Bills Vs. Dolphins Game Breakdown

As week 3 ends and week 4 starts, the Buffalo Bills were one of the teams to come up with a huge victory on Sunday, this time against the Dolphins. The Bills accomplished the task of squishing the fish, by absolutely destroying them on the road in a complete performance, with a final score of 41-14. It was a huge bounce back game after the Patriots dominated them last week. The game was a solid showing of rookies Karlos Williams and Ronald Darby, along with another great performance by Tyrod Taylor. The Bills also knocked down the penalty totals After 3 weeks, the Bills are 2-1. Let's break down the game.

Offense: The offense on Sunday was explosive, to say the least. Once they charged down the field flawlessly on their first drive, anyone could tell Buffalo meant business. Every player took part in the rout, and everyone played a good game.

Tyrod Taylor had a big day, going 21/29, 277 yards, and tossing up 3 touchdowns without an interception. He demonstrated he could move around in the pocket, and showed he could step up in the pocket, something that was a concern after last week's loss. He also threw a lot more than usual, rushing only 3 times for 12 yards. He proved why he's Buffalo's starting QB, and with 7 TD's and 3 INT's. He's the 1st QB since Jim Kelly in 1991 to have 7 TD's and a 70%+ completion percentage. If Taylor can keep this up, Buffalo will go places.

The running game also had a great game. Karlos Williams led the way with 110 yards on just 12 touches. A banged up McCoy only put up 16 yards on the ground, but put up a 10 yard receiving touchdown early in the first quarter. Percy Harvin also had a few carries for 16 yards. Karlos has been solid, but McCoy may need a week or two to get healthy.

The receivers had a stellar day. Bills star TE, Charles Clay, led the way with 5 receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Harvin was a 3rd down favorite for Tyrod Taylor, getting thrown to 7 times for 66 yards. Hogan, Watkins and Woods also put up 42, 39, and 38 yards with a TD for Hogan. Sammy Watkins is also hurt, and he's most likely going to miss a week or two of action.

Several key offensive players are banged up, including Lesean McCoy and Sammy Watkins. Both are doubtful to play Sunday when they take on the Giants. With Goodwin returning and the emergence of Karlos Williams, that will lessen the blow of those key losses.

Defense: Unlike last Sunday, the Buffalo Bills dominated their opponent. They smothered the Dolphins, giving up only 102 yards on the ground. Tannehill was being harassed all day, being sacked twice and hit 8 times. The rookie, Ronald Darby, had yet another pick, and Preston Brown picked off the Dolphins QB twice, one going for a touchdown. The Bills crushed the Dolphins defensively, which is why I'll keep the defensive analysis short and sweet.

The Bills are a team who is now averaging 33 points per game. They bounced back after a disappointing loss and destroyed the Dolphins. Buffalo now travels home as they prepare to take on the Giants, who are missing top pass rusher Jason Pierre-Paul and WR Victor Cruz. If Buffalo's defense can keep this up, both offensively and defensively, Buffalo should be able to go on a run, facing 3 sub-par teams out of their next 4 games. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!

Five Things To Watch Against The Dolphins

It's time to squish the fish, Buffalo! This week's match-up against the Miami Dolphins is a huge one for the Bills, who need a win to avoid falling 1-2 in the standings, and to falling last in the AFC East after 3 weeks of play. The offense has looked functional, despite some average offensive line play, while the defense has had one dominant week and one extremely mediocre week. This is a huge AFC East showdown, starting at 4:25 on Sunday. Let's take a look at some things to watch.

Tyrod Taylor: Through 2 weeks, he has posted stats of 4 TD's, 3 INT's, 437 passing yards with a completion rate of 75.5%. He's also added 84 yards rushing and a TD on the ground. The glaring issue with that stat line is the 3 INT's that he has thrown, all of which came against the Patriots. He's a player to watch because the coaching staff, as well as the fans, need to see what he can do as he enters his first road game. Taylor has been playing pretty well, but he needs to learn to trust his offensive line more, as well as learning to step up in the pocket, as opposed to running left or right. The 5th year QB took 8 sacks last week, and that's not a good sign. Tyrod needs to make quicker decisions as well as maintaining solid pocket presence. If he can improve those aspects in his game, he will have a productive season as well as a successful day in Miami.

