‘The question now becomes just how much McDermott’s trust in an obviously flawed quarterback shakes your faith in his judgement overall.’
BillsBeat - October 15, 2018
Sal's Sticks: Bills at Texans
‘All of that adds up to this team once again being in “quarterback purgatory.” Not in a long-term sense whereas they don’t have someone on the roster they believe is the future franchise QB and are never drafting high enough to get one, but in the short-term sense (they could be in the long-term, too, but it’s just too early for those declarations). They have that guy in Allen (which no one knows how that will turn out and it’s way too early to judge), but right now, he’s just not ready to run the offense and throw the ball accurate enough and consistent enough to put points on the board. It’s clear the coaching staff doesn’t even trust him to do that yet. But they also don’t have anyone else they can turn to who can. That’s why he’s starting in the first place. Maybe Anderson is that guy? But here we go again with the question of whether or not it’s worth inserting the veteran into the staring lineup at the expense of giving Allen valuable time needed on the field.’
Late interceptions spoil Bills chances as Texans hold on for 20-13 win
‘It was slow-go for the Bills offense in the first half, unable to put up any points compared to Houston’s ten. Despite the 10-0 lead, the Bills defense did a great job shutting the Texans down for the most part. Those two scoring drives by Houston came off miscues from the Bills special teams unit.’
Joe B: 7 observations from Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Texans (10/14/18)
‘It has been an awful situation that has not been the precise environment to foster the growth of a young quarterback.’
Heartbreak in Houston - Bills fall to Texans 20-13
‘Entering the game Watson had been hit a league high 52 times. Every time he dropped back, the Bills were seemingly in his face bringing pressure and ultimately sacked Watson seven times.’
Peterman on loss to Texans: "I'm not going to let it define me"
‘”It’s tough. Obviously, I’m not going to let it define me,” he added. “I’ve been saying you put everything you have in this game every week, and you want to come out with a win for your teammates and all the guys in the locker room.It’s tough to lose like this. But, I’m going to learn from it and not let it define me.”‘
Offensive failures doom Bills as Texans strike late to win
‘After the Texans kicked a game-tying field goal during their next drive, the ball was placed in Peterman’s hands with 1:34 remaining and a chance to win the game. On his second play from scrimmage, Peterman attempted a pass toward the sideline. The slow, fluttering attempt landed in the hands of Texans CB Jonathan Joseph, who ran untouched into Buffalo’s endzone for the go-ahead score.’
The Bills had multiple problems in Houston
‘”It came down to communication, respect for the football and then pre-snap penalties. You can’t hurt yourself with pre-snap penalties like we did today,” said Sean McDermott.’
Benjamin says timing why he said no to Allen
‘”That’s just somebody trying to take something and run with and get their name out there,” Benjamin said of the report. “Pregame is the players’ choice to warm up, to get ready for the game.”‘
Bills Decompress: Process grows despite loss
‘McDermott isn’t just getting unlikely contributions from the bottom of the roster, he’s getting unlikely stars from the bottom of the draft. Matt Milano and Taron Johnson were quiet-ish Sunday, but have been big play machines all year and neither were selected before Saturday of draft weekend.’
Game recap: Late score pushes Texans past Bills
‘With less than two minutes remaining in the game, Peterman threw an interception to Jonathan Joseph, who took the ball to the end zone for the winning score (20-13).’
Top 3 things we learned from Bills-Texans
‘“I thought overall defensively we did some good things. We sacked him seven times,” said head coach Sean McDermott. “Other than the last drive, they struggled to have some offense. That’s a good offense, coach O’Brien give him credit. But overall, I thought we did some good things defensively.”’
What they're saying: Bills stronger up front but need to continue to develop to win close games
‘“You saw some players out there today who probably could’ve done some better things. They were young players so we’ve got to develop those players. Some of whom had their hands on the football and we can’t beat ourselves with penalties. We have to learn from it and move forward and continue to develop and you can’t beat yourself.”’
Bills inactives feature no injured players
‘For the first time in a very long time, the Bills inactive list is completely made up of healthy players.’
