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	Paul Banach

 

     Despite resting a majority of its starters in last Friday’s preseason game against the Washington Redskins, the Buffalo Bills still couldn’t escape without major injury. Fourth-year tight end Chris Gragg was one of two players who suffered a torn ACL in the contest which has all of the sudden put the team in a hole at the position.
     Throughout a strong preseason, Gragg served as the main backup to Charles Clay and no one was close said Rex Ryan. His absence now leaves those duties to Blake Annen, Nick 0’Leary, Jim Dray and Glenn Gronkowski; not exactly the most exciting and experienced bunch.
     And though that group of tight ends does offer a mix of blocking, good hands and speed (Annen), it’s still a major drop off from Clay in terms of a receiving threat. Rex said the team has options in referring mainly to Annen and O’Leary, but now that Gragg won’t be in the middle to serve as a buffer, the team may look elsewhere for help at the position. (tweet Matthew Fairburn - down below the line)

     Given that most of Buffalo’s healthy tight ends behind Clay are young and have little NFL playing time, the team may want a veteran presence who is a proven commodity. If the Bills do decide to go that route, here’s a quick list of who’s available (Hint: It’s pretty slim pickings):

Owen Daniels: The 11-year veteran has been a sturdy player for most of his career and won a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos last season. He’s definitely lost a step at 33 years old but did catch 46 passes for 517 yards and three touchdowns in 2015 along with making a few huge plays in Denver’s playoff run.

Dorin Dickerson: The versatile tight end spent a year with Buffalo in 2012 in which he recorded nine receptions for 117 yards. Dickerson was a jack of all trades in college at Pittsburgh, playing receiver, H-Back and tight end. He has great athleticism as he ran a 4.4s 40-yard dash and recorded a 42-inch vertical leap coming out of college. He signed with the Tennessee Titans last season but missed the entire year due to injury.

Cooper Helfet: After signing with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent from Duke in 2012, Helfet recorded 25 receptions for 315 and two touchdowns between 2014-15. He’s 6’3, runs a 4.6s 40-yard dash and has also played fullback/H-back in his career.

Kellen Winslow: The former first-round pick last played with the New York Jets in 2013 but is reportedly attempting a comeback. Winslow has talent and good size and has been productive in the past, totaling over 25 touchdowns and 5,000 in his nine-year career.

Matt Spaeth: The veteran spent nine seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers but was released earlier this offseason due to a failed physical. If he’s not healthy enough to pass a physical than he may not even get a sniff from the Bills. If he is ready to play, it could be a realistic option as Spaeth has caught over ten touchdowns in his career.

Colt Lylerla: I seriously doubt this would happen but the former Oregon Ducks tight end was recently playing well in the Arena Football League for the Portland Steel before suffering a shoulder injury in April. He ran into some off-field issues a couple years ago but has a lot of potential. Lylerla is fast, athletic and a fluid-route runner that offers versatility to play H-back as well. Here’s a piece I wrote last year about how Buffalo should have taken a look at the kid.

Jack Tabb: He signed with the New Orleans Saints last year as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina but missed the season due to an ACL injury. Tabb was in camp this summer but was cut by the Saints early in July. He’s 6’3, 243 pounds, runs a 4.62s 40-yard dash and says he feels “great” health-wise.

Craig Stevens: The former 2008 third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans recently hung up the cleats but he was one of the better blocking tight ends in the NFL before retiring.

Daniel Fells: He also retired earlier this year but would Buffalo try to lure him out of it? Probably not, but you never know.

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	Paul Banach

     The third game of the NFL preseason is traditionally when starters get the most playing time in preparation for the regular season. That certainly was not the case on Friday in Landover, Maryland as the Buffalo Bills visited the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.

     Rex Ryan decided to sit a large contingent of his core players for the weekend match up with the potential of more injuries being a major concern. Fine by us as the tweak in personnel gave extra opportunities to other players who are fighting for a final roster spot on the team.

     From offensive line woes, to missed tackles to a veteran play maker showing he’s still got some juice, here are five takeaways from the Bills 21-16 loss to the Redskins:
 

Reggie Bush: 

     Earlier this summer the notion around Bills camp was that Reggie Bush was going to return punts and have a very limited role in Greg Roman’s offense. That still may be the plan but if Friday’s performance is any indication of his potential impact the former Heisman trophy winner may force Buffalo’s hand.

