Slow-starting Bills hope to get it going early in Week 8
Despite the Buffalo Bills jumping out to an impressive 5-2 record to start the 2024 NFL season, there has been one thing that they have constantly had to overcome.
We know what you’re thinking. They’ve had to overcome a bunch of injuries. But that is something you can’t control. What you can control, however, is how fast you start games, and the Bills have been starting slow for much of the season.
Through seven weeks, the first-half Bills and second-half Bills have looked like totally different teams. They have a +6 point differential in the first half and a plus-57 point differential in the second half. Although it is mostly the defense struggling out of the gate, the offense has started slowly in games as well.
“In all but maybe one or two games we really haven’t clicked early on,” said quarterback Josh Allen after practice this week. “It’s taken us a couple drives to feel out what the defense is doing and getting into a rhythm. Getting off to a fast start is the utmost important thing going forward.”
On the other side of the ball, opposing teams have scored 95 first-half points against the Bills and just 41 second-half points. The team has allowed just three second-half touchdowns all year.
The adjustments by the defense are paying off later in games, but still, it is taking time to settle in.
“Once you get settled in and get that feeling, it just starts to be in flow mode,” said defensive end A.J. Epenesa via WKBW-TV. “We definitely have the capability of hitting that sooner, it’s just a matter of being disciplined.”
Head coach Sean McDermott, even with the great start to the year, knows there is always room to improve.
“There’s always something to work on, even when you’re winning,” he said. “We gotta get back to the process… make sure we’re dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s and ready to execute.”
The Bills will need to be mindful of how they start the game in Week 8. The Seattle Seahawks (4-3) have the type of pass-heavy offense and crowd environment that can run you out of the building if you can’t get it going quickly enough. The Bills face a difficult task on the road.
What would really help the Bills is a fast start that helps take the air out of the crowd early on at Lumen Field.
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