Archives for September 13, 2017

'The Oakland Raiders had placed Jenkins on their injured-reserve list on Sept. 2, when they trimmed their roster to 53, and released him two days later via an injury settlement.'

'That leaves the Bills with only two players on IR: receiver Jeremy Butler and tight end Keith Towbridge.'

'Rick Dennison, Taylor's third coordinator since he became the Bills' starter in 2015, finally incorporated some moving-pocket plays Sunday. Not coincidentally, it happened after Taylor spoke with Dennison on the sideline about taking advantage of some opportunities the quarterback saw with the way the Jets' defensive ends were concentrating on containment.'

'McCoy looked explosive against a stingy run defense to begin his 2017 campaign. He'll face another good one in Week Two, as the Bills ground attack will square off against the Carolina Panthers defense, a group that allowed 3.4 yards per carry against the 49ers to begin the season.'

'The list includes six former Bills players: linebackers Cornelius Bennett (1987-1995) and Darryl Talley (1983-1994), center Kent Hull (1986-1996), offensive guard Ruben Brown (1995-2003), special-teams ace Steve Tasker (1986-1997), and wide receiver Terrell Owens (2009).'

'He was pretty bad at the start of the game but had improved marginally by halftime, when I went to bed.'

'Her song and video, "The Bills are Alive,’’ has collected more than 3,500 YouTube views since being posted last Saturday and is gaining steam following the team’s 21-12 Week 1 victory over the New York Jets.'

'Buffalo also added Malachi Dupre to their practice squad on Tuesday. The wide receiver was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the seventh round of the 2017 draft by the Green Bay Packers. Buffalo released undrafted free agent Daikiel Shorts from the practice squad to make room for Dupre.'

'Richie Incognito was named at left guard after earning an 89.3 grade. One reason the left guard was named to PFF's team of the week was due to his pass blocking. Incognito did not allow one pressure in Week 1.'

'The Panthers' star linebacker missed the final six games of the 2016 season, but didn't miss a beat in Week 1. Kuechly recorded seven total tackles and one interception against the 49ers. Kuechly may be the best linebacker Buffalo sees all season.'

'Former Buffalo Bills head coach Rex Ryan made his debut on Monday Night Football. The results? Not so good according to most people on Twitter. Here are some of the best reactions to Ryan's Monday Night Football debut.'

'Offensive line. The Bills' offensive line needs some work. They had some good moments Sunday, but there were times when the line couldn't open holes for McCoy or adequately protect Taylor. They weren't terrible, but they need to be more consistent.'

'Jenkins enters his fifth season after being selected by Miami in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. He joins a thin linebacker group consisting of three rookie backups, including Tanner Vallejo, who is sidelined by a knee injury.'

'A fourth-round pick of the Dolphins in 2013, Jenkins started 34 games for Miami from 2014-16. He signed with the Oakland Raiders in March but was placed on injured reserve earlier this month. Jenkins later received an injury settlement.'

'Jenkins racked up 110 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles for the Dolphins in 2014. He’s started 34 games over the past three years, all with Miami. He’s considered a good athlete with ability to cover backs and tight ends and go sideline-sideline against the run. Nine of Panthers’ QB Cam Newton’s fourteen completions last week were to running backs or tight ends. Jenkins has also been a consistent contributor on special teams throughout his career.'

'Although the move down to only eight defensive backs is a bit perplexing, given their overall lack of depth at both cornerback and safety, this is a solid in-season pickup for the Bills. There are many reasons to like the signing, without expecting too much from Jenkins as he’s just starting off with the Bills.'

'As for Kyle Williams, he just keeps getting older and things just seem to stay the same. Heading into the matchup, the Buffalo Bills had a tremendous advantage with their defensive line against the Jets offensive line, and once the game got to the second half, Williams took over. He was consistently pushing the pocket back, fighting through double teams, and creating negative plays by the Jets because of his individual efforts. It truly is amazing that he’s able to continue this high of a level of play at this point in his career, but he’s done it through the first week of the season.'

'Yates, who was signed by the Bills to be the backup to Tyrod Taylor, suffered his head injury in the team’s third preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman, who was drafted in the fifth round, passed Yates on the depth chart and has been the No. 2 quarterback since mid August.'

The Bills may not end up winning many games this year – I see 4 or 5 wins as a distinct possibility – so I really need to enjoy games like Sunday’s. I’m going to enjoy watching Shady run for over 100 yards and how slippery he is when he goes for 20+. I’m going to enjoy watching a young secondary deny the ball or make a play to intercept it.

'Throughout the preseason, the Bills emphasized run defense, and to great effectiveness. For what it’s worth, the Bills defense apparently didn’t lose a step entering the regular season. While it’s only the Jets, Buffalo held New York to just 38 yards on 15 carries. New York’s 2.5 yards per carry average, again admittedly a small sample size, would easily have paced the NFL last season. The Bills tied for second-best in terms of yards allowed per carry in the preseason.'

'Jenkins brings some experienced depth to Buffalo’s linebacking corps. To make room for him on the roster the Bills released CB Greg Mabin.'

'Sunday’s game against the New York Jets was a college reunion for several Bills players, including defensive end Shaq Lawson. Taking the field against his former Clemson teammate wide receiver Charone Peake, Lawson enjoyed seeing a member of the Tiger family. Following the game, the two exchanged jerseys and took a photo.'

'Humber was all over the field Sunday, and it's clear he has a firm grasp on the Will LB position. But I look for Preston Brown to lead the team in tackles when it's all said and done. I expect most Bills opponents will strike a better run/pass balance than the Jets did last Sunday (39 pass attempts, only 15 runs). If that's the case, look for Brown, the man in the middle, to rack up most of the tackle stats.'

'McCown steps up in the pocket to escape the rush and completes a short underneath pass to Robby Anderson. Before Anderson can turn up field Kyle Williams is on his back making the tackle and holding the receiver to just a four-yard gain.'

'“Yeah, I’m happy with the way he played,” said Dennison. “I think he did a good job of doing what he needed to win the game. He moved when he had to move, got the ball where it needed to go, and threw the ball away four times when he needed to. That’s a part of being a quarterback, not worrying about completions.”'