their victory.

With that, here’s everything we know following the Bills’ win over the Patriots:

Instant analysis: Bills take the torch from Patriots

Instant analysis of the Buffalo Bills’ Week 8 win over the New England Patriots, 24-21.

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The Buffalo Bills exercised some demons on this Halloween weekend, as they knocked off the New England Patriots 24-21 on Sunday. The Bills move to 6-2, closer to their first AFC East crown in over two decades. Meanwhile, the Patriots drop to 2-5, showing the passing of the divisional torch might have happened at Bills Stadium in Week 8.

It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the Bills. In fact, the elements were far from that in Orchard Park. With the wind whipping a wind chill hovering at freezing, the offenses were forced to take to a rush-heavy attack to move the ball.

The Bills rushed the ball 38 times for 188 yards. Zack Moss was the day’s breakout performer, rushing 14 times for 81 yards, including his first two career rushing touchdowns. It was a game that Buffalo envisioned when they drafted Moss, as he provided downhill thumping rushes to complement the shifty Devin Singletary. For his part, Singletary had a nice afternoon, rushing for 87 yards on 14 carries.

In a theme that’s been a bit problematic for the Bills this year, the defensive line was shredded by New England’s offensive line. Patriots  running back Damien Harris ran 16 times for 102 yards and finished a 22-yard rush for a touchdown largely unscathed. The Bills line struggled to limit rushing lanes.

However, when the game came down to its more important drive, the unit came up with the biggest play of the game. On New England’s final offensive drive, the Pats were moving the ball at will on the ground. On the 12th play of the drive, quarterback Cam Newton hit a hole and was on his way to another strong gain. But Bills defensive tackle Justin Zimmer tracked down Newton and forced a fumble from behind. Safety Dean Marlowe recovered the ball with 31 seconds remaining. Buffalo took possession at their 12-yard line. This play-of-the-game for the Bills was massive, as it ultimately put the W in Buffalo’s hands. It prevented a possible game-tying field goal attempt, or worse, a chance for the Patriots to find the end zone.

It was not the day for the aerial attack to stand out, and this was predicted leading into Sunday’s action. Still, quarterback Josh Allen was efficient, going 11-of-18 for 154 yards. His only miscue was an interception thrown in the direction of receiver Stefon Diggs, where it seems the pair weren’t on the same page. Even so, Diggs was the prime receiving target for Allen, as the wideout caught six passes for 92 yards, including a 41-yard catch-and-run to set up a Bills touchdown.

Jordan Poyer led the way with 11 solo tackles. Marlowe recorded 6 solo tackles, good for second-best on the afternoon. When two of the secondary players lead the team in tackles in a game that was far from an air raid explosion, there is some cause for worry.

Still, a win is a win. And, a win over the Patriots is sweet, no matter how it plays out. Buffalo made the big play when necessary. They did not settle for field goals, as in past weeks. Plus, 6-2 at the midpoint of the season is impressive for the squad. And with this win, they may put their long-time nemesis in a horrid position to make the playoffs. There’s still half of the season remaining, but there’s reason to feel that the AFC crown is Buffalo’s to lose.

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5 takeaways from the Bills’ 24-21 win over the Patriots

Takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ 24-21 win over the New England Patriots.

The Buffalo Bills officially control their own fate in the AFC East. The New England Patriots did not come to town in Week 8 leading the division. They aren’t even in second place.

Still, after you dominate the AFC East for nearly two decades, there’s always that thought in the back of your mind. But following a 24-21 win to bring the Bills to 6-2 on the season and drop the Patriots to 2-5, that’s not the case anymore. The Pats hopes for a divisional crown are essentially dead now.

With that, here are five takeaways from the Bills’ win over the Patriots in Week 8:

Bills defensive tackle Justin Zimmer. (AP Photo/Brett Carlsen)

Game-saving Zimmer

The Bills were saved by Justin Zimmer in this one, no doubt about it.

In a game that was much closer than it needed to be, Zimmer cemented his place on the Bills roster for awhile. As time was expiring, Patriots quarterback Cam Newton was leading a drive that appeared destined to end with points, but then the defensive tackle knocked the ball and game out of Newton’s hand. On a carry to the left side of the field where the Pats ran a couple of rushes in a row, Zimmer tackled Newton from behind and knocked the ball out, forcing a fumble. Safety Dean Marlowe then scooped up the ball with 30 seconds left and Buffalo iced the game from there.

Had the game gone to overtime, much of the momentum would have been with the Patriots. Plus there’s that whole coin-flip thing… in the most literal sense. The NFL’s overtime is dumb. If the Pats win a coin toss, they could’ve won the game. Instead, the Bills took the win in regulation and completed their stranglehold on the AFC East by topping the Patriots.

