Tag: Matt Breida

Matt Breida explains why Bills ‘make it easy’ to wait for his turn

Should the #Bills keep rolling RB Matt Breida out there?

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Buffalo Bills running back Matt Breida was one of the stories of his team’s Week 10 win over the New York Jets.

The 45-17 final included two touchdowns from Breida, one receiving and one rushing. Such two score games in the NFL can be rare, even more so considering Breida’s circumstances.

Inactive since Week 3, Breida hasn’t seen game time in months. That must be difficult and the running back did admit that.

But Breida also explained that managing such a thing is easier to do in Buffalo.

“It’s extremely hard, but honestly with this team, it makes it kind of easy. This team is… we’re not like worried about touchdowns, or stats, or nothing like that. We’re worried about winning,” Breida said via video conference. “Of course you want to be up every week, but at the end of the day you’ve got to do what’s best for the team.”

Breida did fumble late, but he might’ve done enough to stay on the active roster moving forward. Perhaps at least next week against the Indianapolis Colts.

Overall, Breida took three carries for 28 yards and had another three catches for 22 yards against the Jets. In his limited touches, Breida made them count with touchdowns but in doing so, he was also impressing some teammates, too.

Quarterback Josh Allen noticed what many do about Breida: He’s a speedster.

“The game-breaking speed. He’s able to cut and go. You see it in the passing game, too,’ Allen said. “This is a guy that hasn’t had many opportunities throughout the year and he made the most of them today, it was good to see.”

“He’s a good worker and runs hard,” center Mitch Morse added. “It’s one game, but definitely wanted to take that step in the right direction.”

Bredia’s efforts later became a part of history.

It was the first time the Bills have had four different players rush for a touchdown in a single game.

Along with Breida, running backs Zack Moss and Devin Singletary got in on that fun. Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie did as well.

Yeah, the Bills’ rushing attack was back in New York. Now the question turns to another: Can they keep it rolling?

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Tunnel Vision of Week 10

Tunnel Vision – a look back at Sunday for fantasy free agents, injuries and notable performances.

SUNDAY SALUTES
Quarterbacks Pass – Rush TD
 Dak Prescott  296 – 5 3
 Josh Allen 366 – 3 2
 Jalen Hurts 178 – 53 2
 Trevor Siemian 298 2
 Patrick Mahomes 406 5
Running Backs Yards TD
R. Stevenson 20-100 rush
4-14 catch		 2
AJ Dillon 21-66 rush
2-62 catch		 2
Christian McCaffrey 13-95 rush
10-66 catch		 0
Jonathan Taylor 21-116 rush
6-10 catch		 1
Darrel Williams 11-43 rush
9-101 catch		 1
Wide Receivers Yards TD
Stefon Diggs 8-162 1
CeeDee Lamb 1-12 rush
6-94 catch		 2
Kendrick Bourne 3-43 rush
4-98 catch		 1
Justin Jefferson 9-143 0
Tyreek Hill 7-83 2
Tight Ends Yards TD
Hunter Henry 4-37 2
Mark Andrews 6-63 1
Tyler Conklin 3-11 2
Gerald Everett 8-63 0
Travis Kelce 8-119 0
Placekickers XP FG
Zane Gonzalez 2 4
Jake Elliott 3 3
Chris Boswell 1 3
Randy Bullock 2 3
Harrison Butker 5 2
Defense Sack – TO TD
Cowboys 2 – 2 1
Packers 3 – 2 0
Dolphins 4 – 2 1
Patriots 5 – 1 0
Panthers 4 – 2 0

Bumps, Bruises and Bowouts

QB Baker Mayfield – Knee
QB Colt McCoy – Pectoral
RB Aaron Jones – Knee
RB Jermar Jefferson – Ankle
WR Anthony Schwartz – Head
WR CeeDee Lamb – Arm
TE Ricky Seals-Jones – Hip
TE Hayden Hurst – Ankle
TE Dallas Goedert – Head

Chasing Ambulances

QB Baker Mayfield (CLE)  – Suffered a bruised right knee and did not return in the loss to the Patriots. Mayfield was already playing through injuries and said after the game that he wasn’t sure he could play this week against the Lions.  Case Keenum will take the attractive start if Mayfield isn’t able to play.