     Bush totaled three carries for 17 yards and used good vision in following his blockers for easy gains. He was hitting the hole hard and showed a sharp burst up field into the second-level. It was especially encouraging to see him break a tackle and get up field for a short gain on third and three that moved the chains. Reggie’s signature elusiveness was also on display during a punt return where he avoided three Washington defenders, including stiff-arming the last to the ground after initially fumbling the punt.    

Offensive Line Struggles: 

     Buffalo’s offensive line had a forgetful performance in week 15’s loss last season against Washington and on Friday night those woes continued. The unit didn’t protect its quarterbacks or running backs all that well as it allowed two sacks and eight plays that were blown up in the backfield for a loss by missed assignments.

     Right tackle Jordan Mills almost got Tyrod Taylor killed as #91 went right around him on the very same play that Richie Incognito and Eric Wood got mixed up in the middle, resulting in a sack. T-Mobile also took a massive blindside hit by an untouched blitzing defender that should have been picked up by someone if not the QB himself. Overall, Buffalo’s quarterback’s were under pressure all night even though the offense did rush for 144 yards on 30 attempts for 4.8 per carry.

Defense Missing Tackles:

     There could have been even more but by my count the Bills defense missed eight tackles in the first half. The blame was widespread as rookie cornerback Kevon Seymour missed two tackles, safety Duke Williams whiffed along the sidelines on WR DeSean Jackson, cornerback Sterling Moore missed another big one that led to a touchdown and linebacker Kroy Biermann missed two himself among others. Many of these were also in the open field which lead to big gains and ultimately gashed Buffalo’s D as they allowed twenty points in the first half.

Kevon Seymour has work to do:

     With starters Ronald Darby and Stephon Gilmore sitting the game out, Kevon Seymour got an opportunity to start. It was an up and down performance form the rookie corner as made a couple solid plays in coverage but also missed a few tackles and gave up a nine-yard touchdown to Pierre Garcon.

     He did show good downfield coverage on Garcon as he was step for step with the receiver on a long incomplete pass, but also gave up multiple receptions including a long first-down to Vernon Davis. Seymour shows the ability to stay tight in coverage but definitely needs to improve his tackling. He finished with four tackles and actually left early with a hamstring injury.

Jonathan Williams: 

     This is the third “takeaways” post I’ve written about a Bills preseason game and it will be the third time mentioning Joanathan Williams. After being stuffed up for little gains on his first five attempts, Williams hit the hole hard, juked out a defender and bounced off another on his way to a 37-yard touchdown run. It was the highlight of the night for the Bills offense. Williams finished with 42 yards on 11 carries and one score.

     Between him and Bush, the Bills definitely have some talent at running back behind LeSean McCoy and Mike Gillislee. Hopefully his ribs are alright after that cheap, after the whistle, should-have-been-penalty, fine warranting, loser takedown Duke Ihenacho put on the rookie at the end of the third quarter. The Redskins safety should be fined and maybe even suspended.

Corey White Can Play:

     Reserve cornerback Corey White basically said he came to Buffalo because of assistant coach Rob Ryan and his defense. White played under Rex’s brother with the New Orleans Saints and has been making a push for a role on this team. With more playing time up for grabs he started off with a missed tackle on a run but then came away with a circus-like interception where he was in great position and deflected the ball which ricocheted upwards and fell into his arms.

     He couldn’t stop Jackson on an eight-yard gain and also got beat by Garcon but the receiver dropped the pass. White showed good speed as he was step for step with Jackson on a long pass but didn’t look for the ball which can be a problem. He did force the incompletion and had another nice pass breakup along the sidelines. He finished with two pass deflections and three tackles.

Walter Powell Continues his Case: 

     The wide receiver was on the outside looking in on a recent 53-man final roster projection but Powell is doing his all to make the team. He led the team in receiving with five grabs for 55 yards, a few of those being tough, athletic receptions. Walter also had a thirty-something yard punt return with a few nifty moves. He was injured on the last play of the game as well.

