Olean Times Herald

‘“We didn’t do a good enough job of stopping the run when we had to (Buffalo ran for 144 yards on 43 carries),” Vrabel, the former Patriots linebacker, added. “So it’s no secret why you lose. If you don’t play good in this league every week you’re going to lose.”’

‘BUT, OVER the years, the Bills have lost dozens of games via mistakes and/or bad fortune, and this time they parlayed the breaks into a victory over a team that was 3-1 and coming in off an overtime victory against the Super Bowl champion Eagles only a week earlier.’

‘The touchdown the Bills scored after the takeaway was the first points the Titans had surrendered in the opening period this season.’

‘To be sure, this isn’t the cliched “must win” for the Bills as it’s already clear this season is headed nowhere. But a strong performance would be helpful to general manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott who, despite last year’s totally unexpected playoff berth, have become increasingly scrutinized by the fan base as Buffalo has stumbled out of the gate and next faces road tests in Houston and Indianapolis followed by home meetings with New England (3-2) and Chicago (3-1).’

‘Off to a 1-3 start, Buffalo has been dominated by Baltimore and Green Bay on the road and for a half in a home loss to the Chargers, being outscored 100-23 in those three defeats. On the season, the Bills are last in the 32-team NFL in per-game passing yardage (133) and third-down conversions (24 percent) and 31st in average points scored (12.5) and yards gained (221).’

‘Benjamin, last season’s trade acquisition from Carolina, has been just as bad. In four games he’s been targeted 21 times with a mere seven catches for 92 yards. Is two receptions for 23 yards per game what general manager Brandon Beane and McDermott are seeking from their supposed No. 1 wide receiver, who seems to have already lost interest?’

‘“That’s where it starts (and) goes right down through fundamentals and techniques, winning one-on-ones, guys doing their job, establishing a line of scrimmage, if you want to be a good offense.”’

‘Allen is a first-year player manning the most demanding and responsible position in pro football. Uneven performances are to be expected from rookie QBs, whether they’re picked in the first round or the seventh. That he got a split in the toughest two-game stretch of Buffalo’s schedule was an unexpected bonus.’

‘But it’s worth wondering which Buffalo team is the real one … the Bills of this season’s first six quarters or the past half-dozen.’

‘“For myself, I just have to get going. I have to find a way to run the ball, get out into open space, make some guys miss, break some tackles, and just get going like normal football. It’s just urgency to get out there, get the running game going, get the yards up. We just have to win games and we’ll be fine.”’

‘“We’re getting a better feel for who we are, understanding our players,” McDermott said. “I’ve seen progress in the past six quarters compared to the first six. The players worked hard, the coaches have worked hard. Communication has been a big part of that, but there’s still a lot of work to do, and we’re still early in the season. We just have to continue to go through that process and get on the same page, and put the players in positions to be successful, then playing fast and disciplined and executing.”’

‘As Buffalo took a 27-0 lead less than 24 minutes into the game, it had, at intermission, a 245-46 edge in offensive yardage. Cousins was sacked four times and fumbled on three occasions, losing two. Those 46 yards in the first two quarters were the fewest the Bills have surrendered for a half in 14 years. It took a 4-yard Cousins to tight end Kyle Rudolph touchdown toss, with three minutes to play, to keep the Vikings from being shut out for the first time since 1962.’

‘All manner of national media, besides claiming the Bills are the NFL’s worst team, also maintained that general manager Brandon Beane made a huge mistake by trading up twice to draft Allen, who showed accuracy problems while playing at Wyoming from a sub-Power 5 conference. However, the last six quarters, Allen has played impressively, going 23-of-36 passing for 315 yards with two touchdown passes, two interceptions and a passer rating in the high 80s.’

‘Nationally, the Bills are perceived as in disarray.’

‘“No one can predict the future, I don’t have a crystal ball,” McDermott said. “Part of leading a football team is managing what could become distractions, and they come from all different areas. We’ve talked about this before.”’