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Bills sign DT Justin Zimmer to active roster

DT Justin Zimmer signs to Buffalo Bills roster.

The Buffalo Bills have signed defensive tackle Justin Zimmer to the 53-man roster on Wednesday.

The team announced the move just days after Zimmer had a solid performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in their Week 6 26-17 loss on Monday. Zimmer recorded six total tackles, including two solo ones and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Against KC, Zimmer played in 44 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. Harrison Phillips was a healthy scratch and Zimmer filled his spot. The Bills total rotation in terms of snaps played at the defensive tackle spot for that contest was: Ed Oliver (58%), Quinton Jefferson (56%) and Vernon Butler (42%).

The contest was Zimmer’s second callup from the team’s practice squad this season. Zimmer also had a decent showing against the Jets in his first callup for Buffalo’s season opener. Since that game Zimmer didn’t get brought up, but the Bills did protect him on their practice squad each week since Week 1.

With his good performances in mind, the 27-year-old defender certainly earned a roster spot. However, some speculated that with Quinton Spain’s release the Bills would use their vacant roster spot to activate Jon Feliciano (pectoral) off the team’s injured reserve list. Or the clear idea would’ve been to fill Spain’s spot with another offensive lineman. Buffalo opted to add to their defensive line with Zimmer instead.

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Bills elevated Bryan Cox Jr., Justin Zimmer from practice squad

DE Bryan Cox Jr., DT Justin Zimmer elevated from Buffalo Bills practice squad ahead of Week 6 vs. Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bills have elevated defensive end Bryan Cox Kr. and defensive tackle Justin Zimmer from their practice squad ahead of Monday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs. The team announced the moves just over two hours prior to kickoff.

Zimmer was called up from the practice squad once already this season, ahead of Buffalo’s season opener against the Jets. He had four tackles. Cox makes his first appearance with the Bills.

Reported earlier in the day on Monday, the Bills are said be scratching defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and defensive end Trent Murphy for their meeting with the Chiefs. Calling up the two guys from the practice squad all but assures that will take place at 3:30 p.m. when the team announces their inactive list for Week 6.

Here’s that previous coverage:

Report: Trent Murphy, Harrison Phillips to be scratched vs. Chiefs

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Who the Bills protected on their practice squad for Week 4

Buffalo Bills Week 4 protected practice squad list.

The Bills announced their Week 4 players the team has placed on the protected portion of their practice squad via the NFL’s transaction wire on Tuesday. It’s the same set of players the team protected a week ago.

Those four players are:

  • OL Jordan Devey
  • CB Dane Jackson
  • DT Justin Zimmer
  • OL Jonotthan Harrison

.Prior to Week 3, here’s who the Bills have protected over the course of their first two games, respectively:

Week 2

  • OL Jordan Devey
  • CB Dane Jackson
  • LB Andre Swift
  • DT Justin Zimmer

Week 1

  • OL Evan Boehm
  • DT Justin Zimmer
  • CB Dane Jackson
  • CB Cam Lewis

Here’s our previous explanation on the “protected” practice squad situation, a new addition to the NFL this season, from our Week 1 coverage:

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the NFL’s owners and players came to an offseason agreement that we’ve seen the first installment of on Tuesday evening. Each team in the league can “protect” four players on their practice squad each week.

The idea is to provide some extra depth for teams in case of a COVID-19 outbreak in a locker room late in the week prior to a Sunday or Monday game. Those four can be called up to the active roster up until Sunday morning prior to kickoff every week.

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Who the Bills protected on their practice squad for Week 3

The Buffalo Bills announced their four protected practice squad players ahead of Week 3.

The Bills announced their Week 3 players the team has placed on the protected portion of their practice squad via the NFL’s transaction wire on Tuesday.

Those four players are:

  • OL Jordan Devey
  • CB Dane Jackson
  • DT Justin Zimmer
  • OL Jonotthan Harrison

Harrison is the lone change from their Week 2 protected players. Here’s who the Bills have protected over the course of their first two games, respectively:

  • OL Jordan Devey
  • CB Dane Jackson
  • LB Andre Swift
  • DT Justin Zimmer

Week 1’s list:

  • OL Evan Boehm
  • DT Justin Zimmer
  • CB Dane Jackson
  • CB Cam Lewis

The change from Smith to Harrison comes in part to Harrison not signing with the Bills until late last week. However, that could potentially indicate that one or both starting linebackers, Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano, might have seen their health improve after missing Week 2 vs. the Dolphins. Those two are battling shoulder and hamstring issues, respectively.