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	Paul Banach

     On Saturday afternoon the Buffalo Bills hosted the New York Giants in the first official football game at New Era Field. The second Bills preseason match up featured a rematch of 2015’s week 4 loss, except this time the only NFL franchise that actually plays in New York got some revenge with a 21-0 shutout.
     Both sides of the ball were clicking for the home team as each unit made numerous big plays throughout the contest. From the first team offense looking sharp to another Williams stepping up at running back, here are 6 takeaways from the Bills offense in its second preseason game:

Air McCoy

LeSean McCoy started off the game with a steady four yard run up the middle but was blown up in the backfield by a corner blitz on his very next carry. Buffalo’s starting running back finished with a pedestrian four rushes for zero yards but it was through the air where Shady made an impact.
     McCoy worked well with Tyrod Taylor to find open spots in the defense for easy but effective receptions. After a productive five yard catch, #25 blew by a couple of Giants defenders’ on a short pass and run of 23-yards over the middle. His trademark speed and elusiveness were on full display.
     LeSean topped his night off with a highlight-reel touchdown grab from Taylor on a pass that was thrown high and outside where only he could catch it. He finished with four receptions on four targets for 58 yards and the score. Seeing as McCoy only caught 32 balls in 2015, it would be nice to see the Bills utilize his talents through the air more often.

Tyrod Taylor back at it again with the big plays

     Last season Tyrod Taylor was an elite big play threat and on Saturday he was back at it again with this 59-yard bomb to Charles Clay in the first quarter. On that play the elusive quarterback was able to spin away from an untouched blitzing defender, keep his eyes down field and hit his tight end on the money with a ball that traveled over 55 yards in the air.
     While that drive resulted in a Jerome Felton fumble, it was the beginning of an excellent performance for the Bills signal caller. Taylor showed good poise in the pocket early as he lets plays develop and hit McCoy out of the backfield for easy passes that resulted in big gains. He then placed a pass perfectly in Reggie Bush’s hands along the sidelines for what would have been 33-yard gain had the running back not bobbled the ball out of bounds.
     T-Mobile also showed off his accuracy on a throw to Marquise Goodwin in which he rolled out to the right and put the ball low and away where only Flash could reach it. Tyrod capped off the drive by channeling his inner Brett Farve and hitting McCoy for a 13-yard score on what I like to call a “playmakers throw”. Nothing was open for #5 so he just threw the ball high and outside where only Shady could reach and the running back hauled it in for the touchdown.
     The only really blemishes were going 3 and out on the very first possession of the afternoon, not getting enough zip on a sideline out to Goodwin and leading Robert Woods too much on another sideline throw. Besides that Taylor had a great showing on Saturday and finished 7-10 passing for 132 yards, one score and a QB rating of 145.8.

Next Williams up

     With the shocking release of running back Karlos Williams all eyes were on Buffalo’s backfield on Saturday to see who will step up and seize the opportunity. Mike Gillislee started off with a strong run before exiting with an undisclosed injury, leaving rookie Jonathan Williams with more playing time.
     The fifth-round pick took advantage and showed off good burst in the hole as he sprung for a 12-yard run in the first half. In the red zone, Williams picked up a key third and short on a terrific second effort to move the chains. He was then rewarded with a a goal line carry and took it over the top for the touchdown. The rookie only finished with 17 total rushing yards on 8 carries, but as the game wore on he found other ways to contribute.
     Williams caught two passes for 11 yards including a six yard gain in which he made the initial defender miss and nearly picked up the first down. His hands looked solid and was smooth coming out of the backfield in what was the second straight solid performance from the first-year player.

Cyrus up and down

     Third-year offensive lineman Cyrus Kouandjio had an up and down performance in the Bills preseason game against the Giants. He looked good maintaining solid pass protection on at least four plays where he kept his side of the pocket clean and the defender completely at bay.
     Kouandjio then struggled when he was beat on an inside move by Olivier Vernon which resulted in a sack on E.J. Manuel. He was also called for a face-mask earlier in the game. Filling in for Cordy Glenn, Cyrus has greatly improved from his first couple years in the league but he still has some work to do.