RB Aaron Jones (GB) – Went down in the third quarter of the win over the Seahawks holding his right knee. He did not return to the game and is believed to have sprained his MCL. He had to be helped from the field, and there is concern that it may force him to miss games. An MRI will confirm the situation on Monday. If Jones misses time, AJ Dillon would be in line for an  increase in workload against the Vikings this week, and the Rams the following matchup if it were to be more than one week.

Patrick Taylor is the only other running back currently on the active roster, but he’s an undrafted ex-Memphis back who was on the practice squad until two weeks ago. His two rushes for seven yards on Sunday were his first in the NFL. Dillon is the only back sure to see an increase in work if Jones remains out.

WR CeeDee Lamb (DAL) – He’s been nursing a sore ankle but blew up for two scores against the Falcons. He also suffered an arm contusion that had him leave the game. He’s thought to have been injured in the first half and just played through it. He said that it felt like it was “a charlie horse in my arm.” It doesn’t sound like anything serious.

TE Ricky Seals-Jones (WAS) – Injured his hip and was helped from the field by the trainers, Logan Thomas hasn’t been activated from injured reserve yet, but he’s expected to return soon. The only other options are John Bates and Sammie Reyes but neither would carry any fantasy value if Thomas remains out and Seals-Jones cannot play.

TE Dallas Goedert (PHI) – Took a shot to the head and will be tested for a concussion. If he misses any time, the only other tight ends on the roster are Jack Stoll and Tyree Jackson, and neither would project as fantasy relevant even if Goedert misses any time.

Free Agents, Flops and Other Notables

WR Rashod Bateman (BAL) –  The rookie played in just four games this year, but he’s improved each week and led the Ravens with six receptions for 80 yards in their loss to the Dolphins.

QB Matt Ryan (ATL) – after throwing for two scores and around 300 yards for the last six games, he only completed 9-of-21 for 117 yards with two interceptions in the loss to the Cowboys.

WR Michael Gallup (DAL) – Spent the last eight weeks on injured reserve but returned in the in over the Falcons. He caught three passes for 42 yards and his five targets were second only to the six passes thrown to CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard.

RB James Robinson (JAC) – Returned after injuring his heel in Week 8. He started slowly but finished with 12 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown, plus caught four passes for 27 yards. His heel appeared to be no issue.

RB Rhamondre Stevenson (NE) – The Player-of-the-week below not only ran for 100 yards and two scores on 20 carries and caught four passes for 14 yards but he was pulled midway in the fourth quarter or it would have been more. Damien Harris was out with a concussion, but Stevenson is buying a bigger role ongoing even when Harris returns as the starter.

WR Kendrick Bourne (NE) – All of his best efforts have been in home games, which continued against the visiting Browns. Bourne ended with four receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown, plus gained 43 yards on three rushes. His two previous games were on the road and he never gained more than 35 yards in either game.

TE Hunter Henry (NE) – After scoring in five of the previous six games, Henry scored twice in the win over the Browns. His yardage is typically low, but he scored seven times over the last seven games.

RB Matt Breida (BUF) – Both Devin Singletary (7-43, TD) and Zack Moss (7-27, TD) had more carries than Breida, but this was the first time that we’ve seen him since Week 1 and Breida ran for 28 yards and a touchdown on three carries, plus caught three passes for 22 yards and a second score. There was only one other pass thrown to a running back. And this takes a more interesting slant with head coach Sean McDermott’s recent statement that he wanted to get more from his backfield after Week 9 saw Singletary (6-16) and Moss (3-6) were ineffective against the Steelers. Notable too is that all three backs faced the Jets and their No. 32 ranked defense against running backs.

