Tag: Matt Barkley

What we learned from Bills’ Week 17 loss to Jets

What we learned, Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets, NFL Week 17

There’s little that should be taken away from the Buffalo Bills’ final game of the 2019 regular season, a 13-6 loss in the rain against a New York Jets’ team that was finishing up its playoff-less season.

The Bills, with nothing to play for on Sunday, rested several key players and played mostly backups throughout the contest. In what looked like a preseason game, the Bills struggled to do much of anything on offense. The Jets struggled as well, but did just enough to outlast the Bills as both teams ran for the proverbial bus, just hoping to get this game over and done with.

The Bills wanted to get this game out of the way without any significant injuries before they made their journey out to the Central time zone for a Wild card Matchup against the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, the Bills were unable to escape without significant injury.

Levi Wallace and Ty Nsekhe were knocked out of Sunday’s contest and failed to return. Cody Ford, Taron Johnson and Siran Neal also left the game with injuries, but returned. The injuries were the last thing the Bills’ coaching staff wanted to see. The injury to Wallace was particularly troubling. The Bills’ No. 2 cornerback was hurt making a first quarter interception. It was a non-contact injury, which is never a good thing, as he planted his foot awkwardly in the wet New Era Field turf while trying to pivot and intercept a pass from Jets quarterback Sam Darnold. Wallace turned his ankle on the interception and hobbled off the field with help from a couple of teammates. The Bills get ready to face a Houston passing attack.

Nsekhe and Ford, Buffalo’s two right tackles, were banged up in this game and their absence was felt greatly. The Buffalo offensive line struggled all day against the Jets’ defensive front.

The Bills finish the 2019 regular season at 10-6, earning the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs. Their wild card matchup with Houston will be the first game of the coming weekend, kicking off at 4:30 at NRG Stadium.

Here are four things we learned about the Bills from Sunday’s game and how they relate to Buffalo’s attempt to finally win a playoff game for the first time since 1995 this coming Saturday in Texas.

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

Stock up, stock down following the Bills’ loss to the Jets

Stock report following the Buffalo Bills’ Week 17 loss to the New York Jets.

The Bills fell in their final regularly scheduled game of the 2019 season against the Jets, 13-6.

In terms of stock reporting, it was a different one considering plenty of old faces were in the lineup. The game played out like a preseason contest with plenty of backups for the Bills.

Here’s how some of those players saw their stock move following the Bills’ loss to the Jets:

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Duke Williams. Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Stock up

WR Duke Williams

The one that everyone wanted to see happen, happened. Receiver Duke Williams started for the Bills and played a heck of a game with his opportunity.

His overall stat line was shaky with 12 targets and only six catches, but a few of them were off target. Of note, one was certainly a drop on third down which he would’ve liked back. All in all, Williams had 108 yards receiving in a game with a backup quarterback tossing him the ball against a solid defense that was playing their starters. Promising signs.

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

Report card: Bills lose to Jets, 13-6

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.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8

Instant analysis: Bills look to playoffs after loss vs. Jets

The Buffalo Bills fell to the New York Jets 13-6 to close out their regular-season slate of games.

The Buffalo Bills fell to the New York Jets 13-6 to close out their regular-season slate of games. The game had the feel of a preseason game since the Bills were already locked into the fifth spot in the AFC playoff standings and the Jets playing out their schedule as New York was eliminated from the playoff picture weeks ago.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott removed most of his starters by the end of the first quarter, leaving the majority of snaps to players who will provide depth in the Wild Card round.

The most special moment of the game occurred midway through the first quarter, as McDermott called a timeout so that veteran linebacker Lorenzo Alexander could be acknowledged while leaving the field.

Buffalo Bills outside linebacker Lorenzo Alexander (57) signs autographs before an NFL football game against the New York Jets Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Impressively, Buffalo’s reserves on defense kept the Jets offense under wraps. The unit allowed only 272 total yards. Jets quarterback Sam Darnold was quiet, totaling 199 passing yards on  23-of-36 day.  He threw one touchdown, a third-quarter score to wide receiver Jamison Crowder.