BillsBeat - October 14, 2018
Bills' Tre'Davious White emerges as shutdown corner amid challenges
‘The Buffalo Bills’ second-year star continues to meet tremendous challenges, both personal and professional, as he begins to emerge as a true shutdown cornerback. And unlike on the field, where one-one-one battles against the NFL’s elite receivers often leave him isolated on the perimeter, he is finding plenty of support from within the Bills’ practice facility.’
Pregame primer: 5 things to watch when Bills visit Texans
‘One of the more memorable plays in recent Bills history is Watt’s pick-six of EJ Manuel during a 2014 game in Houston. That one play basically ended Manuel’s career — he would start four more games his entire career and is currently out of the league. Watt has struggled with injuries since making that play, but he’s healthy now and off to a good start, with 22 tackles, six sacks and an impressive four forced fumbles in five games. As he showed against Manuel, Watt is the rare defensive player who can swing an entire game.’
Bills-Texans Scouting Report: Will run-heavy game plan be back against Houston?
‘The Bills went to a run-heavy game plan last week. That’s a sign they want to take some of the pressure off Allen. Does that continue, or will Sean McDermott ask his quarterback to do more?’
Play to Watch: Jadeveon Clowney blows up the edge
‘”He’s explosive, strong, has all the intangibles,” said Bills fullback Patrick DiMarco, like Clowney a South Carolina alum. “He’s a guy who can wreck a game. I think when he was young in his career, he had an on-off switch. It’s starting to fade away. He’s on go. We have to know where he is.”‘
Inside the Bills: For a grieving family, the Bills provide solace and support
‘“She didn’t know what a baseball, basketball, hockey puck was. She didn’t know any of that, but she knew what a football was. She knew Buffalo and she knew the Bills.”’
One-on-One Coverage: Marcellus Wiley on stealing Bruce Smith’s shoes, Flutie Mania and more Bills memories
‘It was just an amazing experience, a place where football was at its core. Everything seemed to flow with football as the priority, whether it was just going to the bank and cashing your check and having long discussions with the teller about the game and him or her being educated and passionate about it. Grocery stores, anywhere you went in the city, Buffalo Bills was No. 1 and the only show in town, it felt like.’
Marcellus Wiley book excerpt: How what I found in Ted Washington's car inspired me
‘Keep getting better, earn your way, and all this will be yours someday.’
Bills setting aside lease money to plan for possible future stadium
‘Of the public money contributed toward the Bills stadium lease this year, $500,000 was set aside and left “unallocated,” said County Executive Mark Poloncarz. Another $500,000 from contributions is expected to be reserved out of next year’s funds, as well, he said.’
Trade LeSean McCoy? What are the Bills waiting for?
‘The Bills rank fifth in the NFL in terms of snaps played by first- and second-year players. Led by rookie quarterback Josh Allen, the future isn’t now, it’s a couple years (or more) from now.’
Keeping control of Texans stars like Watt, Watson will be critical for Bills
‘Texans 24, Bills 10.’
Bills vs. Texans: How to watch, listen, plus things to know before kickoff
‘The Bills need to run well to win, and they also need to run better. Last week, they had nine yards on their first 11 first-down rushes and finished with only 54 yards on 20 first-down attempts. Also, according to Football Outsiders, the Bills are the worst team in the NFL in terms of second-level yards gained per attempt (yards gained in the 5-10-yard range downfield) at 0.75.’
Watson the key focus for Bills vs. Texans
‘But Watson has been dumped 18 times – he’s thrown 70 more passes than Allen – but the concerning number is that he has been hit over 50 times by pass rushers. That combined with the sacks and his 34 rushes, means the second-year pro has absorbed an average of 21 blows per game … hardly a prescription for longevity.’
Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Texans: Preview, odds, predictions for Week 6
‘Houston Texans 31, Buffalo Bills 14.’
NFL trade rumors: 7 players Buffalo Bills could target at deadline
‘At the trade deadline, Buffalo could target some wide receivers to help Josh Allen’s development or look at some defensive players to address depth. Here’s a look at 7 trade targets for the Bills and one unit that doesn’t get addressed.’