Offensive Line: The offensive line has not been terrible, but they have not been doing well either. Not all the players have been playing up to par. One of the key players not performing well has been LT Cordy Glenn. He's been the anchor on the left side of Buffalo's line for the past few years, but as of late he's seemed slow. Glenn's been getting shoved around and has also been taking a lot of poor penalties. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a surprisingly solid link on the line has been LG Richie Incognito. He returned after not playing football in over a year, and he's quietly making his presence known. Over the first 2 weeks, Incognito has been perfect on pass plays, giving up 0 pressures on 65 pass attempts. If more of these guys on the line can play like Incognito has, this line will be successful on Sunday by opening holes for McCoy, and keeping Tyrod protected in the passing game.

Lesean McCoy: It's time for Shady McCoy to prove why he's the bellcow of this offense. He needs to shine sooner or later. He's been semi-productive in his 2 weeks so far, putting up 130 yards on the ground and 73 yards on 6 receptions. He needs to do more though. This week he's due for a big play or a breakout game with Buffalo. He hasn't been 100% with his nagging hamstring injury, so hopefully in the next few weeks he will put up a big game for this offense.

Ndamukong Suh: Miami's huge offseason addition, who is getting paid $114 million on his current contract, has been invisible after 2 weeks. The Buffalo Bill's offensive line will have a tough matchup though, as Suh will look to finally make his presence known. He may be matched up against Incognito or Miller depending on where Suh lines up, so either one of them will have their hands full.

The Defense: The Bills defense had a pitiful week 2, letting Brady and company do whatever they wished. The corner's were always getting beat and the pass rush was non-existent. The pass rush surely wasn't helped by Brady's quick release time either. This defense needs to bounce back and shut down Miami; a team featuring Ryan Tannehill at QB and some solid WR's in Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, and Jarvis Landry. Rex needs to gameplan better and gameplan with the solid staff he has. The Bills must prove this week they are the defense to beat.

The Bills will need to have a solid game on both sides of the ball to bounce back after last week's disappointing loss. It will be Buffalo's first game on the road. Buffalo must quiet the stadium early and keep the foot on the throttle throughout the game. If the Bills can lessen the penalties, play better defense, and prevent turnovers on offense, I am confident the Bills will win this game. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!

Bills Vs. Patriots Game Breakdown

Another year, another Patriots vs. Bills game, and yet again, another disappointing loss. The Buffalo Bills now rest at 1-1 in the AFC East, behind the Patriots, and now the Jets. The Bills took a lead early in the 1st, only to cough it up and get dominated the rest of the afternoon, until the end of the 3rd quarter came around. The late comeback failed, and many things went wrong. The themes of the day were flags, poor defense, and Brady being Brady. Let's take a look back.

The game started off strong. The crowd was roaring. The players were fired up. An unstoppable Bills offense rolled 80 yards down the field to put up a 2 yard, go-ahead touchdown to lead the Patriots 7-0. Then, the defense came out strong, holding the Patriots to a 3 and out. It seemed as if the Bills would never look back. That idea was short lived. 5 stalled Bills possessions and 1 interception later, the Bills found themselves in a 21-7 hole. The feeling was all too familiar and the players emotions were getting the best of them. The first half contained 8 penalties on Buffalo, all of which were very preventable. The Bills went into the half down 24-13. 

The opening of the second half wasn't much friendlier for Buffalo. The Bills went scoreless in the 3rd quarter as the Patriots put up another 13 points. The Bills finally started to warm to the task as the Patriots took their foot off the gas in the 4th, but it was too little, too late. The Bills put up 19 points and 3 TD's in the 4th as the Patriots put up 1 more FG. The offense came out for one last drive to potentially tie the game, but a late pick made the comeback fall short. Finally, the game was over, and as the score ended 40-32, it was not as close as it looked. It's time to break down the game.

Offense: The offense didn't have a terrible day. They put up 32 points, something that was nearly unheard of last year. Several key pieces for this offense had productive days, including Sammy Watkins, Lesean McCoy, and Tyrod Taylor. The biggest issues with the offense was the consistency and ball security. 9 of the Bill's 14 drives on Sunday ended with giving the ball back to New England. 

Three of those turnovers came from Tyrod Taylor's 3 interceptions. 2 of the interceptions were tipped off of Bills players' hands. Taylor finished 23/30, 242 yards and 3 TD's in addition to those picks. He also added 43 rushing yards on just 5 rushes. On occasion, he held on to the ball too long and often times couldn't escape like he does, which led to his 8 sacks. He still shows a lot of potential, and can only get better throughout the year.

The offensive line had an average day, and at times, even mediocre. They opened up some holes for the run game and had some good pass blocking, but there were many plays where the line got blown up, leading to a loss in yards and many sacks. 

