Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
A lot to like about the #Bills defense in 2021:
The 2021 NFL season is almost done and dusted with Super Bowl 56 just around the corner. The Buffalo Bills won’t take part, but it was a profitable season for the team nonetheless, particularly defensively.
With that, here’s how Bills Wire graded the team’s defense in 2021:
(Click here to check out our final grades for the Bills offense in 2021).
Some love for Tre:
The Buffalo Bills defense had a touching tribute to a fallen member of their unit following their season finale.
Typically after each game, safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer are amongst players that speak at press conferences. Following their team’s 27-10 win over the New York Jets, the duo decided to bring every member of the secondary with them.
In person, cornerbacks Levi Wallace, Taron Johnson and Dane Jackson also came to the podium on Sunday. But Tre’Davious White wasn’t forgotten.
When the entire crew came out of the locker room to speak together, Hyde carried a White jersey. He placed it on the podium in front of them to make sure White felt included in the end of season conversion:
All of the #Bills DBs come out for their postgame press conference bringing out a Tre White jersey. They said they just got off FaceTime with him. pic.twitter.com/4F8DXgJznY
— Heather Prusak (@haprusak) January 10, 2022
Bills safety Jordan Poyer explained that it was a symbolic gesture. Not only did his uniform make an appearance in front of the cameras, in the locker room, they video called him.
“We just got off FaceTime with Tre’Davious White. We wish he was here with us, but I know he’s going to bounce back,” Poyer said via video conference. “He’s excited for everyone.”
Poyer went on to make a touching mention.
“I think it shows the love we have for each other,” Poyer said. “This is the closest group of… these guys are my best friends right here.”
Hyde added, “it’s a blessing to be part of this defense.”
White was originally injured against the New Orleans Saints on Thanksgiving. The nature of the injury was a non-contact one so many assumed White suffered a serious injury which ended up being the case, it was a season-ending ACL tear.
Since that outing, Buffalo has not faced the toughest of playmakers. The outlier is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who did put up points, but as the Bills locker room often reminds us: the guys on the other sideline get paid, too.
Every opponent the Bills have faced without White has had talent and Buffalo’s secondary has held well.
White will clearly be welcomed back in 2022, but the Bills defense has pulled together in an inspiring manner in recent weeks.
[lawrence-related id=94935,94973,94966]
Not cool, Gronk:
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbw1j59gmjw5gdj player_id=none image=https://billswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
Rob Gronkowski is doing himself no favors in his hometown.
Gronkowski, currently a member of the Buccaneers and longtime Patriots player, made some controversial comments this week regarding his Pats past.
While with the Patriots, Gronkowski gave Bills fans many reasons to dislike him. Most were performance based. The worst was Tre’Davious White related.
In 2017, Gronkowski hit the defensive back while he was on the ground during a game in Orchard Park. It was a play many easily described as dirty.
This week, the tight end explained why he was “happy” about eventually being suspended for it.
During the ESPN Tom Brady documentary “Man in the Arena” which is about the quarterback’s career, the hit was brought up while reflecting upon the 2017 season. Gronk did not sound upset about it… because he wasn’t.
Gronkowski said he missed out on some pay, but due to physical and mental stress, he was happy he got to take a weekend off.
“I was happy,” Gronkowski said of learning about his suspension per Patriots Wire. “I was finally happy. I was like, ‘Yes, I’m away from football for a week. I get to recover my body.’ I mean, when you’re running full speed into people, it definitely was taking a toll on me.
” … I lost a paycheck — it was about $300,000, that game check — and I didn’t even care one bit. I was just glad I had a week off from football, because I needed it.”
At the time of the suspension, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single person in Orchard Park fine with what happened. It put a really bad stain on Gronkowski’s relationship with football fans in Buffalo, where he grew up.
Among those mad was White himself.
“Man, that’s a joke,” White said in 2017 about the suspension. “I don’t know what to say on that. I’m laying there . . . My back turned. I could have broken my neck. I mean, I’ve got a son to raise. All that. People aren’t thinking about that when they react.”
On the play, White had just intercepted Brady and he makes extremely worthwhile points about why was upset about it. In the moment, Gronkowski was not ejected from the game.
Fans were upset about safety reasons, of course.
But White is a beloved player and Gronk’s latest comments will only fuel distain for him in western New York.
Follow the Bills Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
[lawrence-related id=94709,94706,94679]
What history shows #Bills need to do to beat Tom Brady on Sunday:
Uh oh, Tom Brady is back.
The creator of many Buffalo nightmares is back on the same field as the Bills this Sunday when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In his career, Brady is 32-3 against Buffalo and hasn’t lost a game he’s played in fully since 2011. Before that, it still took the Bills eight years to beat Brady more than once. Their lone wins came Week 1 in 2003 and Week 3 of 2011. Buffalo beat a Brady team 17-9 in Week 17 in 2014 but Brady didn’t play the entire game.
So, what needs to happen for the Bills to beat Tom Brady?
Three options: Injury, suspension, or picking off four passes.