RB Godwin Igwebuike (DET) – The Lions battled to a tie, kind of a win since they were 0-8. And they did that at the Steelers by running the ball 39 times versus just 25 passes. D’Andre Swift (33-130) was the workhorse, and Jamaal Williams was out with a thigh injury that may continue into Week 11, given that he never practiced. Jermar Jefferson ran for 41 yards on three carries and scored but was carted off after injuring his ankle while crossing the goal line.  Godwin Igwebuike is an ex-safety converted to running back  and debuted with three runs for 18 yards and three catches for 40 yards in Week 8. He again filled in this week and ran for 56 yards on two carries that included an impressive 42-yard touchdown run. Jefferson appeared to have a serious injury. If he and Williams remain out this week, Igwebuike would be the direct backup for Swift in Cleveland this week.

RB Mark Ingram (NO) – Had the start since Alvin Kamara was out. Ingram ran for 47 yards and a score on 14 rushes and added four catches for 61 yards. He tied with Tre’Quan Smith for a team-high seven targets. He did a credible job filling in.

RB D’Onta Foreman (TEN) – While fantasy waiver wires were busy fighting over Adrian Peterson, it’s been Foreman who was the busier of the two. Peterson ran for 21 yards on eight carries and lost a yard on his one catch. Foreman ran 11 times for 30 yards and gained 48 yards on his two catches in the win over the Saints.

QB Cam Newton (CAR) – He just signed  with the Panthers in the middle of last week and was surprisingly active on Sunday. P.J. Walker started and threw for 167 yards on his 22-of-29 day with one interception. But Newton trotted on to throw three passes and connected with Robbie Anderson for a 2-yard touchdown. Newton also ran the ball three times for 14 yards and a touchdown, looking very much like it was old times again when he faked the handoff to the left  and ran to the right for the score. The expectation is that Newton resumes as the starter as of this week when they host Washington.

TE Gerald Everett (SEA) – He led the Seahawks in receiving in the loss at the Packers when he caught eight passes for 63 yards for a season-high. Everett hasn’t scored since the season opener, but his four road games in the seven that he’s played have all been more productive than when at home. Things go worse away from Seattle, and Everett is more  frequently used.

Huddle player of the week

RB Rhamondre Stevenson (NE)  –  The rookie is one of the most exciting players in the NFL, but only in a sense you can never quite be sure if he’ll even be active, let alone be allowed a lot of touches. And there’s that every-play tension knowing that if he fumbles, no one sees him again for a few weeks. Stevenson became the top fantasy running back this week when Damien Harris was out with a concussion. The rookie rushed for 100 yards on 20 carries, caught four passes for 14 yards and scored two touchdowns. And he didn’t even play in the latter half of the fourth quarter.

Salute!

Drama 101 – Somebody has to laugh, somebody has to cry

Comedy Yards TDs Tragedy Yards TDs
QB Trevor Siemian 298 2 QB Russell Wilson 193 0
RB Matt Breida 50 2 RB Myles Gaskin 45 0
RB AJ  Dillon 128 2 RB Javonte Williams 49 0
WR DeAndre Carter 60 1 WR AJ Green 4 0
WR Kendrick Bourne 141 1 WR AJ Brown 23 0
WR Jamal Agnew 79 1 WR Mike Williams 33 0
TE Hunter Henry 37 2 TE T.J. Hockerson nope 0
PK Zane Gonzalez   2 XP  4 FG PK Jason Meyers  zero
Huddle Fantasy Points = 141 Huddle Fantasy Points = 22

Now get back to work…

Instant analysis: Bills return to dominant play with win vs. Jets

The #Bills dominant the #Jets (via @Jdiloro):

Playing the lowly New York Jets was just what the Buffalo Bills needed to return to their winning ways. Buffalo manhandled New York, 45-17, in a game that really didn’t challenge the Bills too often on the afternoon.

The Bills defense put a kibosh on the talk of Mike White against a strong defensive unit. White, who put up an astounding 405 passing yards the first time he touched the field, was overwhelmed.