Skill positions had a solid day. McCoy had a solid day rushing, putting up 89 yards on 15 carries and added 27 more yards on 3 receptions. Woods and Watkins also had respectable games, putting up 60 yards a piece. Percy Harvin also contributed 47 yards on 4 receptions.

Overall, this offense had a productive day. The line needs to block better, and Taylor needs to step up in the pocket more to buy time, and get rid of the ball. There's a lot of potential on this side of the ball, the team just needs to tap into it and reach it.

Defense: If I had to describe this defense in 3 words, I'd use "slow," "beatable," and overall, just plain "pitiful." They looked like the polar opposite of what they looked like vs. the Colts. They couldn't get to Brady, and covering anyone at all on Sunday looked like a chore. The defense gave up 507 total yards and 466 yards through the air. Emotions and poor plays ran high, leading to several penalties, a few coming from safety Aaron Williams, who later left in an ambulance (Williams has since been released from the hospital and has no serious injury). There were not a lot of positives to take away from this defense. Hopefully, Buffalo can turn it around against the Dolphins this Sunday.

Overall, this team was dominated for most of the day. The Bills had a daunting task in front of them, and they showed they couldn't step up to it. The season is far from over, though. The players and coaches will take a lot of knowledge from this game and apply it going forward. Penalties, as well as emotions, need to be controlled. This Buffalo Bills offense needs to be a bit more consistent and the defense needs to play the same way they did week one. There's a long season ahead, and while this was a reality check for Buffalo, I still like this team fighting for a playoff spot going forward. The Bills travel to Miami next Sunday for a 4:25 showdown against the Dolphins. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!

Images provided by Getty Images and Associated Press

Five Things To Watch Against The Patriots

Today's Wednesday, and the time is drawing near for the always exciting matchup between two division rivals, the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots. With Buffalo's upgraded offense and dominating defense putting on a clinic vs. the Colts, the expectations and excitement is as high as it's been in years going into this week 2 game vs the Patriots. Going into this week, here are five things to watch for from the Buffalo Bills.


The Defense: They had a very dominant performance against the Colts, forcing them to commit 3 turnovers and holding their rushing game to a troublesome 64 yards. Can they repeat a similar performance vs the high powered Patriots offense lead by Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski?

Ronald Darby: Following an impressive week 1 performance, Darby will look to build upon his success. Last week, he broke up several passes and made an excellent pick off of an Andrew Luck deep ball. This week, he may have to face the Patriots top WR, Julian Edelman, if Gilmore gets his way in his request to cover Gronkowski. Can Darby be the same corner we saw last week, or will the rookie succumb to Brady's passing game?

Rob Gronkowski: He's by far the best receiving threat the Patriots have, and has the potential at having another big game, unless he can't get the ball. Whether or not the Bills can successfully cover and shut down Gronk will ultimately, in my opinion, decide who wins this football game. Gilmore stated that he wanted to cover Gronkowski himself, but that may not be in Rex's game plan. The Bills need to pressure Brady substantially and place 1 or 2 players to be able to cut off a big game from Gronkowski.

Tyrod Taylor: Taylor is also a new Bill who is coming off a productive week, much like Darby. Taylor dropped a beautiful dime into Harvin's arms against Indy, showing his accuracy, and compiled 195 yards through the air, along with 41 yards on 9 rushes. He showed poise in the pocket and was on time with many of his throws. Hopefully, he can build upon that performance and be even better in week 2. With the Patriots depleted secondary, expect the Bills receivers to get open more often.

Marcell Dareus: Dareus' one week suspension has concluded, and he's fired up going into this week 2 game vs. a huge rival. Following his $100 million contract with $60 million guaranteed, expect this pass rush to be even better than last week, and expect the Patriot's run game to be shut down early and often.

With the win on Sunday, the Bills would be up 2-0 over the Patriots 1-1 record. That would be huge for Buffalo, who needs some big wins this year to finally end the 15 year playoff drought. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!

Bills vs. Colts Game Breakdown

As week 1 is winding down in the NFL, with the final games currently going on, the Buffalo Bills are even with the other 3 teams in the AFC East with a 1-0 record. It was a hard fought game and the results were great. With an efficient and productive offense, along with an excellent defense and solid special teams play, the Bills were able to take a win over the favorites to win the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts, in convincing fashion. The Bills sent a message to not only the AFC East and the AFC, but the NFL as a whole. These Bills need to be taken seriously.

