by Tony Fiorello
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills looks on during the fourth quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Highmark Stadium on September 23, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Welcome to Week Four of the 2024 NFL season. Here at Buffalo Sports Page we will attempt to inform and educate our readers about the Buffalo Bills’ upcoming opponent and what each team might do to emerge victorious.
The Bills’ fourth game of 2024 will take place at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland as they face the Baltimore Ravens. Here’s what you should know:
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 22: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 hands the ball to running back Derrick Henry #22 during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on September 22, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
RAVENS WILL RUN, RUN AND RUN SOME MORE
Before the 2019 season began, longtime Ravens head coach John Harbaugh promoted former Bills and San Francisco 49ers offensive play-caller Greg Roman to replace the outgoing Marty Mornhinweg. The top priority for Roman was quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is one of the most gifted quarterbacks in pro football and already a two-time league MVP.
According to Bucky Brooks of nfl.com, “As a passer, Jackson has shown tremendous progress. He has significantly improved his completion rate and passer rating while displaying a better overall feel for the game from the pocket. He’s at his best throwing the ball down the seams or on in-breaking routes between the numbers on traditional dropbacks and play-action passes. Although he remains a work in progress on throws to the outside, the Ravens have built their offense around the strengths of his game and by allowing him to be himself.”
Roman had experience working with mobile quarterbacks like Tyrod Taylor and Colin Kaepernick and had previously installed successful concepts for both of his former signal-callers like sweeps, zone-read options, triple options, quarterback counters and RPOs. Jackson used those same ideas and took them to another level in 2019, as he shattered Michael Vick’s league record for rushing yards in a season by a quarterback and became the first passer in NFL history to run for more than 1,000 yards and throw for 35 or more touchdowns.
That same year the Ravens also became the first team to average 200 rushing and passing yards per game in one campaign and set a new standard for rushing yardage in a season with 3,296. 2020 saw many of the same results, as Jackson became the first signal caller to rush for 1,000 yards in consecutive years and Baltimore also put up 3,071 yards – the first team ever to accumulate 3,000 yards on the ground in back-to-back years.
2021’s output wasn’t quite as good as in past years due to multiple injuries, but the Ravens ended the 2022 campaign with 2,720 yards rushing (good for second-best in the NFL) and led the league in rushing again in 2023. In fact, Baltimore has been so good on the ground that they’ve rushed for at least 100 yards in 36 straight games and have eclipsed 250 yards 13 times since 2018.
As much as Baltimore dominated on the ground through the years, however, the same couldn’t be said about their passing attack which was too easy to stop. This led to the ouster of Roman in favor of Todd Monken, a former coordinator in Tampa Bay and Cleveland who had helped the Georgia Bulldogs win back-to-back national championships at the college level.
Monken has helped Jackson by wisely keeping many of their rushing schemes from the past and has expanded their passing game through clever usage of offensive sets, play-action and route concepts with defined reads to give him confidence right off the bat. Those passes are typically thrown to speedsters like Rashod Bateman and Zay Flowers while veteran Nelson Agholor provides depth and experience.
Used even more than their receivers are tight ends Mark Andrews (who can attack both the intermediate and vertical levels of defenses) and Isaiah Likely. Those two will be on the field at any given time, as the Ravens are one of the league leaders in usage of “12” (one back, two tight ends), “22” (two backs, two tight ends), “21” (two backs, one tight end) and “13” (one back, three tight ends) personnel. But they aren’t just weapons in the passing game – they’re also utilized heavily on the ground as blockers for Jackson, running backs Justice Hill and Keaton Mitchell (who is currently injured) and fullback Patrick Ricard.
That feared running game has been boosted even further by the acquisition of one of the NFL’s best running backs. Even though he lacks great quickness, Derrick Henry boasts an abundance of speed, power and strength in his game – allowing him to become just the eighth tailback ever to rush for 2,000 yards in a season in 2020.
Baltimore’s offensive line is characterized by man-blocking, pulling guards and power runs, and stalwarts Ronnie Stanley and Tyler Linderbaum are the team’s building blocks up front. The other three starters – Andrew Vorhees, Daniel Faalele and Patrick Mekari – have replaced the outgoing Morgan Moses, Kevin Zeitler and John Simpson. Kicker Justin Tucker remains one of the league’s elite at his position.