Marquise Goodwin distancing himself?

     Flash has been making plays all training camp and that continued on Saturday. He made a few nice grabs on the night as he continues to use his speed to get separation from defenders. Goodwin started with an easy catch from Tyrod and then later made a tough diving grab on a low pass from his quarterback along the sidelines.
     Goodwin’s third and final reception was on a slant pattern from E.J. Manuel. When he’s healthy, he makes plays and as of now Marquise is seemingly starting to distance himself in Buffalo’s wide receiver competition.        He finished with three catches on four targets for 36 yards.

WR battle heating up

     While Goodwin appears to be slightly ahead for the Bills third wide receiver spot, there is an intense battle being waged right behind him between Greg Little, Walter Powell, Dez Lewis and company.
     Little had his best showing of the preseason as he made a couple impressive plays and finished with three catches on six targets for 35 yards including a 15-yard touchdown from Manuel. He could have had more too as E.J. under threw the receiver on a deep ball where he had a couple steps on the corner and on another well-defended play in the end zone where he couldn’t quite make the play.
     Powell is a versatile player that also returns punts and had another productive performance through the air, totaling three receptions on four targets for 46 yards. Second-year receiver Dez Lewis also showed up with a nice 21-yard catch along the sidelines to keep his name in the conversation.

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	Paul Banach

 

     Football is officially back at Ralph Wilson Stadium as the Buffalo Bills hosted the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night in a rematch of 2015’s regular season opener. The atmosphere was electric in Orchard Park for the Bills-Colts preseason matchup in what could be one of the final games in the stadium under its current name.

     Rex Ryan’s first-team defense looked sharp using an effective mix of stunt blitzes and run recognition to frustrate the Colts’ offense. The second/third unit was later gashed for a long touchdown on a screen play that took advantage of the aggressive scheme, but there was some encouraging play especially from the rookies in the 19-18 loss.

     From Adolphus Washington wreaking havoc along the line of scrimmage to Kevon Seymour hosting a no-fly zone, here are four takeaways from the defense in Saturday’s Bills-Colts preseason game.

Adolphus Washington:

     The rookie-third round pick from Ohio State was impressive in his first game as a pro. He was active against the run early as he and Jerry Hughes teamed up to stuff a play for a negative gain in the first quarter. Washington later ripped down a running back in the hole for a limited gain and also disrupted the opposing quarterback by pushing the pocket on a passing play.
     Adolphus played with a high motor and looked tough in his first NFL game action and will be a contributor on Rex’s defense this season if he continues to compete like he did on Saturday. The defensive lineman finished with two tackles and high praise from just about anyone that was watching.

Kevon Seymour:

     With all of the Kevon Seymour hype coming out of Bills training camp, it was good to finally see this kid in live action. His first tackle was on a 6-yard gain in which the receiver caught the ball in front of him along the sidelines only to be immediately taken down by the cornerback.
     Kevon’s big moment came later on a two-point conversion attempt by Indianapolis in which he ripped the ball out of Quan Bray’s hands in the endzone for an interception. It was a fade pattern towards the back pile-on and both players got their hands on the ball, but Seymour was able to wrestle it away from the receiver for the impressive takeaway.
     The former USC Trojans’ four-year player also broke up a long pass down the sidelines in which he held great position, got his hips turned around and was stride for stride with the receiver before knocking the ball down. Seymour did get called for a pass interference shortly after, but notwithstanding the rookie finished with two tackles and one pass break up in what was an excellent NFL debut.

Preston Brown/Zach Brown combo:

     The two Brown’s in the middle of Buffalo’s defense should be making a lot of noise this year. Early in the first quarter they teamed up on a nice run stuff for no gain. Preston seems to be playing well within Rex’s scheme as he showed good patience waiting for a running back to bounce it outside and then smothering him for minimal yardage. He also timed a blitz perfectly to almost force a turnover along with safety Corey Graham.
     Zach showed off his elite coverage skills as he broke up a pass and was in good position for most of the night. There is no question this duo is fast, but effectively stopping the run will be a major key for them this     year. Preston finished with four tackles and one QB hit while Zach totaled two tackles and one pass deflection.

