‘Round 2 is much more than an early season NFL game. It’s much more than a measuring stick after an offseason of questions about whether the Bills had closed the gap. Everyone, including the Bills, know the Bills are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. But a victory against the Chiefs on Sunday could help ensure the road to Super Bowl LVI winds through Western New York.’
Archives for October 4, 2021
Observations: Tremaine Edmunds, Ed Oliver live up to draft status in Bills’ rout of Texans
‘“Defense feelin’ good,” Oliver said in his postgame news conference. “Second shutout. I think we held them to 97 yards, something like that, so our coach got us in. We’ve got to protect our reputation every week, so basically that’s what we did. Went out there, and we ain’t overlooking nobody. We had to protect our reputation.”’
‘We could have scored a lot more points’: Even in blowout, Bills offense looking to improve
‘A stretch of having to settle for field goals might be where they start. While the Bills were able to steadily put up points, they were not points of the touchdown variety through the middle of the game. Kicker Tyler Bass’ four field goals were all from 33 yards or less.’
Plays that shaped the game: Texans defense had no answer for Josh Allen’s athletic plays
‘“I thought Josh coming off that first play showed tremendous poise,” Morse said. “I think that’s what you want in the leaders of this team. He came out with tremendous poise understanding what needed to be done after that and took us along with him to some great football. A lot of kudos to Josh. That was one of his tremendous plays and kind of sparked some good drives.”’
Bills Q&A: Give Sean McDermott credit for Bills’ week-to-week focus
‘No doubt, the Bills could have beaten the Texans even if Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs stayed home and played Yahtzee.’
Quarter by quarter: Texans show their cards early against Bills
‘The beginning of the game was messy for both teams. Bills quarterback Josh Allen threw an interception on his first play of the game. He was looking for wide receiver Stefon Diggs, but Lonnie Johnson Jr. got the pick and ran it back 32 yards.’
Report Card: Well-deserved straight As for Bills after blowout win over Texans
‘Loved the call to go for it on fourth-and-1 in the first quarter. It worked when Allen scampered for 16 yards. Watching how easy that was makes you wonder why the struggles in short yardage seem to be otherwise so pronounced.’
Bills tight end Dawson Knox’s ‘Knox Sox’ to benefit pediatric cancer patients
‘Knox is donating $1,000 for each touchdown, and $100 for each catch. He finished Sunday with five catches, two of them touchdowns to give him a career-high four so far.’
Instant reactions: Bills offense had early red zone issues, but dominant defense ruled the day
‘Had the Bills been playing most other teams in the league, this wouldn’t have been nearly as one-sided as it wound up being in what was largely a classic play down to the level of the competition kind of day.’
Maiorana: Bills are annihilating lesser opponents but must beat Chiefs to be AFC favorite
‘Yes, it’s the biggest game because it’s the next one. But it’s also the biggest game because it’s the biggest game. This Chiefs team had its way with the Bills twice in 2020, one here and one there, and the one there was painful, a 38-24 wipeout in the AFC Championship Game.’
Bills report card: Buffalo continues to pummel opposing QBs, Patrick Mahomes is next test
‘After a week when he was almost flawless, Josh Allen looked a little more like the Week 1 and Week 2 version of himself. In the end the numbers looked fine – 20 of 29 for 248 yards, two TDs and a pick – but there were some struggles, especially in the red zone when the Bills failed to score a TD on their first four trips.’
Bills hand Texans their worst-ever loss
‘We’ll probably never know for sure, but what’s certain is that Culley inherited a mess. Deshaun Watson, one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks, is on the roster, but won’t play a game unless the charges of sexual abuse by 22 women, are worked out.’
Pollock: Bills must learn to turn those FGs into TDs
‘Both the Chiefs and Titans aren’t off to the best of starts, but Buffalo fans need only to think back to last season to realize the next two games are potential pitfalls.’
Bills’ points, shutouts tie team records
‘Buffalo’s 40-point output was only the second time in franchise history that total had been reached in consecutive games — it scored 43 against Washington last week — joining the 1990 Super Bowl team, which scored 42 and 45 points in back-to-back games.’
Bills post 2nd shutout in 4 games, win big against the Texans (8 observations)
‘Things went so good for the Bills that backup Mitchell Trubisky closed out the game with a four-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Buffalo had 26 first downs to just four for the Texans, and overcame a poor start in the red zone (0/4 to start) to score in the red area on their final three trips.’
Buffalo Bills serve Texans 40-burger, depth steps up on both sides of ball (9 reasons to be encouraged, 2 reasons to worry)
‘Buffalo’s defense has been outstanding this season, but the unit will have their struggles in their AFC Championship Game rematch if Milano cannot go next week against the Chiefs.’