The Athletic in Tampa highlighted this week that in two of those three losses Brady had against Buffalo, he was intercepted four times:
What does it take for Tom Brady to lose to the Bills? His two career losses to Buffalo where he played a full game, he threw four interceptions in each, matching his career high. 2003 opener was a 31-0 Bills win, maybe his worst game, 0 TD, 4 INT, 123 yards.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) December 7, 2021
It’s true in the two games, Tom Brady has played fully against the Bills and lost he’s thrown four interceptions.
The 2003 opener and the 2011 game where the Bills won, 34-31, as Brady went 30-of-45 passing with 387 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions.
Buffalo’s most recent win against a Brady-quarterbacked Patriots team was Weel 4 of 2016 … when he was suspended.
Now that the bad man is gone, the Bills have won two of the last three matchups against New England, or the same amount from 2012-2020.
It’s going to be a lot tougher to intercept Brady four times without Tre’Davious White on the field but the current secondary should be well rested after a game where Mac Jones only threw three passes.
[lawrence-related id=92999,92921,92991]
#Bills vs. #Patriots: 3 keys to a Buffalo win:
The Bills are coming off a good bounce-back win in New Orleans against the Saints and preparing to begin the remaining six games of the season with the playoffs in focus.
Standing in their way will be the New England Patriots, who are coming off a big victory of their own against one of the AFC’s top clubs in Tennessee, and have been on a winning streak as of late.
Buffalo is gearing up to host the first of two remaining scheduled matchups against their division rival in this week’s nationally televised Monday Night Football broadcast.
With the Patriots in first place in the AFC East, those games will have more at stake as the division crown and a guaranteed playoff spot are on the line.
With that, here are three keys to a win for the Bills (7-4) against the Pats (8-4):
#Bills CB Dane Jackson: ‘It’s a huge opportunity’
Buffalo Bills CB Dane Jackson spent most of his rookie season on the practice squad though he shined when he had opportunities in limited gameplay in 2020 after being drafted in the seventh round out of Pitt.
He has continued to see more field time in his second season and will start on Monday in the absence of star corner Tre’Davious White.
“Oh, it’s a huge opportunity,” Jackson said to the media on Friday. “I’ve been telling myself since it happened, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. This is what I’ve been dreaming of. This is what I’ve been working for. Obviously, I didn’t want it to happen the way it happened, but this is my once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I’m ready to take advantage of it.”
Jackson has been very conscious and aware of his role during his time in Buffalo, as well as the importance of preparing for moments like this one.
“I’m a backup, so ultimately, I have to prepare like a starter because you never know what’s going to happen here or there,” he added. “There’s nothing changing in my routine, I just keep getting more confidence from the guys that’s been out there all season. I just roll with the punches.”
Jackson, who has had some experience filling in for White, will play the short field-side opposite Levi Wallace who will cover the wide side. Jackson’s background with zone and man-to-man coverage will come in handy as he’s able to adjust as needed similar to White.
He also voiced his support for fellow starter Wallace, saying “if something bad happens he’ll be right there to pick me up and I’ll do the same.”
In many ways, Jackson’s experiences both on and off the field throughout his young life have molded the work ethic and toughness he’s become known for.
“My first four years of college or starting my senior year of high school I lost four of my closest friends you know back to back to back to back. And at some point, some people may want to give up but that just made me push harder and made me want to see myself succeed even more. So I use that as fuel to the fire,” Jackson shared.
“You just have to be strong-minded. Growing up I faced a lot of adversity so this is nothing different. You just have to be strong-minded and deal with anything that comes your way. As a backup, you don’t know if you’ll play one play or 99 plays so you just have to be ready at any moment.”
It’s that preparatory mindset and readiness mentality that has caught the eye of his teammates like Bills safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer.
“We love Dane, just what he’s been able to do the last couple of years, coming here and working every day,” Hyde said during Friday’s press session. “Whenever his number is called, he goes to work. And we have a saying around here, work while you wait. While you’re waiting to get in the game, you’re putting in the time, the film work, the film study, the fieldwork, all that type of stuff. So, Dane’s been a part of that process. And he understands that he has to step in.”
He continued to share expectations and Jackson’s role with the team.
“Dane’s been a part of that process and he understands that he has to step in. We’re not asking him to be Tre’Davious White by any means, we’re not asking him to be All-Pro and shut down every single receiver and follow the best receivers and do all that type of stuff. We’re just asking him to do his job and everybody else on the defensive side step up your role up a little bit more,”
Hyde’s fellow safety, Poyer echoed a similar sentiment in complimenting Jackson as a teammate ahead of Monday’s Nationally televised matchup with the division-rival Patriots.
“I mean he knows the system,” Poyer said during his media session. “He trusts the guys around him. We tell him all the time, he’s not out there alone. He doesn’t gotta do anything other than be Dane Jackson. He’s got his teammates around him. … We’ve got all the faith in the world in Dane. He’s come in and he’s made a lot of plays.”
While Jackson’s received these votes of confidence from his coaches as well, he’s also had some additional support in his game preparations. From his Mother, that is.