Trent Murphy recorded two sacks on the day, while Siran Neal and Corey Liuget each registered six tackles.

Offensively, Buffalo saw some unfamiliar faces gain some decent yardage. TJ Yeldon carried the ball seven times for 18 yards. He also caught three passes for 24 yards. Wide receiver Duke Williams was targeted often, catching six passes for 108 yards. Tight end Tommy Sweeney was a presence over the middle of the field, catching five balls for 76 yards.

Isaiah McKenzie also put pressure on the Jets defense, running two jet sweeps for 30 yards.

However, there was a lack of continuity with the second-string garnering most of the meaningful snaps on the day. Matt Barkley struggled throughout the afternoon. Barkley turned the ball over three times: two interceptions and a lost fumble. He did not inspire much confidence if he were to see the field in a dire situation in the playoffs.

Barkley finished completing 18-of-35 passes for 232 yards and the aforementioned turnovers. Several passes sailed and found the turf off Barkley’s hand.

Several bills limped off the field at several points in the game. Offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe, cornerback Taron Johnson, defensive back Siran Neal, and cornerback Levi Wallace all missed snaps during the game.

Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace (39) is carted off the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019 in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

However, Wallace’s injury could have major ramifications going forward, as his lower-body injury looked somewhat severe. The Alabama product could not put weight on his leg leaving the field. As the counterpart to Tre’Davious White in the Bills secondary, his possible absence will be problematic for the Buffalo.

The Bills conclude their season at 10-6, their first double-digit win total in 20 years. Buffalo will travel to Houston for Wild Card playoff action next weekend.

[lawrence-related id=52260,52226,52206,52187]

 

5 takeaways from the Bills’ 13-6 loss to the Jets

Five takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ Week 17 loss to the New York Jets.

This one didn’t mean a whole lot to the Bills, but in the one thing they had to do against the New York Jets in Week 17, they failed miserably.

And it had nothing to do with the final 10-3 score in favor of the Jets, either.

With that, here’s five takeaways from the Bills’ loss to the Jets:

Buffalo Bills cornerback Levi Wallace. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Injury bug bites Bills

The Bills lost, who cares? The game had no meaning for Buffalo. The main goal was to not get injured. Well, the Bills did that.

Throughout the course of the game, the Bills lost cornerback Levi Wallace and offensive lineman Ty Nsekhe. Both plays suffered ankle injuries. Wallace was injured as he intercepted Jets quarterback Sam Darnold while Nsekhe went down on a running play.

Losing Wallace is a big loss. The Bills will want their No. 2 cornerback in the Wild Card round. The Bills will play either the Chiefs or Texans in that game. Both teams sport good passing offenses. In Nsekhe, he’s provided better offensive line play than rookie Cody Ford at tackle. He looked to have re-injured his ankle injury that kept him out for five games. If that’s the case, he’s likely done for the playoffs.

Sure, Josh Allen wasn’t injured in this one, but these could still be big losses for the Bills, who’ve remained relatively healthy all season.

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

Sam Darnold has high praise for Bills fans ahead of Week 17 trip to Buffalo

Jets QB Sam Darnold is excited to play his final regular-season game of the 2019 season in front of Buffalo Bills fans at New Era Field.

Neither the Jets nor Bills have much to play for on Sunday. While New York is playing for pride, Sunday is a final dress rehearsal for Buffalo before the playoffs begin.

Still, the atmosphere at New Era Field is expected to be playoff-like as the Buffalo-faithful prepare to send their team off on a high note before the Bills face the Houston Texans in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Jets, who play one game in Buffalo each season, are prepared for everything that comes with playing in Orchard Park.

“It’s tough,” Sam Darnold said when asked about what it’s like to play away games at New Era Field on Thursday. “Buffalo fans are crazy in the best way. They get it rocking in there.”