White doubled his interception total from the season, throwing four picks during the game. Taron Johnson, Levi Wallace, Tre’Davious White, and Jordan Poyer recorded interceptions during the game for Buffalo (6-3).

The Bills’ Micah Hyde added to the turnover total, stripping Corey Davis on a long pass from White. To top it off, Hyde recovered the fumble.

Buffalo’s defensive line put pressure on White all afternoon. Ed Oliver dominated in the interior of the line, providing a push up the middle that has been absent over the past few games. Efe Obada, Boogie Basham, and Harrison Phillips did a good job in place of Star Lotulelei.

Even though the defense did not record a sack, they did put enough pressure on White to force inaccurate throws. Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, and Gregory Rousseau consistently won battles on the edge.

Buffalo was without middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, who missed the game due to a hamstring injury. AJ Klein filled in admirably, racking up seven tackles and registering two tackles for loss along with a pass defensed.

While the defense pulled off another dominant performance, the big change in this week’s game was the offensive responding favorably throughout the game. In past weeks, Buffalo’s offense stalled multiple times, squandering opportunities and handling looking like the juggernaut from last year:

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The Bills offense flipped that script, returning to their explosive play. Buffalo’s wide receivers hauled in several nice catches throughout the game. For the most part, the offensive line looked more cohesive in pass protection, trending in a better direction from past games:

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Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, and Emmanuel Sanders all had spectacular catches on the day. Diggs caught a game-best 57-yard bomb from Allen, as he smoked the secondary on a double move.

As with the defense, an offensive player stepped up as he took on more snaps in the game.

Running back Matt Brieda found the end zone twice during the game. He scored the game’s first touchdown, as he came out of the backfield and continued his route into the end zone, where Allen bought some time and found the veteran for six points.

Brieda added a 15-yard touchdown rush. The former 49er provided a bit more speed in the backfield. Brieda’s only downfall: he fumbled in the fourth quarter.

It was a good response from Brian Daboll with the offensive play calling as well. Daboll was creative in getting the ball into the hands of players in the backfield.

The aforementioned Brieda helped a little bit. The Bills also used Sanders and Isaiah McKenzie in the rushing game, with the latter scoring on a jet sweep. Buffalo scored four touchdowns on the ground. Devin Singletary, Zack Moss, Brieda, and McKenzie all scored as part of the run game “explosion” against the Jets.

Buffalo takes on Indianapolis next Sunday at Highmark Stadium. It’s another big game, as both teams are jockeying for position within the AFC playoff standings. The Bills are trying to move up to the No. 1 spot in the conference, while the Colts are vying for playoff legitimacy.

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5 takeaways from the Bills’ 45-17 win over the Jets

It appears the #Bills took out some anger and they rolled the #Jets, 45-17. Takeaways here:

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Here are five takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ 45-17 win over the New York Jets in Week 10:

Bills finally correcting run game issues with schematic creativity

The Bills’ offense has been fractured this season, but they’re starting to scheme up the run game to great effect.

Question: If the Bills didn’t fix their run game issues against the New York Jets, when on earth were they going to do it?

Answer: it was time.

While Josh Allen has been effective this season for the most part, Buffalo’s offense has not been this season what it was in 2020. Back then, the Bills ranked fifth in Offensive DVOA. Coming into Week 10 in 2021, they ranked 19th. The primary issue has been a run game that’s even less effective than it was last season, and it wasn’t great last season. That’s also exacerbated by Buffalo’s offensive line, which can charitably be called… uh, not so great. The Bills have the NFL’s best defense, but if the offense doesn’t flip the script, it might not matter come playoff time. The nadir was last Sunday’s 9-6 loss to the Jaguars, in which Allen was blitzed a ton and couldn’t seem to throw his way out of it.

With that loss, the Bills fell to 5-3 on the season, putting them just ahead of the ascending Patriots in the AFC East race. Now, it would be up to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and his staff to scheme things up on the ground.

