Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday, because their offense was terrible for most of the game. Plain and simple.
Yes, there were three key defensive starters out due to injuries going into the game in pass rusher Greg Rousseau, and cornerbacks Tre'Davious White and Christian Benford.
Yes, the defense lost two really good players in the first quarter due to injuries in defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and the irreplaceable linebacker Matt Milano.
Yes, the officiating was horrible, and there were some questionable calls that went against the defense, which hurt the Bills.
Yes, the Jaguars were in London all week, having played a game there seven days earlier, while the Bills didn't arrive until about 48 hours before kickoff.
Those are all true, but the fact remains the Bills offense, or lack thereof for the first three quarters, is why they ended up losing.
Related
One week after toying with the Miami Dolphins defense, the Bills offense just couldn't find any rhythm. They were held scoreless in the first quarter for the first time this season, and didn't even get into Jacksonville territory until there was less than five minutes left in the first half.
The offense had gone three-and-out just four times over the first four games this season. They hit half their season total through the first two drives against the Jaguars.
Over their first eight drives, the Bills offense totaled a measly 10 first downs and 210 net yards. They had one touchdown, one interception and Sam Martin punted six times. That's almost as many punts as Martin had in the first four games combined (7).
There isn't one thing to pinpoint. It was a combination of factors.
I'm not one who believes the Bills ever have to commit to running the ball to be successful, but a little help from the running game would have been nice. The blocking was substandard, leaving little room for backs to run.
James Cook, Latavius Murray and Damien Harris combined for just 15 yards on 10 carries. Josh Allen was the Bills' leading rusher with 14 yards.
The Bills, who spent a first-round pick on a tight end, got very little production from either of the top-two at that position. Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox combined for five catches and just 36 yards.
Josh Allen was not bad on Sunday. This was not like the season-opening loss to the New York Jets, by any means. However, he was a tick off here-and-there on some of his throws.
The Bills were struggling, at times, on first down, leaving themselves in 2nd-and-long, followed by 3rd-and-less manageable. There were also some drops in the passing game, and some 1-on-1 battles for Allen passes that the Bills did not win.
Related
The sluggish play from the offense led to a rather large disparity in time of possession, which meant the depleted Bills defense was on the field way too much. They kept the Bills in this game, but eventually ran out of gas, as evidenced by the Jaguars' two touchdowns and 234 net yards in the fourth quarter.
Jacksonville's offense had 82 snaps, while the Bills managed 54. The time of possession favored the Jaguars, 38:12 to 21:48.
Even though the Bills lost the game, it's obviously not a major setback. Quite honestly, the offense should feast on the next three opponents in the New York Giants, New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The worst part about the game were the injuries.
Milano, who might be lost for the rest of the season, is one of the best linebackers in the league. He is an every down player who does the big things and the little things, and there is no one on the roster who can single-handedly fill his shoes.
Related
In back-to-back games, the Bills have now lost their best cornerback and their best linebacker.
As for Jones, he was off to a fantastic start, and was a beast inside, whether it came to stopping the run or pushing the pocket. No one plays every snap up front, but this is a serious blow to the Bills' rotation.
The best news this upcoming week would be the return of Rousseau and Benford, and word that Von Miller doesn't have to be on a limited snap count.