In terms of Jackson, Josh Norman will spend at least one more week on the team’s injured reserve list due to his hamstring issue, so it comes as no surprise that the rookie cornerback is once again protected.

A notable non-placement is no tight end being protected. Against the Dolphins, Dawson Knox left the game early due to a concussion. But the Bills do already have depth in that position via Lee Smith, who was inactive last week and could play against the Rams in Week 3. Jason Croom was also released from the team’s practice squad earlier on Tuesday.

Zimmer remaining on the protected area comes as little surprise as he actually saw playing time when he was called up to Buffalo’s active roster Week 1. Defensive tackle Vernon Butler was able to play in Week 2 though, so Zimmer was not called up a week ago.

Here’s our previous explanation on the “protected” practice squad situation, a new addition to the NFL this season, from our Week 1 coverage:

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the NFL’s owners and players came to an offseason agreement that we’ve seen the first installment of on Tuesday evening. Each team in the league can “protect” four players on their practice squad each week.

The idea is to provide some extra depth for teams in case of a COVID-19 outbreak in a locker room late in the week prior to a Sunday or Monday game. Those four can be called up to the active roster up until Sunday morning prior to kickoff every week.

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Bills make two changes to Week 2 protected practice squad

Buffalo Bills make two changes to Week 2 practice squad protection slots prior to facing the Miami Dolphins.

The Bills announced their Week 2 players the team has placed on the protected portion of their practice squad via the NFL’s transaction wire on Tuesday.

Those four players are:

  • OL Jordan Devey
  • CB Dane Jackson
  • LB Andre Swift
  • DT Justin Zimmer

Week 1’s list included:

  • OL Evan Boehm
  • DT Justin Zimmer
  • CB Dane Jackson
  • CB Cam Lewis

Prior to Week 1, the Bills had some injury questions at cornerback, which is why both Lewis and Jackson appeared on that week’s list.

While Josh Norman is still going to spend at least the next two games on the injured reserve list, adding Andre Swift into the equation makes sense, also in regard to injury concerns. Both Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano left Buffalo’s season-opening win against the Jets due to shoulder and hamstring injuries, respectively.

Zimmer remaining on the protected area comes as little surprise as he actually saw playing time when he was called up to Buffalo’s active roster last weekend. Against the Jets, he did apply some pressure on quarterback Sam Darnold en route to four tackles, including 1.5 for loss.

Here’s our previous explanation on the “protected” practice squad situation, a new addition to the NFL this season, from last week:

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States, the NFL’s owners and players came to an offseason agreement that we’ve seen the first installment of on Tuesday evening. Each team in the league can “protect” four players on their practice squad each week.

The idea is to provide some extra depth for teams in case of a COVID-19 outbreak in a locker room late in the week prior to a Sunday or Monday game. Those four can be called up to the active roster up until Sunday morning prior to kickoff every week.

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Bills add two to D-line before padded practices

Buffalo Bills sign two defensive tackles one day prior to padded practices starting.

The Buffalo Bills made a pair of roster moves on Sunday, one day before the team takes the field for their first padded practices of this year’s training camp on Monday. Both moves involved the same position as the Bills signed two defensive tackles, the team announced.

Those two players are Tanzel Smart and Justin Zimmer, who’s actually re-joining the Bills. Back in 2016, Zimmer signed with Buffalo as an undrafted rookie free agent, but was cut at the end of training camp. Zimmer then jumped to the Saints for the remainder of that season, and then made his NFL debut with the Falcons in 2018. Last season, he spent time on the Browns’ active roster. Overall, he’s played in three games recording five tackles, including one for loss.

Smart was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Rams, where he’s spent the past three seasons. In 31 games, he has 21 tackles and one pass defended.

In signing two defensive tackles, it appears the Bills are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to replace Star Lotulelei in the team’s starting defense after he opted out of playing in 2020. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier recently hinted at this, as he made a reference to Quinton Jefferson potentially being tried out in Lotulelei’s spot. Jefferson is not someone on paper pegged to play in Lotulelei’s role.

In corresponding moves, the Bills waived/ injured defensive tackle Niles Scott, who only recently joined the Bills but was evidently hurt in some conditioning work in his short stint with the team.

Along with Scott, wide receiver Nick Easley was released as well. He made a bit of noise during training camp last year, but still appeared to be a longshot to make the team’s roster in 2020. He was behind the likes of Isaiah McKenzie, Duke Williams, Robert Foster, an Isaiah Hodgins… all of which are much on the roster bubble themselves.

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