So far, it’s working pretty well. There was this eight-yard touchdown on a nifty fly sweep by receiver Isaiah McKenzie…

…and this I-formation outside run, leading running back Matt Breida to a 15-yard score.

Then, running back Zack Moss decided to get in on the action with a one-yard touchdown run in which he just picked through Gang Green’s overwhelmed defense.

That made the score 37-3 in Buffalo’s favor, and gave them three rushing touchdowns on the day. The Bills had scored just eight rushing touchdowns in their first eight games, and that included three by quarterback Josh Allen.

Schemed up or not, the Bills can be a very dangerous team if this run game improvement can stick throughout the season.

WATCH: Matt Bredia scores first Bills TD on opening drive vs. Jets

WATCH: Matt Bredia scores first #Bills TD on opening drive vs. #Jets:

Buffalo Bills running back Matt Breida has opened his scoring account with the team.

Breida, the veteran running back who has been inactive in since Week 3, is playing in Week 10 against the New York Jets.

On Buffalo’s opening drive, the Bills (5-3) scored a touchdown via Breida. He beat a Jets defender to the corner of the end zone, and Breida caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Josh Allen to open the scoring.

The touchdown comes after the Bills have struggled early in games in recent weeks. Maybe Breida is just what the doctor ordered?

Check out the score here:

Other highlights:

Obada tips pass, Taron picks it

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Is it time for Zack Moss to emerge in Buffalo?

Moss stands out among a crowded backfield.

With training camps and preseason games officially in the rearview mirror, it’s time to take a look at crowded depth chart positions and hopefully provide a little clarity as to what the 2021 season will look like in fantasy football.

A season ago, the Buffalo Bills ended New England’s stranglehold on the AFC East and then advanced to the AFC Championship Game before falling to Kansas City. While the rise of QB Josh Allen took center stage, Buffalo has also assembled a talented backfield that features a pair of Day 2 picks from the 2019 and 2020 drafts, respectively. Now the question becomes how that workload will be divvied up this season.

It’s not too late to sign up for The Huddle and dominate!

Of course, it’s worth pointing out that Allen was among the more prolific runners at the position, ranking fourth among QBs in carries (102) and eighth in yards (421). If that level of activity continues it will have the same trickle-down effect that Lamar Jackson has on the Baltimore running game, albeit on a smaller scale. Conversely, if Allen dials that aspect of his game back it could increase the Bills’ RBs workloads.

Devin Singletary fantasy football outlook

Selected 74th overall in 2019, Singletary has led the Bills in rushing in each of his first two seasons. There wasn’t much growth in Year 2, however, as his rookie year totals of 151 carries and 775 yards (5.1 YPC) were marginally better than the 156-687 (4.4 YPC) mark from 2020. The big plays also dried up with just three carries of 20-plus yards last season compared to seven in his debut campaign.

Singletary showed some strides as a receiver, increasing his receiving output from 29-194 as a rookie to 38-269, and he was more careful with the football (he reduced his fumbles from four to one).

Some of the shine seems to be off Singletary, though, as he is undersized and lacks big-time speed — he has scored just six times in 374 combined touches. Despite being the nominal starter, Singletary is best suited as an RB4.

Zack Moss fantasy football outlook

Moss followed Singletary as another third-round selection, coming off the board with the 86th pick last year. His final numbers weren’t great (112-481-4), but the then-rookie started seeing more action late in the year. In fact, over the team’s final three meaningful games, Moss logged 38 carries to Singletary’s 25.

Moss is clearly the more powerful of the two backs, which should allow him to be a bigger factor in the red zone, regardless of how many carries between the 20s are allocated in a given week.

Although he was used sparingly as a receiver last season (14-95-1), Moss’ hands and blitz pickup were considered above-average coming out of Utah.

It certainly feels like there’s more upside with Moss, who improved as his rookie year went along and will now have the benefit of a full offseason program with the team heading into his second season.