In addition to their running prowess the Ravens’ offense was good in other areas a year ago. They were sixth in total yards and fourth in scoring but just 21st in passing – additionally they became just the third team in the Super Bowl era (joining the 1985 Chicago Bears and 1972 Miami Dolphins) to score 25-plus points-per-game while leading the NFL in rushing offense and scoring defense.
Baltimore was also the second team (along with the 2007 New England Patriots) with a point differential of 100 or greater against other playoff teams, and the Ravens became the fourth team since 1970 with a first-team All-Pro quarterback and the NFL’s first-ranked scoring defense. The previous three teams each won a Super Bowl (the ‘72 Dolphins, ’78 Pittsburgh Steelers and ’96 Green Bay Packers all accomplished the feat).
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 5: Roquan Smith #0 of the Baltimore Ravens and Kyle Hamilton #14 of the Baltimore Ravens tackle Noah Gray #83 of the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 5, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE’S DEFENSE TRADITIONALLY AN EXCELLENT UNIT, BUT UNDERACHIEVING SO FAR
Typically the more-discussed unit on their team thanks to legendary coaches and players on that side of the ball, Baltimore’s defense is being overshadowed for once. Not to be outdone by their counterparts on offense, the Ravens usually have one of the better groups of defenders in football – finishing 2023 sixth in total defense, first in sacks, points allowed and takeaways (becoming the first defense ever to accomplish all three in one year), 14th against the run and seventh in defending the pass. They do all this while being one of the most effective blitzing defenses in the NFL and mostly do so on overload and fire zone rushes out of single-high coverage looks and multiple fronts.
Through three games though, Baltimore has underperformed defensively. Having lost stalwarts like Patrick Queen, Geno Stone and Jadeveon Clowney to free agency and play-caller Mike McDonald to a head coaching job in Seattle, the Ravens – while still playing well against the run (first) – are dead-last against the pass. They’re still voluminous in their subpackage groupings (they use traditional nickel, big nickel with a third safety, dime with three safeties instead of a fourth cornerback and dime with four safeties and two corners), but there isn’t as much detail in their simulated pressure schemes – meaning their blitzes have been easier to figure out.
Now coordinated by Zach Orr, the Ravens have never been lacking in talent among their front seven and this year has been no exception. Defensive linemen Michael Pierce, Travis Jones and Nnamdi Madubuike are solid run-stuffers (Madubuike had a breakthrough in the pass rush department with 13.5 sacks last year) and veterans Odafe Oweh and Kyle Van Noy are the team’s best outside linebackers. Former Chicago Bear Roquan Smith and second-year man Trenton Simpson are their inside linebackers, and are one of the best duos in the NFL as they can cover and stop the run with ease.
Baltimore’s secondary is also very good. Orr has some chess pieces at cornerback in Marlon Humphrey (who is adept at playing in the slot and on the boundary) and Brandon Stephens. Both can execute man and zone coverages well. Safeties Marcus Williams, Eddie Jackson and Kyle Hamilton are moved around often in pre-snap disguises – Hamilton is effective in the slot and is a good blitzer.
ORCHARD PARK, NY - SEPTEMBER 23: Von Miller #40 of the Buffalo Bills sacks Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Jacksonville Jaguars during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game at Highmark Stadium on September 23, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images)
BUFFALO’S DEFENSE USUALLY ELITE, BUT UNDERGOING CHANGES IN 2024
For most of head coach Sean McDermott’s time in Buffalo, the Bills’ defense has been one of the league’s best. Points allowed (fourth in the NFL in that category in 2023), total yards per game allowed (ninth), passing yards given up (seventh), rushing yards surrendered (15th), takeaways (third), interceptions (tied for fourth) and sacks (fourth, tied for second-most in their history with the 2014 team) have generally been the categories that the Bills have excelled at over the years, with last season’s sack total being the best in the McDermott era.
2024, however, will be a year of transition for the Bills on defense. Due to age and salary cap complications, out the door are longtime veterans such as Jordan Poyer (Dolphins), Micah Hyde, Tre’Davious White (Los Angeles Rams), Leonard Floyd (San Francisco 49ers, who had 10.5 sacks a year ago – the most of any Bill since Lorenzo Alexander in 2016), Jordan Phillips and Linval Joseph (Dallas Cowboys), Shaq Lawson, Tim Settle (Houston Texans), Kaylon “Poona” Ford (Los Angeles Chargers), Tyrel Dodson (Seattle Seahawks) and Dane Jackson (Carolina Panthers).
