If you are a Buffalo Bills fan who found a large boulder, you are probably hiding under it right now. The Buffalo Bills’ offense against the Carolina Panthers yesterday was putrid and downright embarrassing. The stats are painful. Buffalo’s top running back Lesean Mccoy had 12 attempts for 9 rushing yards. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw for a measly 125 yards and no touchdowns. It was a tough game for Buffalo followers to watch, as the problems on offense were magnified like a telescope. The close 9-3 loss is a bit misleading. The game should have been 28-0 at the half, but the Bills' defense kept the game close.
The lack of wide receiving chemistry and talent is a major problem for Buffalo. Are coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane too focused on the 2018 draft and not enough on this season?
Zay Jones Breaks Down
If you only saw the last minute of the Bills’ regulation game against the Panthers, you would think the game was a nail biter. Rookie wide receiver Zay Jones could not pull in a slightly off target pass by Taylor on fourth down. The throw could have been a touchdown or given them a shot of making a score on the next play and tying up the game. However, with the way that the Bills offense was operating, the likelihood of Steven Hauschka making the extra point to win the game was probably lower than normal.
Jones blamed himself for the Bills’ loss. Said Jones after the game, as stated by the Buffalo News, “I didn’t get the job done today.”
Jones is not to blame. The Bills offense laid a rotten egg yesterday. Jones should not have been in that position. A time out should have been called earlier to preserve a wasted 13 seconds. None of the Bills’ wide receivers got that much separation yesterday.
The offense looked like a train wreck. Questions of Beane, McDermott, and Owner Terry Pegula agreeing to the Sammy Watkins trade are in Bills’ fans minds right now. Without the deep threat of Watkins, all teams need to do is to load the box on McCoy. The Panthers showed yesterday that the elusive McCoy can be stuffed throughout the game to expose Buffalo’s offense as one-dimensional.
Without Watkins, Taylor looks lost. Anquan Boldin’s unexpected retirement added another nail in the coffin to the Bills’ offense.
Jordan Matthews is a Small Bright Spot
Taylor, who looked shaky most of the game, did fit the ball into a tight window for Jordan Matthews on a 15-yard gain. He had 30 yards for the day. Andre Holmes and Zay Jones each had a pair of catches. Tight end Charles Clay managed three receptions for minimal yardage. However, the consensus is an easy one. Buffalo does not have enough man power right now to put up an effective passing game.
Fans do not deserve to watch such a disastrous offense. While Tyrod Taylor has not had much time with Matthews, his play should be better.
Holmes, Clay, and Jones have been with the team since training camp. Perhaps, it is time to move wide receiver Brandon Reilly off the practice squad and into the starting line-up. Maybe place backup Nate Peterman in for a drive or two to shake things up. Make another trade to get a quality veteran receiver that makes the team competitive. The time to get better is right now. The 2018 draft is over 6 months away.
The Buffalo defense sacked Cam Newton 6 times and held Carolina to zero touchdowns. Jordan Poyer denied a surefire touchdown pass in the end zone. Buffalo still lost. What are you going to do right now to fix your offense McDermott and Beane?
