Pressure hitting Bills in significant manner
Sean McDermott can’t seem to build any consistency with one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. This is part of a troubling trend that has seen the Buffalo Bills hesitate and then take a step backwards since their heartbreaking loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs
The Bills had a robust 11-6 record that season and had rolled to a 47-17 triumph over the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs. McDermott and Josh Allen went to Kansas City with the confidence that they could battle Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes on even terms and win the game.
Allen threw 2 touchdown passes to Gabriel Davis in the last two minutes and the Bills had a 36-33 lead with 13 seconds remaining. The Chiefs somehow found a way to send the game to overtime, as Harrison Butker kicked a game-tying field goal as the clock hit zero, and then Mahomes led the game-winning drive that culminated with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Travis Kelce.
The problem continues
Since that game, defensive issues have come to the surface and they have erupted. The Bills had a 13-3 record last year – the Damar Hamlin incident led to the cancellation of the team’s Week 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals – but the defense fell badly in the playoffs.
The Miami Dolphins had the Bills on the run in the first round, although they eventually hung on for a 34-31 victory at home. There was some recklessness from Allen in that game, as he threw for 352 yards and 3 TDs, but he also threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball three times, and he was lucky the Dolphins were only able to recover one of those loose balls.
A week later, the Bengals walked into Highmark Stadium and put together a devastating 27-10 victory over the Bills, jumping out to a quick 14-0 first quarter lead that the Bills never challenged. The defense saw Joe Burrow attack them with ease through the air, and Joe Mixon ran for 105 yards on the ground. Allen seemed to feel the pressure of trying to get his team back in the game, but he ended up finishing the game with no touchdown passes and an interception to his name.
Past failures impacting current results
The psychological issues of the loss to the Chiefs two years ago and the poor defensive performances against the Dolphins and Bengals last year have turned the Bills into a team with a lot of question marks. The Bills are 4-3 after an inexplicable 29-25 loss to the Patriots in Week 7. The Patriots have the 25th-ranked offense in the league, but Mac Jones completed 25 of 30 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns, and he led the Pats on an 8-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a game-winning touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki with eight seconds remaining.
The Bills are giving up huge plays with a ton of frequency. They are allowing 5.4 yards per carry on the ground, with only the Broncos allowing more yards per carry at 5.6, but their numbers are skewed by the brutal performance in Week 3 against the Dolphins when they gave up 70 points and 726 yards. Since then, the Broncos defense has shown some improvement.
“I have seen the Broncos hit rock bottom on defense, but they are starting to get a little better,” said one veteran NFC executive. “The Bills are getting worse and I don’t see the right kind of response.”
The Bills have given up 16 runs of 12 yards or more, and the issues are the building blocks of football – blocking and tackling. The defensive front is getting blocked and pushed backward and their front seven defenders are failing to wrap up running backs and receivers.
Josh Allen also causing problems
While the defense is going backwards, Allen is adding fuel to the fire. He has already thrown seven interceptions and lost two fumbles through seven games as the Bills have fallen to 4-3 on the season, which puts them a game behind the Dolphins in the AFC East.
“Just a couple of things lately have showed up – just execution of coverage,” McDermott said. “I think the (pass) rush has been pretty good, honestly. I think it’s the coverage technique at this point. Don’t leave out: I have to put them in better position also.”
There is more than half the season left and the Bills have time to overcome their issues, but the problems are getting worse and McDermott has to figure out a way to get his team (particularly their defense) back on track.
Shane Steichen may be the real deal for the Colts
The Cleveland Browns defense has largely been a powerful, shutdown unit this season. There was some discussion prior to last week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts that they were in rare company because they were giving up fewer yards than any other defense in the league. Not only that, but their average of 200.4 yards allowed per game was significantly better than the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, 1985 Chicago Bears, or 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers — three of the most legendary defenses in NFL history.
Yet, when the Colts took the field against the Browns in Week 7 with backup quarterback Gardner Minshew under center, they scored 38 points and would have won the game if not for a brutal pass interference call late in the game. Give the credit to head coach Shane Steichen for diagnosing the formula to get the best of the Cleveland defense.
Minshew completed 15 of 23 passes for 305 yards and a pair of touchdowns. At the same time, the running back duo of Jonathan Taylor and Zack Moss ran for 75 and 57 yards, respectively. The Colts had 456 yards of total offense and they averaged a remarkable 6.8 yards per play against a defense that had been on a record pace.
Shane Steichen’s superb game plan
Minshew is perhaps the best backup quarterback in the league, and he is helping the Colts keep their heads above water now that rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson is out for the rest of the season with an AC joint (shoulder) injury. Steichen gave Minshew the tools needed to put the Browns defense on their heels in Week 7.
At least everyone on the Cleveland defense, except for Myles Garrett, who had a historic performance despite the Colts big day on offense. Garrett had 9 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles – including one that was recovered for a Browns touchdown — and a blocked field goal.
The Colts’ success started with a hard count that Minshew employed that jump-started the Indianapolis offense. Steichen also used some run-pass option plays in the red zone that allowed Minshew to run for a pair of touchdowns.
Steichen was able to put his players in position to make plays against the best defense in the league — even with a backup quarterback at the helm. Once the super athletic Richardson is healthy and back in the lineup, the Colts offense could be downright explosive.
Steichen is able to diagnose what it takes to get the best of a superior defense, and he appears to have the right quarterbacks in Richardson and Minshew to translate that into long-term success.
This and that…
The NFL trade deadline is coming up on October 31st, and while the Green Bay Packers don’t appear to be playoff contenders this year, they could still be a buyer. The Green Bay offense ranks 26th overall and it seems that quarterback Jordan Love simply does not have the receiving weapons to get the job done.
The Packers appear to have plenty of talent at the running back slot with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon, but the lack of receiving talent is a huge issue. Opposing defenses can focus on stopping Jones and Dillon, because wideouts Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Christian Watson are not meeting the needs of head coach Matt LaFleur.
The Packers don’t have to go after a big-play wideout – just someone who can get open on short- and medium-range passes and hold onto the ball. If they can do that, the offense has a chance to produce on a much more consistent basis.
Stars on the move?
Two of the biggest names that could be moved by the trade deadline include running back Derrick Henry of the Tennessee Titans and quarterback Russell Wilson of the Denver Broncos.
The Titans have fallen out of contention in the AFC South, and they are reportedly going to start rookie Will Levis in place of Ryan Tannehill against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8. While this is really only due to an ankle injury Tannehill is dealing with, the Titans are likely going to continue losing with their current core, and could benefit from kick starting their rebuild at the deadline.
That makes an asset like Henry desirable to teams that are in need of a running back, and the Titans should be willing to trade him for future draft picks.
The Broncos situation is more of a hope than a probability.
Wilson is performing better than he did a year ago, and that’s a hopeful sign, but how will he fit in with a new team at midseason? Do any contenders need a veteran quarterback? Possible answers include the New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the market is limited.
Booted out in LA
The Los Angeles Rams have sent kick Brett Maher packing after he missed two field goal attempts and an extra point in their Week 7 loss to the Steelers. The Rams have signed Lucas Havrisik off the Browns’ practice squad to take his place.
Maher once missed five extra points for the Dallas Cowboys and has had a hard time erasing that performance from the collective memory bank.
The strong-legged Havrisik has never kicked in an NFL regular-season game, but he was in training camp with the Colts this summer before joining the Browns’ practice squad.
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