After a great defensive stop by a stellar Bills defense, the offense took over. They took off early, with a solid short pass from Taylor to Shady McCoy for 20 yards. The drive stalled but it was a solid start on what eventually would be an efficient day on the offensive side of the ball. 4 possessions later, the Bills defense came through with a huge play. Buffalo's 2nd round pick, Ronald Darby, knew he was going to be picked on all day in the absence of Leodis McKelvin, and he made the most of the opportunities he got. Darby's beautiful pick on a slightly underthrown ball from Luck set up Buffalo's next offensive possession. Taylor had a productive drive and took a shot down deep to find the new acquisition Percy Harvin for a 51 yard TD. That was just the beginning of what would eventually be a 24-0 lead, and a 27-14 victory. Let's break down the game.

Offense: A reinvented and healthy offense finally took the field. With a new QB, RB and offensive line in place, things could have gone poorly while they all get acquainted. Yesterday though, that was not the case. This offense looked ready and poised, and they can only get better. Tyrod Taylor had a solid, near perfect day. He was efficient and very effective, posting 14/19 attempts, 195 yards, and 1 TD with 0 interceptions. He also added 9 rushes for 41 yards, with his longest being a 31 yard scamper on the opening drive of the 2nd half. He showed just enough flash to prove he's not just a game manager. He can make plays when he needs to. On the other hand, McCoy was not as sharp as he could've been in his first game as a Buffalo Bill. Fresh off a hamstring injury, he put up a disappointing 41 yards on 17 touches. He did add 46 yards on 3 receptions though, where he was able to show more of his quickness. The offensive line could have improved on the run, but they gave Taylor enough time to pass when he dropped back in the pocket. A surprising showing by Karlos Williams added to Buffalo's rushing attack. He broke out for a 26 yard touchdown early in the 3rd quarter. If these weapons all step up and continue this production in the coming weeks, the Bills will be a difficult team to keep pace with.

Defense: As usual, the defense stole the show. The rush was there and the secondary was outstanding. Many passes were defended well by Darby, and Gilmore also had a great game, minus a guaranteed pick that he dropped in the 2nd quarter. Although Corey Graham went down with a concussion, Bacarri Rambo stepped in and did a decent job filling the spot. The Bills stingy run defense held the Colts to a measly 62 yards while the Bills defense shut down Luck, sacking him twice and picking him off another 2 times. This defense is nothing new, and with Dareus returning next week, the pass rush and run D will be even better. Rex is a defensive guru, and proved that Sunday afternoon.

Special Teams: Another solid outing by the special teams unit, which was similar to the outing that earned them the 2nd overall special teams rank last season. Dan Carpenter showed he had his mojo back, kicking 2 FG's from 41 and 45 yards successfully. The gunners also had a successful day, pressuring Colt's rookie Phillip Dorsett to fumble twice, one of which the Bills recovered. Again, there was nothing new here from what the special teams brought last year.

Overall, this team came to play Sunday, and as they mesh and get closer, they'll get better and better. Sammy Watkins didn't even have a catch, and they still managed to go up 24-0 in the third. This team has the firepower on offense and the lights-out defense to win a lot of football games this season. Now for Buffalo, all they've got to do is stay healthy. The Bills play a hot Patriots team building off a 28-21 victory over the Steelers, in which Brady threw for 4 touchdowns, and TE Rob Gronkowski caught 3 of them. The Bills defense will be ready, and so will the fans. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!

Buffalo Bills Intro/Team Breakdown

     15 years. That's how long it's been since the Buffalo Bills have made the playoffs. From the great Bills of the 90's, who went to 4 straight Superbowls on the shoulders of Jim Kelly and Andre Reed, to the J.P. Losman, Trent Edward, and Ryan Fitz"magic" days, this franchise has been filled with heartbreak, sadness, and disappointment. There's been high hopes, and huge letdowns. But, that was before Terry Pegula and his family purchased the Buffalo Bills, and essentially adopted Buffalo as "their city." Things may be finally changing here in Buffalo.

     Let's recap a bit:

• December 31st, 2014: Doug Marrone opts out of his coaching contract with the Bills.
• January 12th, 2015: Bills name Rex Ryan their new head coach.
• March 4th, 2015: Bills trade LB Kiko Alonso for RB Lesean McCoy.
• March 13th, 2015: Bills sign WR Percy Harvin
• March 19th, 2015: Dolphins decline to match offer sheet, Bills awarded TE Charles Clay.

