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Monday, November 2, 2020

Report card: Bills' rushing attack earns an easy 'A' grade - Buffalo News

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Allen rushes for six

Quarterback Josh Allen's 2-yard rushing touchdown was part of a strong day on the ground for the Bills. 

Harry Scull Jr.

Jay Skurski grades the Buffalo Bills in their 24-21 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Bills Stadium.

Running game: A+

Easily the best it has looked all season. The 190 yards on the ground blew away the previous high of 126 set last week against the Jets. Devin Singletary ran with a purpose, finishing with a season-high 86 yards on 14 carries. Singletary’s 18-yard gain on the Bills’ first possession after halftime matched a season high. Rookie Zack Moss provided a perfect partner in the backfield, also rushing 14 times, for 81 yards and his first two career rushing touchdowns. Moss and Singletary became the first pair of Bills’ running backs to run for at least 80 yards in the same game since LeSean McCoy and Mike Gillislee did so in a Christmas Eve loss to Miami in 2016. It’s now consecutive strong games for Moss, who seems to get better with more touches. Quarterback Josh Allen gained 23 yards, but included in that was a clutch, 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter on third-and-goal. Allen also picked up a first down with a keeper on third-and-1.

Passing game: C-

With wind gusts up to 40 mph, it promised to be a tough day throwing the ball, and it was. Allen finished 11 of 18 for 154 yards and one interception, which came late in the second quarter. It wasn’t clear if there was miscommunication between Allen and his intended receiver, Stefon Diggs, or if it was just a bad throw. Either way, it led to a New England field goal before halftime. Diggs had another strong game, finishing with six catches for 92 yards. His 41-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter set up a touchdown. He has 695 receiving yards through the first half of the season, which ranked second in the NFL at the conclusion of Sunday’s game. The rest of Buffalo’s receivers had a quiet day. Cole Beasley had two catches for 24 yards, while John Brown’s only catch went for 21 yards on a wide receiver screen in the fourth quarter. It was Brown’s first catch since Week 4. Gabriel Davis failed to record a catch on two targets. He had a would-be touchdown go through his arms on the Bills’ penultimate drive.

Run defense: C-

It was on its way to an easy "F," but Justin Zimmer forced Patriots quarterback Cam Newton to fumble with less than a minute to play and Dean Marlowe jumped on the loose ball to secure a victory, so that automatically raises it to a passing grade. The run defense was solid in the first half, limiting New England to 44 yards on 14 carries. Marlowe, in for the injured Micah Hyde, dropped running back James White for a loss of 2 yards in the second quarter on a third-and-2 play. Things got much worse in the second half. The Patriots converted a third-and-10 on the ground. Linebacker Matt Milano was in position, but couldn’t tackle Rex Burkhead. Given Milano’s lack of playing time, it’s fair to wonder just how much his pectoral injury is impacting him. The linebackers overall are a problem. Tremaine Edmunds (six tackles) and A.J. Klein (three tackles) did not have many – maybe any – impactful plays.

Pass defense: C+

The Bills got to Newton twice, with Jerry Hughes and Quinton Jefferson registering sacks. The pass rush impacted Newton on several other plays, as well, forcing him to throw it into the ground. Given that, it’s hard to believe the Bills didn’t register a single pass defensed. Klein blew a tackle in the second quarter that allowed Patriots running back James White to gain 28 yards on a completion, helping set up New England’s opening field goal. Ed Oliver committed a penalty on third-and-18, handing the Patriots a first down. That’s the type of thing that can’t happen.

Special teams: A-

Rookie kicker Tyler Bass hit all three extra points and made a clutch, 28-yard field goal inside five minutes to give his team the lead. On a windy day, that’s a solid performance. Kick returner Andre Roberts made a couple of curious decisions, once bringing the ball out of the end zone and failing to reach the 20-yard line and then not bringing it out at the end of the first half when the team’s only chance to score was on a return touchdown (that could easily have been a coaching decision, though). Punter Corey Bojorquez didn’t have a great day, averaging just 35.7 net yards on his attempts. Even when he appeared to be kicking with the wind, Bojorquez didn’t get much distance. The kick coverage was solid, although the punt-coverage team did allow a 15-yard return.

Coaching: B

Sean McDermott beat Bill Belichick. That’s what matters most coming out of this game. The Bills didn’t hurt themselves too badly with penalties. They didn’t make any questionable decisions regarding clock management or the use of timeouts. They didn’t fall asleep on special teams, with Tyler Matakevich hopping on an onside kick attempt. That's a credit to special teams coordinator Heath Farwell. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s rushing plan worked. McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier are searching for anything that works defensively. The problem is, it’s looking more and more like those answers aren’t going to be found.  

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The Link Lonk


November 02, 2020 at 07:39AM
https://buffalonews.com/sports/bills/report-card-bills-rushing-attack-earns-an-easy-a-grade/article_3848152c-1c9e-11eb-9a9e-0f6007e485ed.html

Report card: Bills' rushing attack earns an easy 'A' grade - Buffalo News

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