Moss may currently sit behind Singletary on the depth chart, but Moss’ upside is higher. This is going to be a true committee, and really may be closer to a hot-hand scenario. Allen, not Singletary, should be his biggest enemy for limiting touchdown opportunities.

Moss can be drafted to fill an RB3/flex role and may be leaned on for more if the Bills were to lose star WR Stefon Diggs for extended time.

Matt Breida fantasy football outlook

After spending his first three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Breida was traded to Miami before last year’s draft. It didn’t pan out. In a running back room that included both unproven (Myles Gaskin, Salvon Ahmed) and over-the-hill (Jordan Howard) options, Breida could never carve out on a meaningful role with the Dolphins.

A hamstring injury and a trip to the COVID list rounded out an inauspicious stint in south Florida with Breida setting career lows in carries (59), yards (254) and TDs (0).

Buffalo signed him in free agency in the hope they’ll see the 49ers version of Breida, who averaged 634 yards on 127 carries (5.0 YPC) and 2 TDs per year during his three seasons with the club.

He’ll operate behind Singletary and Moss in the backfield, but offensive coordinator Brian Daboll had Breida line up wide in the preseason, which could open some action on jet sweeps or quick passes to get him the ball in space. It’s unlikely to be enough to generate meaningful fantasy value, but Breida would be worth a look if either Moss or Singletary were to miss time.

Stock up, stock down following the Bills’ preseason win over the Lions

Stock up, stock down following the #Bills’ preseason win over the #Lions (via @mckennamiddle):

The Buffalo Bills kicked off their preseason with a dramatic 16-15 win over the Detroit Lions. The Bills controlled the game early, but a fourth quarter push from Detroit needed to see a late field goal from Tyler Bass to win the game for Buffalo.

Let’s see which of the preseason performers for the Bills excelled (and which didn’t) against the Detroit Lions in Bills Wire’s stock report:

ESPN: Which Bills veteran is ‘in danger’ during training camp?

ESPN: Which #Bills veteran is ‘in danger’ during training camp?

Considering NFL teams carry close to 90 players on training camp rosters which is trimmed down to around 53 plus extra spots for the practice squad… there are many players current on the Bills that are both veteran and in danger of being cut.

In cutting that list to one, the former world-wide leader in ESPN decided that it was running back Matt Breida that stands out the most in terms of a vet that’s on the roster bubble:

Veteran in danger: Matt Breida, RB

Why he could get cut: Breida signed with the Bills this offseason and, on paper, immediately added a home-run-hitting element that no other player on the roster possesses. But his place on the final 53-man roster is not set in stone; Breida still has to beat out Antonio Williams and Christian Wade for the final seat in Buffalo’s running backs room — which might not have more than three backs considering how often the Bills throw the ball. If Breida can make himself valuable on special teams, such as fellow running back Taiwan Jones, it will help his cause. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

Breida certainly doesn’t have anything locked up with the Bills. Signed to only a one-year deal this offseason, Breida underperformed with the Miami Dolphins last year and only has a $140K dead cap hit if cut. He’s going to have to earn his spot.

However, it might be a bit more locked in than one may believe. Breida contributing on special teams will help his cause, but former Bills running back TJ Yeldon didn’t do that the past few seasons.

Still, when Singletary and Moss were healthy just last season, Yeldon was simply a health scratch. This gives us some proof that Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott does value having a veteran in the backfield. Williams and Wade certainly can’t be considered that.

Aside from Breida, the low-hanging fruit might be defensive end Mario Addison. He did restructure his contract earlier this offseason, but with three young prospects behind him (AJ Epenesa, Greg Rousseau, Carlos Basham), Addison might need to make sure he secures a roster spot in 2021.

Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane did show support for keeping Addison around earlier this offseason… but he also did the same for running back LeSean McCoy previously.

Others to consider also include defensive tackle Harrison Phillips, linebacker AJ Klein, and wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, simply considering the talent around them at their respective position groups.

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