Including names from the past such as Kyle Williams, Jerry Hughes, Mario Addison, Star Lotulelei, Carlos “Boogie” Basham and Harrison Phillips, that’s a lot of turnover over the last eight years – none more so than this past offseason. The answer, according to McDermott, general manager Brandon Beane and new defensive coordinator Bobby Babich (who will get the opportunity to call plays this season) is youth and cheap veterans to provide cost-effective depth.
Some of those younger players – albeit young veterans since they are in their fourth and fifth professional seasons, respectively – who will be asked to take on a greater role include Greg Rousseau and A.J. Epenesa. Da’Quan Jones, perhaps their best run-stuffing lineman, is back healthy after tearing a pectoral muscle against Jacksonville last October and is effective on T-T stunts with Ed Oliver, an excellent gap penetrator.
They will be backed up by versatile free agent pickups Austin Johnson (who comes from the Chargers after stints with Tennessee and the Giants), Dawuane Smoot (Jacksonville) and Casey Toohill (Washington) along with rookies DeWayne Carter and Javon Solomon. Toohill is a core special teamer who reminds some of a more athletic Trent Murphy due to his length, height and movement skills while Solomon has been compared to a younger Elvis Dumervil with his lack of height yet long arms and strength and explosiveness off the edge.
Over the years Buffalo has been inconsistent in two areas – creating a consistent pass rush (last year not withstanding) and, from time to time, stopping the run. These issues are mainly caused by poor tackling (their missed and broken tackle percentage has been among the highest in the NFL over the years), a lack of gap integrity and a lack of versatility along the defensive line. They also gave up 4.6 yards a carry on inside runs, 30th in the NFL (and that trend has continued so far allowing 4.7 yards per carry – 22nd in the NFL). Another issue was the Bills giving up tying or go-ahead drives in the final two minutes in four of their six losses last year – meaning they struggled to close out games.
Beyond improving against the run, the Bills had also lacked an elite pass rusher off the edge who could command double teams on a consistent basis since Mario Williams was employed 10 years ago. With this in mind, two years ago Beane signed future Hall of Famer Von Miller. But Miller suffered a torn ACL after putting up eight sacks in 11 games and missed the first four games of last season while recovering on the PUP list. He’s back now and was on a snap count as he shook off the rust (although by his own admission he shouldn’t have played) but has provided a flash of his old All-Pro ability and speed with sacks in each of the team’s first three games.
Schematically the Bills’ defense mostly relies on basic zones after the snap (they’re usually among the top units in the NFL in usage of coverages with two high safeties such as Cover Two, Four and Six) but before the snap it is complex – safety rotations to disguise their intentions keep opposing quarterbacks guessing and selective pressure looks at the line of scrimmage and coverage exchanges are the team’s calling cards.
Those blitz looks usually happen in the A-gaps with the smaller, but smart, speedy and athletic Matt Milano and Terrell Bernard (who replaced the departed Tremaine Edmunds last year) to confuse opposing offensive lines and quarterbacks, but Buffalo rarely sends five or more pass rushers – their favorite blitz tactic besides A-gappers are four-man zone exchanges. Bernard has become a good blitzer and coverage ‘backer – his 6.5 sacks in 2023 were the most by an off-the-ball linebacker in Bills annals and he became the first NFL player since Seth Joyner in 1991 with six sacks, three picks and three fumble recoveries in a season.
But for the second straight year, Milano is out for the foreseeable future after suffering a major injury – this time a torn bicep –which means backup Dorian Williams will need to pick up the slack. The Bills struggled to defend the run well last year because of a lack of experience by Williams – he’s shown flashes of quickness and burst but was slow to key and diagnose at the line of scrimmage. He also took many false steps and needs to process better while in coverage, but is athletic, long and fluid – which should bode well for his future. Bernard is also out after sustaining a pectoral injury against Miami, which will lead to Baylon Spector getting the starting nod for a second straight week.