     Those were the main moves from the Bills offseason. That's not including the monster contract Marcell Dareus signed just a couple days ago that locks him up for 6 more years.

     Tomorrow (9/13/15), the Rex Ryan era begins. It's been a crazy offseason, and it all comes together at 1 P.M. on a cool Buffalo afternoon. The team is together and the team is healthy. They must face a offensively dominant Colts team headlined by Andrew Luck, Frank Gore, Andre Johnson and T.Y. Hilton. The Bills also have some weapons of their own.

     Let's first take a look at the defense:

• Defensive Line: Lead by Mario Williams, Marcell Dareus, Jerry Hughes, and Kyle Williams, this front 4 is arguably the best in football. Following a 54 sack campaign in 2014, this line is still as tenacious as ever, and Rex will make sure they get to the quarterback.
• Linebackers: Running the show at linebacker will be 2nd year man out of Louisville, Preston Brown. He has proven to be a solid linebacker who can effectively communicate and command this defense on the field. Nigel Bradham is also a solid piece to this linebacker puzzle totaling 104 tackles in his 2014 season. Manny Lawson will also hold down the fort at LB on defense. This is a solid core of men.
• Cornerbacks: With Leodis McKelvin sidelined until at least week 7, the spotlight now shines on 4th year corner Stephon Gilmore and Buffalos 2015 2nd round pick, Ronald Darby. Darby has had a shaky preseason. Rex putting him on an island hasn't helped his cause much, but it will ultimately help Darby get better. Until McKelvin returns, Darby may have a tough time filling Mckelvin's shoes. Stephon Gilmore may require a large payday next season, especially depending on how he plays the "Revis role" he's been given from Rex. Third year Nickel CB Nickell Robey also returns, following a sophomore slump to no fault of his own. Jim Schwartz's defensive scheme was not friendly toward Robey's role. This is a solid CB corps, and when Mckelvin gets healthy, it could lead to some even better defense.
• Safeties: Veteran's Aaron Williams and Corey Graham return to handle the safety duties. Graham was moved up high when Da'Norris Searcy hit the free agent market. This is a solid group of safeties.

     Now, let's move on to the much improved offense:

• QB: Starting with the most questionable position on this Buffalo Bills team, this has been the team's weakest link for years. This year though, they have a different option. His name is Tyrod Taylor, or as the Buffalo fans have already dubbed him, T-Mobile. Going into training camp, Matt Cassel was the favorite to take the job by default. Impressive outings by Manuel and Taylor made Rex's decision a bit harder. Taylor ultimately grasped the starting job, with Cassel as backup and Manuel as the #3 guy. Taylor has question marks around him, but he looks very promising.
• WR: To say this WR corps is decent is an understatement. This WR tandem is excellent. Lead by Percy Harvin and Sammy Watkins, this will leave teams trying to decide who to double cover. Solid compliments at the WR position include the always underrated Robert Woods and Chris Hogan. Marquise Goodwin is also a speedy guy, but he'll be out with a rib injury.
• TE: Buffalo decided to keep 4 TE's on their 53 man roster. Headlining them is Charles Clay. He is a 6'3" playmaking TE with even a little bit of speed. Also solid at blocking, he joins Chris Gragg, MarQueis and Matthew Mulligan as the extra blocking powerhouses helping the reinvented O-line.
• RB/FB: Most likely the biggest roster splash made by the Buffalo Bills was trading 3rd year Kiko Alonso for an excellent rusher in Lesean McCoy. McCoy will most likely be the focus of the offense, especially with Rex's Ground-and-Pound gameplan. He is an elusive rusher and has the potential to have a great season in Buffalo's backfield. Backing up McCoy is the rookie Karlos Williams and the fun, fan-favorite, Boobie Dixon. Jerome Felton also joins the Bills this year, hopefully providing some great blocks for McCoy.
• Offensive Line: Last year, this line was one of the worst in football. This year, it has been reinvented and will hopefully provide some blocks for Shady and some time for Tyrod to make some throws. The key additions include Richie Incognito and John Miller at the guard positions. Eric Wood continues his large role at center, and Cordy Glenn along with Seantrel Henderson claim tackle duties. If everyone stays healthy, this line has a lot of potential.

     This team is special. More special than it's been in years. The talent is here, and the coaching is here too. If everyone stays healthy, this team has true playoff potential. With the dynamic offense including an explosively mobile QB, excellent RB, and a stellar WR corps, along with a dominant defense, this team has a chance to win 10 or more games. Thanks for reading, and as always, let's go Buffalo!