Tag: Reggie Gilliam

How the Bills changed their entire offense and ran all over the Cowboys

The Buffalo Bills did what nobody expected and ran all over the Dallas Cowboys’ defense. Here’s how offensive coordinator Joe Brady schemed it up.

Generally speaking, when Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen completes seven of 15 passes for 94 yards and a touchdown against a team like the Dallas Cowboys, you don’t expect a 31-10 win in Buffalo’s favor. But that’s exactly what happened last Sunday, and the Bills’ run game is worthy of our attention. 

New offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who’s been in that position since mid-November following the firing of Ken Dorsey, had already put some new much-needed wrinkles in the passing game. But what Brady did against the Cowboys was a different level of sea-change in philosophy. Brady and the Bills went into this game with a clear vision of how to disrupt Dallas’ defense with the run game, which was unusual for a number of reasons.

Coming into this game, the Cowboys had allowed an EPA per rushing attempt of -0.11, sixth-best in the NFL. Their 4.1 yards per carry allowed, 2.2 yards after contact allowed, and 10 rushing touchdowns allowed were all among the NFL’s best. Now, the Bills’ EPA per rushing attempt of 0.04 was already the NFL’s best, but they had managed just 2.2 yards after contact per attempt, and while their 15 rushing touchdowns was a nice figure, 11 came from quarterback Josh Allen, so it wasn’t as if Buffalo’s rushing attack with James Cook as the lead dog was scaring anybody.

Where Brady and his staff may have seen their openings was in the Cowboys’ fronts and overall defensive philosophy. Through the first 14 weeks of the season, Dallas had faced just 337 rushing attempts this season, because their offense has been so explosive. And under Dan Quinn, the Cowboys aren’t focusing on the run in an old-school sense. They had put eight or more defenders in the box against 142 rushing attempts this season through Week 14, fifth-highest in the league, but it’s not a heavy run defense, and that’s especially true since defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins suffered a high ankle sprain in Week 14 against the Philadelphia Eagles. Without Hankins on the field this season, the Cowboys have allowed 5.3 yards per carry. With Hankins on the field? 4.2.

Moreover, per Sports Info Solutions, the Cowboys have had six defensive backs on the field for 221 opponent rushing attempts, which is wildly out of whack with the rest of the NFL. The New England Patriots rank second with 43. The number is a bit skewed because most advanced metrics sites have misclassified Markquese Bell as a safety when he’s more of a linebacker, but even so… Bell is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound player, so it’s not as if he’s thumping down on run fits at a Mike Singletary level.

Factoring all that in, Brady’s decision to completely turn his team’s offensive philosophy on its head was still quite revolutionary. Through Week 14, the Bills ran the ball on 37.9% of their offensive snaps. Against the Cowboys, they ran by design on 71% of their plays, the highest rate for any team in any game this season. The aforementioned James Cook ran 25 times for 179 yards, 7.2 yards per attempt, 3.52 yards after contact per attempt, one touchdown, seven runs of 10 or more yards, and eight forced missed tackles.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell,” the guys got into this difference in approach, and all the reasons it worked so well.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/Olr2jYwBa3rWdi395BJu/1703189203431_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0iajV3aGVtdGtsZjN1ZXlqdG9qbHdpMmp0aGUydWVzdHYiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMyNSI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/_hCRiowBgv6pOedh2gq8/1703133752944_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ibDV1ZWd1dGpuNTN1ZXozd2d6eWU2emxlbmF6Z280ankiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMyNSI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Now, let’s get into the thick of this new Bills run game.

PFF: 5 highest-graded Bills players on offense in Week 15

Good games here:

The Buffalo Bills easily won a thrilling 31-10 final in their Week 15 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Bills (8-6) had a few players that stood out above the rest in this one. On offense, the Bills were led by running back James Cook against a usually stout Cowboys (10-4) defense.

In terms of the players who helped Cook pull out the win, Buffalo will hope such efforts remain throughout the rest of the 2023 season as the aim to secure a postseason spot.

According to Pro Football Focus, they’ll need these players to continue to play at a high level.

Here are the five highest-graded Bills players on offense against the Cowboys in Week 15:

PFF: 5 worst-graded Bills players on offense in Week 14

PFF: 5 worst-graded #Bills players on offense in Week 14 vs. the #Chiefs:

The Buffalo Bills narrowly won a thrilling 20-17 final in their Week 14 matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Bills (7-6) had a few players that stood out above the rest in this one. On offense, the Bills were led by running bac James Cook against a much improved Chiefs (8-5) defense.

But not everyone was up to Cook’s standards. If Buffalo will hope to reach the postseason in 2023, they’ll need some players to improve down the stretch.

According to Pro Football Focus, they’ll need these players to play at a higher level.