Should Williams or Spector continue to struggle, rookie Joe Andreessen could replace them. Andreessen, a University at Buffalo product who hails from nearby Lancaster, showed excellent diagnostic skills at the line of scrimmage in the preseason while also displaying strong hands, a quick downhill trigger that allows him to shoot gaps well and some speed and range. It helps that the rookie played in a similar role as Milano while in college.
The Bills mainly utilize nickel personnel, as evidenced by Buffalo using five defensive backs between 90 and 100 percent of their snaps since 2020. They did use more dime personnel after Milano’s injury last year with three safeties to help offset the loss of Milano in pass coverage, and that setup featured Hyde and ex-Ram Taylor Rapp on the back end and Poyer near the line of scrimmage.
With Hyde and Poyer’s elite ability to disguise coverages on the back end now gone, the Bills’ safety positions are now manned by Rapp (who is better playing near the line of scrimmage), the rangy and physical but inconsistent Damar Hamlin, veteran pickup Mike Edwards (he brings physicality and smarts and can play in the box or on the back end) and rookie Cole Bishop, who is an underrated and cerebral athlete.
At the boundary cornerback spots replacing White and Jackson are Christian Benford and Rasul Douglas, and are backed up by the tall and physical Ja’Marcus Ingram and Kaiir Elam, who has underwhelmed so far as a pro. Douglas, an ex-Green Bay Packer and Philadelphia Eagle, has great size and length, is versatile and a gambler – he can take chances because he understands route combinations very well (he led the NFL in takeaways last year with six after he was acquired). Slot corner Taron Johnson remains elite but will miss a third straight game with an forearm injury and will be replaced by tweener Cam Lewis.
So far the dime setup has returned with Lewis manning the linebacker spot and Ingram taking over in the slot. It’s worked to the tune of four takeaways (tied for third), 10 sacks (tied for fifth), seventh in points allowed, eighth in total yards given up, second against the pass and tied for third in plays given up of 20 yards or more.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills calls a play during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Highmark Stadium on September 23, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
BILLS’ OFFENSE AN UPPER-ECHELON UNIT, BUT EVOLVING
Led by quarterback Josh Allen and a cadre of gifted pass-catchers, the Bills boasted one of the NFL’s elite offenses for the first time since the K-Gun was running roughshod over the league more than 30 years ago. Allen’s improved processing skills, ball placement, patience within the pocket and touch on passes allowed Buffalo to become one of the most feared attacks in pro football over the last four years (last year Allen was fourth in passing yards and tied for fifth in passing touchdowns while tying for third in rushing scores – leading the league in total yards and touchdowns in the process).
In 2023 the Bills were sixth in scoring, fourth in total yards, seventh in rushing and eighth in passing. They were also first in third down rate and fifth in red zone efficiency, yet their offense performed poorly over a six-game stretch where they averaged just 20.5 points per game. It resulted in then-offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey getting the boot in favor of quarterbacks coach and former Carolina Panthers play caller Joe Brady.
Like their defensive counterparts, the Bills are going through changes on this side of the ball because of age, the salary cap and a new coordinator. With Brady taking over the role full-time, the biggest philosophical change on offense for Buffalo will be to retain elements of what made them so good in the first place while adding in new and fresh concepts.
Between 2018 and last year, Buffalo’s offense was an Erhardt-Perkins system brought in from New England by then-coordinator Brian Daboll. It was built upon concepts involving option and crossing routes from the slot, downfield routes from the outside, run-pass options (especially in the red zone), designed quarterback runs to take advantage of Allen’s mobility and alignments that create favorable matchups and some trick plays with jet/orbit motion and sweeps. It was mostly out of “11” personnel groupings (one back, one tight end and three wide receivers), “10” personnel (one back, no tight ends, four receivers) and “12” personnel (one back, two tight ends and two receivers) – and would also go no-huddle from time to time to limit the opposition’s defensive calls.
The Bills’ multi-receiver sets were traditionally their offensive calling card. In 2020 they used four wide receivers or more 155 times – the second-most in the NFL at the time – and they utilized someone in motion on 43 percent of their offensive snaps, a huge increase from their 25 percent rate in 2019. Daboll, now the head coach of the New York Giants, also called for a passing play on 64 percent of their first downs, according to ESPN Stats and Information (no team with a winning record in the prior 20 years did it more than Buffalo) and that rate continued in 2021 and ’22 with “11” personnel used on nearly three-quarters of their plays.
