Coming off an embarrassing 30-13 loss at the hands of the Miami Dolphins, the Buffalo Bills are in need of a bounce-back game in the worst way. Given that their opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, are among the NFC’s top teams this season, it doesn’t seem like the ideal scenario for said bounce-back game to occur.
Opportunity is often won, however, and the Bills cannot afford to wait for good things to come to them. Trailing the New England Patriots in the AFC East Division race, the Bills need a win to keep their hopes of a sixth-straight division title afloat. A loss might not sink their battleship, but it puts their dreams on life support.
Buffalo looked lost last week, and while they were dealing with plenty of injuries, the fact remains that their listless performance was well below their standard. How can the team bounce back this week? Great performances from some key players would be a good first step.
Here are five Bills to watch this week against the Buccaneers.
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QB Josh Allen
For every “whoa” play Allen made last week, there were just as many plays that left me scratching my head. On the occasions where Buffalo’s receivers were able to uncover quickly, Allen held the football, as he either wasn’t anticipating openings or he was confused by the defense Miami showed. I think Allen and the offense anticipated a lot of man coverage, but with the Dolphins sitting in zone for much of the game, Allen was flustered, perplexed, and hesitant for much of the afternoon.
Regardless of what the Bucs choose to do — and they run a healthy mix of zero-blitz and sit-back zones — Allen needs to trust what he sees and fire the ball on schedule. Against the Kansas City Chiefs two weeks ago, Allen trusted his reads and made big play after big play by throwing decisively and quickly. He didn’t have to throw downfield much, but he did it just enough to keep the Chiefs honest. Against Miami last week, it seemed like he wanted the big one too often, and when he didn’t take those early wins, his receivers were unable to win downfield in order to make those plays happen.
Allen doesn’t need to be Superman, but he can still be heroic by keeping the offense on schedule and making crisp reads.
[Insert Pass-Catcher Here]
Your guess is as good as mine, friends. Will Khalil Shakir run routes that go beyond the line of scrimmage? Will Joshua Palmer come back from ankle and knee injuries to make an impact? Will Keon Coleman see targets on plays that aren’t 20-yard back-shoulder fades? Will Curtis Samuel see targets… period? How about Elijah Moore? Will Tyrell Shavers see more snaps and more targets? Will Gabe Davis and Mecole Hardman come in from the practice squad and make an impact? Will Dawson Knox be a suitable fill-in for Dalton Kincaid?
I’m usually against asking so many questions, but I’m having a hard time figuring out Buffalo’s pass-catching group 11 weeks into the season. Unfortunately, so are the Bills. Someone needs to step up and produce — immediately.
DE A.J. Epenesa
After Epenesa missed last week thanks to a concussion, he looks ready to go this week. Buffalo’s edge rushers are a perilously thin group and, as a result, the Bills had close to zero pass rush against Miami last week. It was so dire that DaQuan Jones, a 320-pound defensive tackle, was taking snaps at defensive end.
Adding Epenesa to Javon Solomon, Greg Rousseau, and Joey Bosa would be a big help for a Bills’ defense that needs to affect opposing quarterbacks with a four-man rush. Buffalo added a veteran to their practice squad, signing Morgan Fox as a de facto Michael Hoecht replacement, and it’s possible that he plays in the game this weekend.
Defensive tackle Phidarian Mathis is hurt, so the Bills could place him on Injured Reserve (IR) with rookie T.J. Sanders back at practice after an IR stint of his own. There are plenty of roster gymnastics the team may complete, but Epenesa needs to play well regardless of any other moves Buffalo makes.
DE Joey Bosa
Buffalo’s best free-agent acquisition has been the veteran pass-rusher. Bosa is banged up, having played last week with a club on his left wrist, but he was still quite effective. He’s been very good this season, totaling a league-leading four forced fumbles, as well as team-high totals in sacks (4), tackles for loss (7), and quarterback hits (12).
If he can win his matchups more often than not, it will make life easier on the Bills’ defensive secondary. Covering Emeka Egbuka is difficult enough, but if Baker Mayfield has all day to throw, it’s going to be a long afternoon for Buffalo regardless of the weather.
If Chris Godwin returns from IR, then it makes Tampa’s passing attack that much better, which means that the pass rush has to be good. Bosa needs to be “on” this Sunday.
LB Shaq Thompson
Will the veteran play this week after being sidelined by a hamstring injury last week? And if he does play, will he start? Will he play big snaps? Will he replace Matt Milano or Terrel Bernard in the lineup, or will he merely serve as the third linebacker in base defense?
Buffalo’s linebackers have been a huge problem this season, but Thompson has been a bright spot. That’s not what the team anticipated when they signed him, having likely expected him to be an insurance policy for Milano or Bernard if either of those two were injured.
Instead, Thompson has outplayed both starting linebackers. The defense is better with Thompson on the field, and if he plays, it could help the Bills to control the middle of the field.