Two Bills Drive

‘“I used to do that, but I try to stay away from that now,” Bills linebackers coach Al Holcomb said with a laugh Friday, asked about whether he ever ribs Thompson about his baseball career. “I don’t want him to put his hands on me and get physical with me. I’m a little bit older at this point. I might crumble if he gets too close to me. So, I try to stay away from that, but he knows I know all the dark secrets, and I do give him a hard time, just as he gives me a hard time.”‘

‘The Bills have 44 penalties this season for 351 yards. McDermott has certain penalties that especially irk him. “The line of scrimmage penalties are 100% within our control and those are not negotiable, McDermott said. “And then the holding penalties are, again, technique in this case and controlling what we can control.” But the Bills are making those corrections. “That’s been addressed, it’s been looked at,” McDermott said. “The spotlight has been shined on that area in particular. And we have to be better because it’s impacting offensive drives, it’s impacting defensive drives as well. So it’s hard to win when you’re actually hurting yourself without the offense or the opponent even doing anything.”’

‘Carolina ranks fourth in rushing EPA, third in rushing yards per game (140.1) and eighth in yards per carry (4.7), according to Next Gen Stats. The Panthers’ 23 rushes of 10-plus yards are more than all but seven NFL teams. They aren’t going to use one back, either. Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard are expected to split carries for the second week in a row. Dowdle’s 551 rushing yards are third most in the NFL. He ran for 389 yards in wins over the Dolphins and Cowboys. 0Hubbard rushed for 1,195 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. The Panthers are fifth in ESPN’s run block win rate metric, but how will their offense look without a mobile quarterback? Andy Dalton isn’t a threat to run like Bryce Young.’

‘Who would have thought this Week 8 game in Carolina would mean so much to the bills? the opponent isn’t a pushover, either. the Panthers have won three games in a row, and their rushing attack has been one of the NFL’s best. the bye week wasn’t enough time for the coaching staff to fix all that’s ailed the defense, but the bills will be well-prepared for this game. they’ll tackle better and, on offense, Allen will use short and intermediate passes to pick apart the Panthers. this won’t be the blowout some projected when the schedule was released. However, it will be a much-needed win for a team that needs an infusion of confidence.’

‘Whether it’s lamenting being “too cute” or getting right to the point about those failed plays, McDermott’s frustration has been readily apparent the past couple games when it comes to those plays in particular and just how generally hard everything has looked for the offense. I’m willing to bet Brady put in some long days over the bye week searching for some answers. We’ll find out starting against Carolina how many he was able to unearth.’

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