Daboll’s successor, Ken Dorsey, got away from some those concepts and tried to rely on the talent at his disposal winning one-on-one matchups instead of having the scheme help them get open. Once Brady was promoted, the Bills returned to them. He also included more under-center formations and play-action (which can still stand to increase after being a top-four team in run-fakes in 2020 and ’21), pre-snap shifts, motions, designed passes to running backs and route combinations with defined reads for Allen so he can play within structure (so far they’ve used pre-snap motion on nearly 80 percent of their offensive plays – fourth in the league).
Brady got his start in the NFL working for the New Orleans Saints and then-coach Sean Payton. Payton himself came from a melting pot of a background including stints running the Erhardt-Perkins scheme for Bill Parcells in Dallas and learning the West Coast offense from Jim Fassel in New York with the Giants and from Jon Gruden during their one-year stint together in Philadelphia in 1997, so Brady will bring a similar approach to the table while likely keeping some things the same in Buffalo.
Their biggest transaction on offense was trading the aging Stefon Diggs to Houston. Diggs, while never a burner on the outside, was an exceptional route runner who specialized in making contested catches and operated well out of bunch and stack formations – leading him to re-write many of the Bills’ single season receiving records.
In addition to Diggs, Buffalo has let veterans Gabriel Davis, John Brown, Cole Beasley, Isaiah McKenzie, Jamison Crowder, Trent Sherfield, Deonte Harty and Andy Isabella walk over the years. Many of them were productive, but nothing can last forever – hence the overhaul of the Bills’ wide receiver room in 2024.
The Payton offense is built through having big, physical targets who can get open over the middle of the field, especially on deep in-cuts, or “dig” routes. Payton has employed such players in those roles before like Marques Colston, Jimmy Graham, Michael Thomas and Courtland Sutton, and the drafting of rookie Keon Coleman from Florida State fits the bill for Brady. Coleman, whose game evoked comparisons to Colston, Brandon Marshall and Anquan Boldin coming out of college, brings size and physicality to the boundary ‘X’ position with good body control and strong hands to make contested catches and has some run after the catch ability. He does need to work on his speed, quickness and ability to beat press coverage, but in time he may improve in those areas.
While not a burner at the position (like free agent pickup Mack Hollins, who has similar skills), Coleman will be accentuated by speed in the form of Curtis Samuel – a poor-man’s Deebo Samuel who can line up both in the slot and outside the numbers and take handoffs – and deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who needs to work on his inconsistent hands. That speed was needed since Buffalo was just 28th in the NFL in plays of 20 yards or more last season according to Trumedia, and shifty third-year man Khalil Shakir returns to man the slot with his quickness, sure hands and savviness to get open versus zone coverage.
Tight end Dawson Knox is joined by second-year man Dalton Kincaid, and their diverse skillsets should allow the Bills to throw curveballs at opponents with multiple tight end sets. Kincaid lived up to the hype with 73 receptions a year ago, the most of any Bills rookie and surpassed Pete Metzelaars for the most catches by a Bills tight end in one season. He also became the fourth rookie tight end since 1960 with 70 or more catches in a year.
The Bills’ offensive line is composed of Dion Dawkins, David Edwards, Connor McGovern (taking over at center for the departed Mitch Morse), O’Cyrus Torrence and Spencer Brown. This crew (which last year became the first unit to start every game in a regular season for Buffalo since 1989) along with fullback Reggie Gilliam has mainly executed outside zone runs along with zone-reads, pin-and-pull concepts, traps (especially with Dawkins as the puller), counters, split inside zone and sprint draw plays sprinkled in for running back James Cook. Cook, who had a breakout season in his first campaign as the starter, is backed up by physical rookie Ray Davis and ex-Jet Ty Johnson provides valuable depth with his receiving skills.
The starting front five had been iffy in providing push in the running game and in pass protection over the last couple of years but has become a strength. In the past, most of the team’s rushing production came from Allen’s legs and few came from their backs – the Bills’ rushing attempts per game in 2022, 18.2, was last in the NFL but that number jumped to the highest in the NFL after Brady was promoted. Rushing for 266 yards against Dallas was the most such yardage under Sean McDermott since 2017 and was taken down just 24 times overall in 17 regular season outings – the best mark in pro football. Through three weeks the Bills have allowed just two sacks – the fewest sacks they’ve given up in that timeframe since 2012.