For Sunday’s game, the Bills don’t anticipate resting their starters. However, backup quarterback Matt Barkley is expected to see some time behind Josh Allen.

Barkley infamously led a bumbling Bills offense to a huge win over the Jets in November of 2018. The 41-10 loss was seemingly the final nail in the coffin for Todd Bowles’ tenure as the Jets’ head coach. Barkley went 15 of 25, passing for 232 yards and two touchdowns.

Darnold was sidelined with a foot injury but made his first matchup against fellow 2018 draftee Allen, memorable. Nearly a month later, Darnold led the Jets to 27-23 win in Orchard Park.

In Week 1 of the 2019 season, Darnold went 28 of 41 for just 175 yards and just one touchdown in a 17-16 loss at home. Buffalo’s defense suffocated the Jets offense, holding it to just 223 total yards

With 15 games in between, the Jets are looking for revenge even if the team cannot play spoiler to Buffalo’s playoff hopes. After starting 1-7, ending the season 7-9 and going 6-2 in the final eight games would be an impressive accomplishment for Adam Gase’s team.

Jamal Adams: Jets ‘hunting’ for win over Bills in Week 17

Jamal Adams says the Jets will be hunting for a win on Sunday against the Bills.

The Jets will be out for revenge when they travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills in Week 17.

The last time the Jets played the Bills, they coughed up a 16-point lead and ended up losing 17-16. This game has no meaning for either team with New York eliminated from playoff contention and Buffalo locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC. However, the Jets are using their season-opening loss as motivation to end the regular season on a high note.

“Yeah, we coming after them,” Jamal Adams said on Tuesday. “We hunting. At the end of the day, this is a playoff game for us. We hear they’re going to start their starters. That’s good. We’re looking forward to the matchup, I can tell you that.”

The Bills have already stated that their starters will take the field on Sunday, but head coach Sean McDermott didn’t specify how long they will play. Backup quarterback Matt Barkley will see some playing time, which indicates that McDermott will switch over to the backups at some point.

After a dismal 1-7 start, the Jets have a chance to finish 6-2 in their last eight games. That bodes well for next season given the numerous injuries that hampered New York throughout 2019 and gives Gang Green something to build on heading into the new year.

“It’s important, man,” Adams said. “It’s all about finishing. That’s our goal. We’re treating this game as a playoff game. … This is the mindset going into it. We’re excited they’re playing their starters, I can tell you that, and we’re going to be out there hunting, man.”

Bills have yet to decide if starters will play in Week 17

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has yet to decide whether or not the team’s starters will play in its season finale.

One meaningless regular game against a near-inept division opponent separates the Buffalo Bills from their third postseason contest of the millennium.

With a Week 16 loss to the New England Patriots, Buffalo took its hat out of the race for the AFC East crown. The 10-5 team can now finish no better or worse than fifth in the AFC, set to face either the Houston Texans or the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round of the postseason.

The outcome of the Bills’ Week 17 matchup with the New York Jets will not impact the team’s place in the final standings. Thus, one could expect Buffalo to rest its starters in its season finale, allowing its key players a break before the playoffs while also preventing significant injuries.

Per head coach Sean McDermott, such a decision has yet to be made. While speaking to the media following the team’s 24-17 loss to the Patriots, McDermott was asked if the team had thought whether or not it will bench its starters in its season finale.

“Yeah, no, we’ll talk about it,” McDermott said. “Brandon [Beane] and I will sit down and talk about it and make sure we do what’s right for the team.”

Though the team has yet to make a decision as to whether or not starters will take the field next week, resting key players would likely be a wise move.

The game has no bearing on the team’s season. Buffalo has already constructed its best record of the century and has secured a playoff berth, a win in the final game of the season would do nothing but send the boisterous New Era Field crowd home happy.

Giving key players such as Josh Allen, Tremaine Edmunds, and Tre’Davious White a week of rest and more time to prepare for the Bills’ postseason opponent would likely prove more beneficial than sending them out against the struggling Jets.

[lawrence-related id=51711,51697,51672]