Dawson Knox scores two TDs in win, gets trolled by Bills social media team
‘In addition to starring on the field, Knox put together a star-worthy performance after an incomplete pass to Stefon Diggs that saw him flop after getting pushed by Texans safety Lonnie Johnson. Knox’s dramatic fall, which you can see below, drew a 15-yard penalty on the Texans. It also drew the attention of the Bills’ social media team who called him out for his socceresque flop.’
Buffalo Bills defense reminds Emmanuel Sanders of his past Super Bowl teams
‘“I’m so impressed by the defense,” Sander said. “I’ve been on three Super Bowl teams, and every team that I’ve played on, defense was the ultimate factor. Defense wins championships, we all understand that.”’
Bills stifles Texans in rout; defense earns A+ (Week 4 report card)
‘A rotation at running back did not sound ideal, but give the Bills credit. It’s working through four weeks. Against the Texans, Devin Singletary led the Bills in rushing yards (79) on 14 carries. His 5.6 yard per carry average would have been even better had a 40-plus yard run not been called back on a holding penalty.’
LeBron James says Bills’ Josh Allen a beast
‘Consider it greatness recognizing greatness.’
Five takeaways: Bills pitch second shutout in first four games as they stifle Texans en route to third straight win
‘Offensively, Buffalo was not at the top of its game early on, settling for three first-half field goals from kicker Tyler Bass (33, 26, 21) and another to begin the third quarter (28). But quarterback Josh Allen and company found their groove as the game progressed, and Allen wound up finishing the win with a reasonable 248 passing yards to go with a couple of touchdowns against one interception. The Buffalo running game was impressive, totaling 199 rushing yards on 38 total carries led by 14 totes apiece from running backs Zack Moss and Devin Singletary. Moss finished with 61 yards and a touchdown while Singletary recorded a team-high 79 rushing yards in the win. Allen added six carries for 41 yards.’
Sullivan: Bills’ D dominant again ahead of prime time rematch with Chiefs
‘Protect their reputation? The defensive players acted as if they protecting the national nuclear codes. You’d have thought the Texans were threatening to march into their homes, kidnap the women and children and make off with the family jewels.’
Buffalo Bills Week 4 Report Card: Josh Allen, Bills wallop Texans 40-0
‘Offense: Dawson Knox. It’s easy to forget the offseason when there was chatter the Bills would either draft a tight end or trade for one (Zach Ertz, anyone?). Knox has been a great story. With a great receiving corps, it gives Knox opportunities to expose weaknesses in opposing defenses. He had five catches for 37 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. He doesn’t need to put up huge numbers. As long as he makes plays when called upon, it gives the Bills’ offense another weapon.’
Monday’s Houston Coverage
Bills hand hapless Texans most lopsided loss in franchise history (Houston Chronicle)
McClain’s takeaways from Texans’ dreadful loss to Bills (Houston Chronicle)
Inside Texans’ struggles on offense vs. Bills: It was more than just Davis Mills (Houston Chronicle)
Texans mix up secondary in attempt to shut down Bills QB Josh Allen (Houston Chronicle)
McClain: Texans’ loss to Bills an embarrassment for the ages (Houston Chronicle)
Solomon: Texans’ deplorable state begins with Cal McNair (Houston Chronicle)
Texans say Jonathan Greenard’s chest injury not serious (Houston Chronicle)
David Culley: Texans player/coach illnesses were combo of COVID, stomach virus (Houston Chronicle)
Texans defensive end Jordan Jenkins a healthy scratch again vs. Bills (Houston Chronicle)
Texans turning point: Fourth-down gamble fails (Houston Chronicle)
Bills 40, Texans 0: The good (?), bad and ugly (Houston Chronicle)
John McClain’s Texans vs. Bills report card (Houston Chronicle)
Photo gallery (Houston Chronicle)
NFL Week 4: Bills-Texans — Four Winners, Four Losers (Houston Press)
Texans Shoot Blanks; Embarrassed After 40-0 Loss To Bills (AP)
David Culley: ‘You could put Joe Montana out there today, and the way we played, you’re not going to have any success on offense.’ (KPRC-TV)
Landry Locker’s takeaways from Texans’ embarrassing 40-0 loss to Buffalo Bills (KILT-AM)
Rapid Reactions: Downpours and defeat as Texans fall, 40-0, at Buffalo (HoustonTexans.com)
Correcting mistakes, moving on to next game is the focus now for Texans (HoustonTexans.com)
On to New England | Vandermeer’s View (HoustonTexans.com)
Photo gallery 1 (HoustonTexans.com)
Photo gallery 2 (HoustonTexans.com)
Photo gallery 3 (HoustonTexans.com)
Photo gallery 1 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 2 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 3 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 4 (BuffaloBills.com)
Photo gallery 1 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery 2 (Buffalo News)
Photo gallery (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
Column: Bills should win AFC race to top seed, even if Chiefs beat them in Week 5
‘Buffalo’s defense knows how to play. Yes, the schedule has served up three backup quarterbacks. Get used to it. The schedule won’t get much tougher after the trip to Kansas City.’