IK Enkampali:

     The third-year defensive end was a force in the first half pressuring the quarterback at least three times and making a couple solid plays against the run including help on a tackle for a loss of 3 yards. He also pushed the pocket flushing the quarterback out but did jump offside twice before leaving the game with a leg injury.IK was wreaking havoc before his leg got caught in an awkward position and he fell to the ground, summoning the stretcher. I would say he was pushing for a starting role but it sounds like he’s suffered a season-ending knee injury.

Bonus – Lorenzo Alexander:

     The veteran linebacker looked solid on special teams coverage and made a few nice tackles in the field. He also had good enough pass coverage on a play that went for 7 yards on a 3rd and 8, tackling the receiver before they could get to the first down marker. Alexander recorded three solo tackles and seems to be a good fit for this defense.

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	Paul Banach

 

     Football is officially back at Ralph Wilson Stadium as the Buffalo Bills hosted the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday night in a rematch of 2015’s regular season opener. The atmosphere was electric in Orchard Park for the Bills-Colts preseason matchup in what could be one of the final games in the building under its current name.

     The first-team offense, led by the freshly-extended Tyrod Taylor, only played for one possession on the night as it was the E.J. Manuel and Cardale Jones show the rest of the way. Still, with plenty of positional battles up for grabs there was a lot to watch on Greg Roman’s offense during the 19-18 loss.

     From receiver Walter Powell showing off his versatility to Cardale Jones coming through in the clutch, here are four takeaways from the offense in Saturday’s Bills-Colts preseason game:

Cardale Jones: 

     Overall, the rookie quarterback flashed some big plays and showed solid composure with the ability to keep his eyes down the field in his first NFL game.  Despite fumbling the first snap he bounced back on the very next play by avoiding the rush and hitting tight end Blake Annen in stride for a 13-yard gain. He then hit Walter Powell out of the shotgun for a 14-yard gain along the sidelines followed up by a six yard scramble.
     Jones took a tough blindside sack at the end of the third quarter but hit second-year tight end Nick O’Leary over the middle for a 14-yard pickup immediately after. He then converted a 3rd and short to Greg Little followed by an excellent 26-yard touch pass to Nick O’Leary over the linebackers but underneath the safety.
     Most of his possessions stalled, but with just over a minute to go in the game #7 led the Bills offense on an 80-yard drive culminating in a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jarret Boykin with all zeros on the clock. Buffalo’s two-point conversion failed but Jones used both his legs and big arm to move the offense down the field on the impressive drive.
     Cardale did overthrow a couple receivers but finished the night 11-21 passing for 162 yards and one touchdown to go with 34 rushing yards in what was a pleasant performance from the former Ohio-State standout.

Walter Powell:

     The third-year receiver has impressed during training camp while battling for a spot on Buffalo’s roster and he furthered his case on Saturday. Powell caught a 26-yard pass from Manuel in the first quarter as he ran a sharp route to get open. He also had a 14-yard reception on a sideline out to go with a nifty 16-yard punt return.
     Powell’s biggest play came on a 41-yard catch and run over the middle in which he plucked the ball out of the air and took it up field. He finished with four receptions for 88 yards, three punt returns for a total of 25 yards and four kick returns for 78 yards, showing off his versatility.

Jonathan Williams:

     The rookie running back took advantage of his extra playing time with primary backup Karlos Williams not suiting up. After McCoy left the game with the first team offense, Williams was next in line for carries and showed a good burst in the hole along with some toughness.
     On his very first run he picked up six yards and laid a big hit on the defender tackling him. Later, he busted off a 14-yard gain on a nice cutback move that was followed by an eight-yard run up the middle in which he did a good job of following his blockers. It’s clear the coaching staff is high on this kid and for good reason. Jonathan finished the night with a team-high eight carries for 44 yards.

Cyrus Kouandjio: 

     Starting at left tackle in place of injured Cordy Glenn, the former second-round pick held his own and showed big improvement even from last season. On a couple passing plays he kicked out the defensive end and gave his QB plenty of time to scan the field. There was a miscommunication with another lineman that led to negative play on 3rd down but overall it was an encouraging performance from Kouandjio, who expects to serve as a swing/backup lineman this season.