Tag: Micah Hyde

WATCH: Bills force turnover on Patriots’ opening drive

Jordan Poyer forces Rex Burkhead fumble, Micah Hyde recovers.

The Bills defense started off their Week 16 meeting with the New England Patriots on the right foot.

Buffalo forced a turnover on the opening drive of the game for the Patriots offense. Safety Jordan Poyer tackled Pats running back Rex Burkhead from behind and Micah Hyde scooped up the ball on the play.

The play led to the Bills earning the first points of the game, a 35-yard field goal from kicker Stephen Hauschka.

Here’s how the Bills ended the Patriots opening drive:

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Report card: Bills outlast Steelers, 17-10

The Bills are playoff bound after their victory of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a victory where the Bills relied on their stout defense.

Buffalo, you can party like it’s 1999 because the Bills are sitting at 10-4, clinching just their second playoff appearance this century.

The game was an ugly, hard fought battle that saw seven turnovers between themselves and the Pittsburgh Steelers, a game which the Bills won 17-10.

Ultimately, Buffalo’s offense made more plays down the stretch that gave them the victory. It wasn’t a stellar performance from Josh Allen and company though.

With that, here’s how the Bills graded out in this week’s report card following their win over the Steelers:

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Quarterback: C

Josh Allen had a tough game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he completed just 52 percent of his passes for 139 yards. He struggled throughout the game, missing some wide open receivers, his interception was a perfect example of these errant throws. Allen had a clean pocket, and threw a pass to the outstretched arms of receiver Cole Beasley, that bounced off the hands of Beasley and into arms of the Steelers defensive back. The interception doesn’t fall on the shoulders of Allen alone, but a better pass could have been caught by Beasley.

The quarterback did have his moments of brilliance, mainly coming in the fourth quarter with the game on the line. He hit a massive 40-yard strike to John Brown that help set up the game winning touchdown. Speaking of the game winning touchdown, he found tight end Tyler Kroft on third down, sealing the victory for Buffalo.

Allen also had 28 yards on the ground, and one rushing touchdown that opened the scoring for Buffalo.

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What we learned from Bills’ Week 14 loss to Ravens

What we learned, Buffalo Bills vs. Baltimore Ravens, NFL Week 14

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

The Buffalo Bills did what few, if any, teams have doneso  far this season on Sunday: Slow down Lamar Jackson and the high-powered Baltimore Ravens. However, it was not enough to get them their 10th win of the 2019 season.

The Bills’ three-game winning streak was snapped by the Ravens, 24-17, in a game where Buffalo will get plenty of credit for hanging with perhaps the NFL’s best team right to the final minute of the game.

In the end, Baltimore left Orchard Park with it’s 11th win of the season and a playoff berth because they hounded and frustrated the Bills’ offense, especially quarterback Josh Allen. One week after his best and most efficient outing as a pro, Allen had one of his least efficient performances of the season, completing just 17-of-39 passes for 146 yards.

Still, Allen found his groove a bit in the fourth quarter and led the Bills back. Trailing 24-9 in the final frame, Allen helped direct a 78-yard touchdown drive that he capped with a three-yard touchdown throw to Cole Beasley. The Bills then wisely went for two and converted (Allen to Beasley again) to cut the margin to just seven with seven minutes to play.

Buffalo then forced a three-and-out and had a chance to drive for the tie or, perhaps, the lead in the final minutes. Aided by a couple of unnecessary roughness penalties and a 26-yard pass interference penalty, the Bills moved the ball inside the 20, but the drive stalled. With one last chance, on 4th and 8 from the Baltimore 16, Allen threw incomplete to John Brown near the goal line, and Baltimore was able to kneel out the game.

While the game was ultimately a disappointing one for the Bills, a lot went right for them on this Sunday afternoon. The Bills’ defense turned in one of it’s best performances of the season in holding the Ravens, the league’s highest-scoring team, mostly in check. Jackson finished with just 40 rushing yards and 145 passing yards. Similar to the Bills’ Week 4 performance against New England, it was the type of defensive effort that should earn praise and raise eyebrows across the league, even in a loss.

Also, the Bills got some help away from New Era Field as Oakland, Houston, and Indianapolis all lost, meaning the Bills can clinch their second playoff berth in three seasons simply by beating the Steelers next Sunday night in Pittsburgh. Oh, the Patriots also lost too, meaning the Bills are still just one game back in the race for the AFC East crown.

Here are four things we learned as the Bills fell to 9-4 Sunday at New Era Field:

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Micah Hyde told other teams ‘don’t sleep’ on Bills this year

On RapSheet+Friends podcast, Hyde shared this idea with host Ian Rapoport that some did not agree with the safety’s vision.