Sunday's Houston Coverage
Texans in the red zone is by no means a comfort zone (Houston Chronicle)
Texans QB Deshaun Watson set to start despite injury (Houston Chronicle)
John McClain’s scouting report: Texans vs. Bills (Houston Chronicle)
Texans vs. Bills: John McClain’s keys to victory (Houston Chronicle)
Texans vs. Bills: Houston Chronicle staff predictions (Houston Chronicle)
Five Frivolous Facts with Fred Davis: Preview Bills vs Texans (KILT-AM)
Bills at Texans: Sal's keys, notes and stats
‘The Bills’ offense has to somehow find a way to block J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney or it’s going to be a long day for them, and maybe specifically quarterback Josh Allen. Watt is back to his dominant self after injuries had slowed him for a couple years. He’s tied for the NFL lead with six sacks (his brother T.J. is one of players he’s tied with), shares the league lead with Khalil Mack with four forced fumbles, and is tied for fourth in tackles for loss with seven. Clowney is second on the Texans with 2.5 sacks and six tackles for loss.’
Joe B: 5 things to watch for in Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Texans (10/14/18)
‘From an on-field perspective, the matchup with the Texans is tilted much more in the opponents’ favor than it was for the Titans against the Bills last week. In most places that the Bills have a great player working for them, the Texans have an answer for that. On the flip side, with the Texans big players, the Bills don’t have as many answers.’
Bills secondary preparing for DeAndre Hopkins
‘”He was spinning off of everybody. That’s the kind of player he is,” the safety said. “Week in and week out, whether it’s receiver or running back, we have a huge challenge ahead of us. This week we have receivers that can do it all and a quarterback that can get out of the pocket and run. If you want to be an NFL player, you have to watch your film and plan accordingly otherwise, you’ll lay an egg.”‘
Top 5 reasons the Bills will bring the heat to Houston Week 6
‘Additionally, with two large Bills Backers Chapters in the area – Bills Backers of Houston and North Houston Bills Backers – you can expect to see Bills fans a plenty at the matchup.’
How Taron Johnson's 'bulldog mentality' is serving him and Bills defense well
‘Through the first five weeks of the 2018 season, Johnson has quietly been one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL. He’s allowed just 12 receptions for 74 yards. Quarterbacks have a completion percentage of just 54.5 percent and a quarterback rating of 57.8 when targeting Johnson. Only 14 starting cornerbacks have allowed less than 12 completions this season.’
Around the NFL: Bills-Texans game predictions
‘In their two victories, the Bills’ defense has made two quality quarterbacks, Kirk Cousins and Marcus Mariota, look bad.’
Bills Today: Bruce Smith: Edmunds is only going to get better
‘While rookie linebacker Tremaine Edmunds hasn’t reached that level of dominance quite yet, he’s certainly on the right track. Edmunds currently leads the team in tackles with 38. Thus far this season, Edmunds is the only player in the NFL who has recorded at least 35 tackles, five pass deflections, and two forced fumbles.’
BillsBeat - October 13, 2018
Bills, Texans both looking for better red zone results
‘The Texans are moving up and down the field just fine through five games. They rank fourth in the NFL in yards gained. But they’re 31st in scoring touchdowns once they get inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and they’re coming off a 1-for-6 red-zone showing in their win against Dallas last week.’
Vic Carucci’s Take Five: Once again, Bills must put it all on the line
‘LeSean McCoy and Chris Ivory were able to get into an early rhythm and gain confidence that paid particularly high dividends on that final, game-winning drive. For the first time this season, the Bills were able to take advantage of the nice complementary thing they have going with McCoy’s outside speed and elusiveness and Ivory’s pure power and violent running up the middle. By the end of the game, the Titans wanted nothing to do with Ivory, who started making some of their defenders look like human bowling pins.’
Texas-sized showdown: Bills corner Tre White vs. Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins
‘What’s remarkable is that the former Clemson Tiger has accumulated these Hall of Fame career-building numbers playing with nearly a dozen different middling quarterbacks: Matt Schaub, Case Keenum, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates, Brandon Weeden, Brock Osweiler and Tom Savage.’
Pollock: Numbers aside, Allen led Bills to late victory
‘Of the way Allen performed with the game on the line, coach Sean McDermott maintained, “There’s quarterbacks out there that have a nice resume already, but haven’t led a team on a drive to win a football game at the end. Josh can say that he’s done that.’