Bills Force 5 Turnovers, Overwhelm Mills And Texans 40-0
‘The Bills limited Houston to 109 yards of offense — 8 in the first half — and six first downs to post their second shutout in three weeks. Buffalo, which blanked Miami 35-0 on Sept. 19, has two shutouts in a season for the first time since 1990.’
Bills Dominate Texans To Go 3-1
‘Buffalo cruised to a win over the hapless Houston Texans on a rainy Sunday at Highmark Stadium. The weather was a factor, with both teams losing possession of the ball due to the wet conditions. It was the Bills who could capitalize on their opportunities.’
Opinion: Quarter One Reports Are In
‘Remember the Zach Ertz trade that never ended up happening? Well, thank god, huh? Knox has looked like the type of player Bills fans hoped they were getting out of college. Most inside the organization had preached patience and for good reason. He was a walk-on quarterback at Ole Miss and had a dramatically raw skillset, so patience was going to be key to his development.’
Capaccio: ArrowUp/Arrow Down: Texans at Bills
‘The Bills fumbled the ball three times, and not just due to the weather.’
Buffalo Bills beat Houston Texans 40-0 to improve to 3-1 on the season
‘Once again, the Bills defense gets the job done and forces Houston to punt again.’
Bills defense forces 5 turnovers for second shutout in 3 games
‘”You get what you emphasize,” head coach Sean McDermott said after a 40-0 shutout win over Houston. “That leads to some of the takeaways that we’ve gotten. And coach [Leslie] Frazier and the defensive staff, they emphasize that every week.”‘
‘He does everything right throughout the week’, Dawson Knox continues to step up for Bills offense
‘“I’m trying to get better every day. Whether it’s catching, run blocking, pass protection,” he said about his practice regimen. “I don’t think a whole lot has changed. I’m stacking good days on good days at practice and treating every day like a game.”’
Buffalo Bills were paid tens of thousands for graduation ceremonies at Highmark Stadium
‘There was a $5,000 license fee factored into the total cost of graduation at Highmark Stadium.’
Bills hand out second shutout of the season with 40-0 win over Texans
‘Buffalo’s defense was outstanding this afternoon. After holding Houston to a total of eight yards through the first half, they put together a five-takeaway game, four of those coming on interceptions, including the final Davis Mills pick by Tyler Matakevich to end the game.’
Bills ‘farm system’ in their secondary shines in win over Texans
‘Jordan Poyer missed his first game in 60 regular season starts as he was dealing with an ankle injury all week so Jaquan Johnson had to step in. And he made the most of his first NFL start with his first career interception plus two tackles and a pass breakup against Houston.’
Bills TE Dawson Knox off to best start in his NFL career
‘“Lately like the past three or four weeks you just see, even at practice it just clicked for him. He’s a heck of a player and I enjoy watching him play and just watching him practice. You can tell he’s gonna have a big game week in and week out because of the way he goes to work,” Bills wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said.’
4 Observations: Bills blank Texans 40-0
‘Getting through this game healthy was even more important this week with the Chiefs on deck. Linebacker Matt Milano left the game in the 2nd quarter with a hamstring injury and never returned. Head coach Sean McDermott didn’t have an update on the injury following the game. Milano has been a key piece to Bills outstanding defense and is arguably the MVP on that side of the ball. KC tight end Travis Kelce is always a tough matchup so they’ll need Milano to heal up quickly.’
Texans talk about Bills postgame
‘Texans linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill: “That’s one of the most embarrassing losses I’ve ever had, that’s for sure.”’
Dawson Knox gives back to the P.U.N.T. Foundation with “Knox Sox”
‘“These funds are going to help create these custom nonslip socks for pediatric cancer patients all over WNY. Right now, they’re just the generic grey nonslip socks that hospitals give them. So this is gonna be an awesome way to give them something colorful something fun to feel like they have their own as they put them on every day,” said Dawson Knox, Bills tight end.’
Highmark Stadium loses power during Bills-Texans due to car accident, affecting CBS broadcast
‘The CBS studio crew, led by James Brown, offered commentary over the video feed. CBS appeared to be adding in fake crowd noise, similar to what networks did during games with empty stadiums during the pandemic.’