“She’s been texting me every day but it’s not like other people texting me like ‘you ready, you ready?’ She’s just making sure I’m good, making sure my mind’s right, making sure my body’s right and she just tells me like just make sure you’re good like don’t worry about what other people say you know we got a big job to do come Monday night so just block out all of the noise and be ready.”
Follow the Bills Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
[lawrence-related id=92655,92651,92646]
#Bills’ Stefon Diggs: ‘We want to play for Tre White’
The Buffalo Bills have expressed a few things since the Tre’Davious White news.
White, the Bills’ All-Pro cornerback who went down with a season-ending knee injury prior to his team facing the New England Patriots this week, is a huge loss. However, the Bills (7-4) have confidence in his replacement, Dane Jackson.
“That’s a tough one, man. It’s hard to replace a guy like Tre’Davious White. As a teammate and as a friend, you hate to see that happen,” safety Jordan Poyer said via video conference.
However, it’s not as if the Bills will be forgetting all about him.
Actually, it’s the opposite.
Following White’s injury vs. the New Orleans Saints and Buffalo’s upcoming meeting with the Patriots (8-4), some teammates have expressed playing with White in mind.
One was wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
“We want to play for T White,” Diggs said.
For more from Diggs on White, check out the clip below from Diggs’ presser on Wednesday via Spectrum News:
"We want to play for T-White."
Stefon Diggs explains how the loss of the #Bills top CB has resonated throughout the team.
"We're going to have to get one for him." pic.twitter.com/7iVG3dduSI
— Jon Scott (@JonScottTV) December 2, 2021
[lawrence-related id=92510,92544,92574]
#Bills’ Tre’Davious White on donations in his honor: ‘I am at a loss for words’
Buffalo Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White is extremely grateful for the donations his fans made in his honor.
After White went down with injury for the rest of the 2021 NFL season, the Bills faithful sent money to the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana.
Some donations were made in $27 increments to further honor the defender.
Since news broke that the donation totals have jumped over $100,000, White has responded. He’s over the moon with the way fans have treated his hometown community.
“I am at a loss for words for what the Bills Mafia has done for me and my hometown,” White said in a press release. “It truly means the world to me to have my fans support me in this way, by giving back to my community.”
The generosity of #BillsMafia is unmatched. ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/wv9aUC6ZW7
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 3, 2021
According to the Bills’ website, the Food Bank of NW Louisiana is the largest distributor of donated foods in seven parishes and donated over 15 million pounds of food to individuals in 2020.
Bills Mafia has expended another great cause with their generosity.
[lawrence-related id=92510,92544,92636]
#Bills vs. #Patriots: 8 things to watch for during Week 13’s game:
The Buffalo Bills will look to regain some ground in their Week 13 game. The Bills (7-4) host the New England Patriots (8-4) following a 31-6 rout of the New Orleans Saints.
Once this Monday battle nears, there will a few particular things to keep in mind.
With that, here are seven things to watch for during Week 13’s Bills-Patriots matchup:
Sean McDermott ‘confident’ Tre White will bounce back, #Bills know he can’t be replaced:
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbw1j59gmjw5gdj player_id=none image=https://billswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]
The Buffalo Bills lost one of their star players during last week’s Thanksgiving Thursday win over the New Orleans Saints.
Cornerback and all-around NFL standout talent Tre’Davious White came down at an awkward angle while making a defensive play in coverage in front of his home-state crowd, and left the game for medical evaluation.
As results of those evaluations came in over the past week, so did the news that White had a torn ACL that would keep him out the rest of the season.
The Bills pass defense ranks No. 2 in the league as they enter into Week 13, they are also No. 2 in scoring and the top defense in yards allowed.
White has played a key role in making that possible.
“He’s a match-up guy. It’s hard to find those guys in our league,” defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said to the media this week. “But he’s allowed us to do some things on defense because of his ability to eliminate other people’s number one receiver. So there’s some big shoes to fill.”
White plays the short side of the field across from CB Levi Wallace who plays on the wide side. While the Bills play a lot of zone coverage, he will at times be tasked with key matchups and assigned to follow the opposing teams’ top receiver one-on-one.
When asked if there’s any way to quantify the loss of Tre White, the DC’s response was simply, “Yeah, I don’t know if there is.”
The ability the star CB has to contain those top receivers has been a big part of the Bills success on the defensive side of the ball.
In fact, when targeted he allows the fourth-lowest passer rating in the league among all CBs with 25 or more targets. He’s been a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro each of the last two seasons and has not allowed a single touchdown pass this year.
As great as he has been on the field, it’s who is off it that has amplified the impact losing him to injury has had.
“It was emotional for our players and coaches because Tre is just a great, great individual, not just a terrifically talent and football player, but he’s a tremendous person as well,” Frazier added. “It was definitely emotional, when I saw him, when other guys saw him as well. We wanted to encourage him and just lift him up and let him know that we’re going to be there to support him through this process.”
While the loss of White is a blow to the team, head coach Sean McDermott is confident in the young CB’s ability to fully recover.
“I’m confident that Tre will return to form,” McDermott said during his mid week press session. “And he’s going to get through this time and space in his life and his career, and look back on it one day and say what he learned from it.”
[lawrence-related id=92616,92451,92547]