The Buffalo Bills made several upgrades to their roster in the offseason via free agency and the draft. With the additions of John Brown, Cole Beasley, Frank Gore, Devin Singletary, Mitch Morse, Jon Feliciano, Ed Oliver, Quinton Spain, Dawson Knox, and Andre Roberts, the Bills worked to mitigate the talent gap on the roster from a year ago.

Some may have been skeptical that the moves were not enough. However, Bills safety Micah Hyde had no problem telling people, including former college teammates, that Buffalo would be a force to be reckoned with this year.

On RapSheet+Friends podcast, Hyde shared this idea with host Ian Rapoport that some did not agree with the safety’s vision. Hyde told, “I remember having a conversation with some buddies on other teams, former players that I played with in the past whether it’s in Green Bay or even my days in Iowa. And I was telling guys, ‘Hey, don’t sleep on us this year. We’re going to be good.”

Hyde also made reference to the team’s second-year quarterback Josh Allen, highlighting the confidence that the team had with the former first-round pick entering this season. “Obviously we have a young quarterback, but he’s a competitor. He’s a stud.” Hyde added, “Once he gets that confidence from year one to year two’ we’re going to be a pretty good football team.’”

Even so, others paid little attention to what Hyde discussed. “And obviously all the guys were like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Whatever. Whatever.’” Nevertheless, Hyde knew that this year could stand out from the recent history for the Bills. “Maybe I was a little biased, because I appreciate this football team. I know the hard work and stuff that a lot of guys put in, but I really did.”

Buffalo is on the verge of its first double-digit win season since 1999. They are a near-lock to make the playoffs, as publications give the group give the Bills around a 95-percent chance of making the playoffs.

“I saw the potential in this football team for sure,” Hyde highlighted. Now, it’s all coming together for the Bills year.

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5 storylines to follow during Bills at Cowboys

The Bills visit the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday for a Thanksgiving Day meeting. It’s the first time in about 25 seasons that the Bills have had the national spotlight on them while turkey was being served. 

Short week, big week.

The Bills visit the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday for a Thanksgiving Day meeting. It’s the first time in about 25 seasons that the Bills have had the national spotlight on them while turkey is being served.

The winner will add to their win total against a winning team for the first time after the one, too. Something neither has done to this point in 2019, despite their winning ways.

With that, here are five storylines to follow during Thursday’s Bills meeting with the Cowboys:

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Jordan Phillips. (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes)

How do Bills play under circumstances?

The Bills have a big test against the Cowboys. They’re a good team, yes. But it’s the festivities outside the game that are much, much different for Buffalo. The Bills haven’t played on Thanksgiving in a long, long time, as mentioned. That’s different for them. In this scenario, the Cowboys play each and every season on the holiday. They don’t answer questions in the locker room about playing during during it this week. Their locker room is used to it.

In addition, just… in general, the Bills don’t often play outside of 1 p.m. In fact, they haven’t done so since last season. The Cowboys on the other hand? This is America’s team, folks. They’ve played on Sunday Night Football three times, Monday Night Football once and had 4 p.m. kickoffs four times. In fact, playing at 1 p.m. is actually weird for them, they’ve only done that three times.

Thanksgiving Day is much bigger for the Bills. Sean McDermott has to get his team ready for it.

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Would it be fun to get a beer with Ryan Fitzpatrick? Micah Hyde thinks so

Buffalo Bills safety Micah Hyde on Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The last time the Bills and the Dolphins met in a game, Buffalo safety Micah Hyde met Miami quarterback and former Bill Ryan Fitzpatrick with a hit in the end zone when he scored on a late scamper.

Hyde would prefer to meet Fitz at the local watering hole next time.

On Wednesday while chatting with reporters, Hyde was discussing Fitzpatrick but more so talked about the man behind the mask instead of the warrior on the field. In fact, he said exactly that, Fitzpatrick would be a cool guy to get a beer with.

“I definitely respect him. I know that some guys here, that were here in the last couple of years actually had an opportunity to play with him, I think Lee (Smith) had an opportunity to play with him,” Hyde said. “He seems like one of those guys you can just go to the Big Tree Inn, have a beer with him him, shoot the [expletive] with him and have fun, that’s what he seems like, honestly.”

On the flip side, Fitzpatrick spoke to the Bills’ team radio show on Wednesday as well. Fitzpatrick reflected on playing for the Bills as he often does when facing his old team. It sounds like that would be a good topic of conversation Hyde and Fitzpatrick would have at the end corner of seat of an establishment.

“There are very few places where, during the football season, your mood every single day, is all based on what happened last Sunday and that’s what Buffalo is. It was such a special place to play and when you’re a player there you really do appreciate the fans and how much they’re into it,” Fitzpatrick said.

Beverages aside, Hyde also said he’s prepping to face a competitor in the Dolphins QB this week.

“You see him go out each and every week and he competes. He puts his body on the line and he gets hit a lot and he gets back up. In my eyes, I respect the guy a lot,” Hyde said.

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