Here are the five worst-graded Bills players on offense against the Chiefs in Week 14:

PFF: 5 highest-graded Bills players on offense in Week 12

You’ll be shocked to see Josh Allen:

The Buffalo Bills narrowly lost in overtime against the Philadelphia Eagles, 37-34, in their Week 12 matchup on Sunday afternoon.

The Bills (6-6) had a few players that stood out above the rest in this one. On offense, the Bills were led by quarterback Josh Allen for the second game in a row as he took over a new-look offense with Joe Brady supporting as the offensive coordinator against a league-best Eagles team that has lost only one game this season.

Despite a great performance, Buffalo didn’t have the final push to secure a win. But in terms of the players who got them close to a win, the Bills will hope such efforts will remain throughout the rest of the 2023 season as the aim to secure a postseason spot.

According to Pro Football Focus, they’ll need these players to continue to play at a high level.

Here are the five highest-graded Bills players on offense against the Eagles (10-1) according to PFF’s metrics:

Bills’ Reggie Gilliam named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

#Bills’ Reggie Gilliam named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week:

Reggie Gilliam wasted no time in making in impact on the Buffalo Bills’ win over the New York Jets.

Gilliam played a huge role in his team’s 32-6 stomping of the Jets in Week 11.

The offense took headlines after putting up 32 points against a top-tier defense following the dismissal of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. But the NFL made sure Gilliam got his recognition, too.

Gilliam recorded a game-changing play right out of the get go. On the opening kickoff, Gilliam forced a fumble which helped the Bills set the tone for the game… and cash in on three early points.

For his efforts, Gilliam was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 11.

Gilliam is the first Bills player to earn Player of the Week recognition since quarterback Josh Allen in Week 4.

Gilliam’s forced turnover can be found in the clip below:

[lawrence-related id=127141,120388,127137]

Bills injury update: Ed Oliver returns, Damien Harris remains out

#Bills injury update: Ed Oliver returns, Damien Harris remains out:

The final day of Buffalo Bills training camp on Thursday featured the likes of players going different directions on the injury report.

A day prior, defensive tackle Ed Oliver (back), running back Damien Harris (knee) and cornerback Cam Lewis (groin) missed the workout.

At the top, Oliver returned. He missed two practices, but his back issue was described as “soreness,” so it never appeared to be a serious problem.

Similarly, Harris had his back injury described as “soreness.” However, Harris did not partake in the final day of Bills camp. Per The Athletic, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott did note that Harris was heading in the “right direction” regarding the issue.

In addition, Lewis, who avoided a head injury only to go on and tweak his groin earlier this week, was out as well.

It’s unclear if Harris or Lewis will be back in the lineup in time to face the Indianapolis Colts in the Bills’ preseason opener. Buffalo and Indy kickoff at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Highmark Stadium.

In the case of Oliver, McDermott said starters will play approximately a quarter of the game on Saturday.

Bills Wire will continue to provide updates as information is made available.

[lawrence-related id=120591,120587,120581]

Madden 24 ratings for every Buffalo Bills running back

Madden 24’s top #Bills RB might not be who you think:

EA Sports is going position-by-position and releasing player ratings for their upcoming NFL video game, Madden 24.

This year’s game will feature Bills quarterback Josh Allen on the cover and we now know how the game rates running backs in the league.

Here are the Madden 24 ratings for every Bills rusher set to feature in the game:

WATCH: Bills’ Reggie Gilliam talks early-season involvement

WATCH: #Bills’ Reggie Gilliam talks early-season involvement:

Reggie Gilliam has been one of the more versatile players the Bills have had on their roster the past few years. The fullback-tight end hybrid makes it work… whatever that might be.

He’s shown that early this season.

And Gilliam’s touchdown was not a flash in the pan. We’ve come to see that since he keeps getting involved, week after week.

Gilliam spoke on both his versatility and game plan involvement with the team’s radio show this past week, One Bills Live. See the YouTube clip above for Gilliam’s interview.

[lawrence-related id=106391,106376,106374]

Secret Superstars for Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar points out the NFL’s great performances by unheralded players in his weekly Secret Superstars team.

There are all kinds of reasons that NFL players are underrated.

Perhaps they’re in systems that don’t best show their skills. Maybe they’re buried on a depth chart. Or, they’re in somebody’s doghouse, and their coaches can’t see their potential. Sometimes, young players haven’t quite put it all together, but there are enough flashes to make you sit up and take notice, and when it does work, it’s all good.

Week 1 of the 2022 regular season features players at every position who showed up and showed out despite their underrated statuses, and here at Touchdown Wire, it’s our job to point them out.

Here are the Secret Superstars for Week 2 of the 2022 NFL season.