Great defense will work for a few games. It did for the Buffalo Bills. They beat the Denver Broncos with a tough defensive stance. They pressured quarterback Matt Ryan and stopped him from making a touchdown on 4th-and-1 during the last play of the game in Week 4. During those wins, Buffalo also relied on 50-plus yard kicks from Stephen Hauschka, named special teams player of the week twice this year, to seal some wins. Enter Week Five. The dire situation for their offense was on full display this past Sunday when the Cincinnati Bengals beat them 20-16.
Buffalo barely broke 200 yards of offense. The running and passing game never got off the ground. Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane seem to favor solid defense and special teams. When a team cannot move the ball, strong defense and special teams performances just become a wasted effort. Here are what other defense dominant teams are doing to score some points and how the Bills can give fans an offense that is fun to watch.
Take some notes from the Broncos
Buffalo did have Denver’s number when they beat them this season. They contained Von Miller and pressured quarterback Trevor Siemian all game. However, the Broncos have a strong offensive weapon in running back C.J. Anderson. They also have two top-notch wide receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.
That is part of the reason why all three players have been successful. Opposing defenses cover all three guys.
Buffalo has a different problem, as most of the attention is on LeSean McCoy. Teams have been loading the box and daring Tyrod Taylor to throw the ball downfield to receivers that have not stepped up that much. Andre Holmes is not used to being a number two receiver, wide receiver Kaelin Clay has little experience, and rookie Zay Jones is dropping more passes than he is catching.
Jordan Matthews will be out for another two weeks at minimum and Buffalo desperately needs another wide receiver to have a chance at being a playoff contender. Plucking Brandon Reilly off the practice squad may give the team some needed help. His preseason performance was stellar and showed he has good hands. Keeping Reilly off the active roster seems like a waste for the Bills right now.
The Panthers are standing tall at 4-1
The Panthers shut down Buffalo’s offense in Week Two. Their only score was a field goal. Carolina’s running game is getting off to a slow start, but the Panthers have wide receivers Devin Funchess and Kelvin Benjamin. Tight end Ed Dickson had 175 yards of receiving in the team’s victory over the Detroit Lions this past weekend.
The Bills are without tight end Charles Clay for several weeks. That puts a huge gap in the team’s offense. Nick O’Leary did well last week, but another tight end such as free agent Gary Barnidge could help. Former Buffalo Bill Stevie Johnson is also available as a free agent. He expressed his desire to play for Buffalo on Twitter in August. From 2010 to 2012, Johnson had three seasons of 1000-plus yards. The Bills dumped him for Sammy Watkins. Signing Johnson can give Buffalo some solid play and another target for Tyrod Taylor.