So far that approach has continued in 2024. Buffalo has run the ball on one of the highest figures in the NFL and have also carried over their trend of using an extra offensive lineman to help in the running game. Now that Edwards has moved into the starting lineup, that extra guy is now Alec Anderson, and through two games the Bills have led the league in snaps with six linemen on the field – with most of them being called runs.
One area the Bills need to clean up is protecting the ball. Over the last two years, they were one the league’s sloppiest teams – Allen had 14 interceptions and 13 fumbles in 2022 and Allen led the NFL with 18 interceptions last year.
While punter Sam Martin and kicker Tyler Bass have been excellent in the past, Bass has been a bit shaky lately. When Martin was named the NFL’s Special Teams Player of the Month in December – the first Bills punter to do so since Brian Moorman in November 2006 – and Bass collected the same honor earlier in the year, it was the first time both Bills specialists have won the award in one season. But Bass’ field goal percentage took a dip in 2023 – the question with him is, was it because he was getting acclimated to a new holder, or was it a mental block? Time will tell.
Buffalo has scored 30 points or more in each game they’ve played so far. They’re first in scoring and second in red zone efficiency.
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 23: Keon Coleman #0 celebrates with Dalton Kincaid #86 of the Buffalo Bills after scoring a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Highmark Stadium on September 23, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
12 STATS TO MUSE OVER
· Allen has compiled 43 career regular season games with a passer rating of 100 or better and has reached that mark in 26 of his last 42 outings. In those games Buffalo’s record is 40-3, and he had a perfect quarterback rating against Miami in Week Four of last year – Doug Flutie was the only other Bills passer to accomplish that feat in a game back in 2000.
· Miller is the first defensive player in league history to sign two contracts worth at least $100 million. He is also vying to be the second player to win a Super Bowl with three different teams (Matt Millen was the first) and has tied Derrick Thomas for 17th on the all-time sack list. 1.5 more will tie him with Rickey Jackson for 16th.
· After their victory in Miami, the Bills have compiled a road winning percentage of .675 (28-13) since 2019.
· Buffalo’s regular season record over the last three years with Allen is 50-18, and he’s 66-31 all-time as a Bill. Additionally, Allen’s career record in primetime is 17-6 and he and McDermott are 6-1 on Sunday Night Football. They’re also 5-0 on Thursdays, but just 4-4 on Monday Night Football (Lamar Jackson has also had similar success in primetime, going 16-5).
· Since 2020 Buffalo has the best home record in the NFL – 34-9 including playoffs.
· The Bills haven’t lost a game by more than six points in their last 43 outings – the longest streak in NFL history. They’ve also won eight games in a row, the longest active streak in the league.
· Allen is just two rushing touchdowns away from moving past O.J. Simpson and 11 away from surpassing Thurman Thomas for second and first all-time, respectively, in Bills annals.
· According to Trumedia, the Bills faced man coverage on 32.7 percent of their snaps last year – the most in the NFL. However, heavy usage of man coverage isn’t foreign to the Bills’ offense. It’s been a staple against them over the last five years (48 percent in 2019, first, 35 percent in ’20, fifth, 33.3 percent in ’21, fourth and 29.3 percent in ’22, fifth). That familiarity with it allowed them to beat Jacksonville last week by 37 points – the fourth-biggest margin of victory in team history.
· Tonight’s game will be the third of four night games in Buffalo’s first six weeks – which are tied for the most that any NFL team has ever played. It’s also the second year in a row they’ve played three straight weeks in primetime, and they’re the first team since the merger to do that in back-to-back years.
· Last week was Allen’s 11th career game with four passing scores, which passes Jim Kelly for the most in franchise annals.
· Allen became the first quarterback with a completion percentage of 75, four touchdown passes, no turnovers or sacks and lead his team in rushing in one game, according to OptaStats.
· The “everybody eats” mentality has rang true so far in 2024 – last week the Bills had 10 players with a reception (the 10th time that’s happened and Allen has been the quarterback for five of them) and six different pass catchers have caught a touchdown, which is the most in the NFL so far.
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