Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - Enough with the formal introduction to the grades.
The Buffalo Bills lost a game that was constantly being handed to them by the Denver Broncos, 24-22, resulting in a 5-5 record through the first 10 weeks of the season.
It cost someone their job. Scorched Earth:
Passing offense: F
The offense is unimaginative, uses motion less than it should, uses under center concepts less than it should, uses up-tempo only when they need it, and have their quarterback off timing, leading to constant interceptions.
Josh Allen, once again, got picked on a sideline throw that should not have been made. However, that same pass has been intercepted by several teams this year. I can recall the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and New York Jets all making plays against a similar route.
If fans can predict certain play calls and concepts, trained NFL defensive coordinators and players that have dedicated their lives to their craft can predict them too.
The concepts are failing, and Allen is clearly off, in terms of timing, which means something about the scheme is not jiving with him.
Allen has always been turnover prone, but part of that also has to do with playing with some reckless abandon. The recklessness often creates more positives than negatives, and that brand of Allen has disappeared for the most part.
Rushing offense: D
James Cook fumbled a football on the first play of the game.
Apparently, the Bills play in high school football, in terms of punishing a professional athlete. It was Cook’s first lost fumble since his first career NFL game. That didn’t matter to head coach Sean McDermott.
Buffalo kept its best player of the night on the bench for, basically, an entire half. The moment Cook touched the turf again, he went off.
A couple of footballs found their way to the ground again with Cook, one a dropped handoff by his quarterback, the other conveniently bouncing right back to him on an electric 42-yard run to set up their only lead of the game.
If you haven’t seen Brett Kollmann’s video on the struggles of the Bills offense, watch it. It goes into painful detail about their run concepts, and this game shined a spotlight on it.
When the Bills ran from under center, Cook and Latavius Murray actually did damage akin to earlier in the season.
Enough with the shotgun runs, they haven’t worked.
Passing defense: C-
They tried. They really did.
The Bills deserve better than what this season has been, but they aren’t off the hook overall, either. But when you "Let Russ Cook", there is not much hope anymore.
Buffalo's defense was put in a ton of precarious spots, dealing with four turnovers from the offense. They allowed just six points combined on the drives following those gaffes.
But there were some plays made through the air that kept a narrative alive regarding the Duct Tape Defense (trademark pending): Getting off the field on crucial third downs.
Also, the Bills went aggressive with blitzing, and no one was getting home very often. Buffalo was better with rushing four or even three against Russell Wilson, but the defense decided to get aggressive with a call that wasn’t even working, and it came back to haunt them on the final drive of the game.
Rushing defense: C+
Overall, the run defense held its own.
It was more of quantity instead of quality that led the Broncos to 122 rushing yards on the evening. Honestly, I’m just too damn salty to give anything about this team higher than some form of a C grade.
Denver was running the ball often, and not really getting anywhere, allowing Buffalo to stay within a punchers chance of coming back.
Terrel Bernard was everywhere on the field, making 13 tackles.
Denver’s overreliance on safe football, combined with Buffalo holding strong against the run, was a major reason this was allowed to be a close game.
Special teams: F
12 men on the field. That when Denver was rushing into a field goal attempt with the game on the line.
Why even bring in your block team for it? Hell, let the defense stay out there and be the defenders on a rush job, because it was a rush job.
The rushed field goal was predictably no good, and the nation almost laughed at the Broncos again.
But then, 12 men on the field.
Additionally, Sam Martin has not been good for weeks now when having to punt the football.
The special teams also allowed three big returns of 31, 27 and 17 yards. Each of those returns helped Denver with a field position battle that was heavily skewed.
Coaching: F--
One week after a coaching debacle in Cincinnati, McDermott and his staff somehow found a way to sink lower.
12 men on the field.
The team coming out flat almost every week. Benching their best player of the night for a half.
12(!) men on the field.
Blitzing when it wasn’t needed on the final drive and rushing four was working. An offense that only ran up-tempo when it was desperately needed.
12 men on the field.
All of these things fall on coaching.
The difference between this game and the others in this rough patch? It finally cost someone their job.
Ken Dorsey was fired as the offensive coordinator on Tuesday, and quarterbacks coach Joe Brady was named as his interim replacement for the rest of the season.
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However, one rule remains paramount in the jungle known as NFL coaching: When you get rid of both coordinators, there is no more room for error.
If Buffalo’s struggles continue, the crosshairs shuffle over to the head coach, because there is no one left to make a scapegoat. McDermott is all alone.
Ultimately, a head coach serves to get fired one day. That day is coming sooner rather than later for McDermott, and the timeline has sped up.
Tick, tock.
What's next:
The Bills (5-5) host their defensively-sound AFC East rival Jets on Sunday at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. Kickoff is slated for 4:25 p.m. EST with pregame coverage on Sunday starting at 11 a.m. EST on the official voice of the Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550.
