ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — You’ve got Buffalo Bills questions. I’ve got answers. Let’s do this.
I_mABilliever asks: The Bills lost the (line of scrimmage) on both sides of the ball badly as they seem to do in every big loss. Despite the upgrades via the draft, return of Star Lotulelei & OL shuffling, we had zero sacks on Ryan Tannehill and no running game as usual. Aren’t (Super Bowl) thoughts just California dreamin’ for more heartbreak?
Vic Carucci: It’s easy to overreact to what happened Monday night at Tennessee. Everything, good or bad, that takes place on a prime-time stage invariably triggers the strongest of the countless hot takes out there. Yours is right in line with others in this space and those that have been spoken/written all week.
Yes, the Titans generally owned the line of scrimmage on both sides. You’ll find that to be the case in pretty much any loss, big or small.
No, the Bills didn’t sack Tannehill, nor generate much pressure. That was a far cry from how the defensive front performed through most of the previous five games, which I see as the more accurate sample size of what it can or can’t do. A large part of what neutralized the Bills’ pass rush was the considerable running threat of Derrick Henry. The defense had good reason to be set up to focus on trying to contain him rather than cut loose on a quarterback who primarily serves as a game manager. To Tannehill’s credit, he did his most effective throwing in the fourth quarter, when the game was on the line.
It’s true the Bills’ running game was virtually non-existent. However, on a night when Josh Allen threw for 300-plus yards and made plenty of plays with his arm, legs, and hands to put his team in a position to win the game, I didn’t see ground futility as a major problem.
Losing to Tennessee doesn’t change the fact the Bills are still one of the top teams in the NFL.
To your point that Super Bowl thoughts might be “just California dreamin’ for more heartbreak,” my guess is that more than a few Bills fans would more than love the opportunity to find out.
MrEd315 asks: In your estimation what’s it gonna take to fix the Bills red zone shortcomings?
VC: Though I agree the season-long red-zone issues are a legitimate concern, I didn’t see them, on the whole, as the primary cause for the loss to Tennessee.
Let’s not forget that the offense generated 31 points in a three-point game that wasn’t decided until the final seconds. In most cases, the point total would be more than sufficient and produce a victory.
Of course, the Bills should have scored more, and settling for field goals in the red zone generally is a formula for failure. The fixing should come from a combination of factors, including:
- Play design. With a quarterback as mobile as Allen, I would frequently have him moving laterally, because that would stretch out the defense and put Allen in a position where his speed and athleticism would either allow him to throw to a receiver who shakes open in the end zone or open enough room to take it in himself.
- Play calling. Brian Daboll has plenty of creativity and is highly aggressive. He needs to plug into that more in the red zone. Yet another is utilizing all of the best red-zone targets to the fullest: Stefon Diggs, Emmanuel Sanders, Dawson Knox (when he’s healthy), Gabe Davis, and the running backs as receivers.
- Better execution. Speaks for itself.
But as inconsistently as the Bills’ offense functioned inside the Titans’ 20-yard line, I had a much larger problem with the shortcomings on defense. I was, and still am, convinced this is a dominant unit. I don’t believe what it showed before that game was any sort of fluke. I do believe it was outmatched by the size and strength of a power-oriented offense built around one of the best backs to play the game.
The good news is most of the Bills’ opponents aren’t built that way, and the speed, quickness and opportunism of Buffalo’s D will match up better against them.
csm3d asks: Hi Vic. Do you anticipate (general manager Brandon Beane) to be active in the trade market? If yes, where do you think they may want to get better besides TE?
VC: I don’t anticipate Brandon Beane doing much, if anything, in the trade market. If the reporting on Knox’s hand surgery is correct, it doesn’t sound as if he’ll be out for more than a couple of the very winnable stretch of games ahead. That wouldn’t seem to necessitate a trade for a tight end.
Otherwise, this is a talented and deep roster that doesn’t require any appreciable upgrading.
DavidMingoia asks: Do the Bills engage the league on the poor officiating, especially the holding calls on the TD runs that we are all seeing the last few days in clear detail? I don't expect results but the more I watch of the clips the sicker I feel over the game.
garylo200 asks: The Bills had two TDs called back in the Titans game due to holding. Titans had no holding calls, despite clearly holding on two Henry TDs. Isn't the league making it too obvious the officials are instructed to favor certain stars from the bigger markets?
VC: (With these topics being related, I’m answering them simultaneously.)
Every coach in the NFL submits a report to the league after each game citing calls (with accompanying video clips) he believes were made in error or missed. The NFL will usually respond, sometimes with an acknowledgement of a mistake(s), and sometimes with an explanation that might or might not satisfy the coach.
The larger purpose of the report is to assist in the league’s grading of officiating crews. Those grades influence future assignments, especially for the postseason and, ultimately, the officials’ long-term job security.
This won’t make you feel better, but you have a tremendous amount of company in your frustration over the calls and the role you believe they had in the outcome. I’m not talking about like-minded Bills fans. I’m talking about fans of all 32 teams. Complaining about officials is as old as the game itself. In 43 seasons of covering the NFL, yours is roughly the millionth question/comment I’ve heard about poor officiating being a factor in the loss of a team I cover.
It’s always about perception, and every year countless people can be heard saying, “I think officiating the worst it has ever been!” No solid proof. Just declarations. I’ve become numb to that.
I also firmly believe the better the technology involved in game broadcasts, from the number and quality of cameras (and resulting replays and angles) at the stadium to the clarity and crispness of the images on TV, has served to intensify the scrutiny of officiating. We see more and, therefore, have more to criticize.
That applies to the ridiculous notion the NFL has it out for the Bills because of their market size and has instructed officials to do more to “favor certain stars from the bigger markets.”
Last I checked, the Bills’ failure to make the playoffs through 17 dismal seasons was not the result of bad calls by the officials. Last I also checked, the Bills won 13 regular-season and two playoff games last season. They did so, in large part, because the star quarterback of this small-market team had an off-the-charts season throwing to a star receiver who led the league in receiving yards and touchdowns.
Gee, I wonder how many fans from those bigger-market teams that were home during the conference-championship games believed Allen’s and Diggs’ success came from officials being instructed to favor them.
And, for the record, the league and its television-network partners have EVERY reason to love seeing the Bills win because they are a great national TV draw, just as they were when they routinely went to Super Bowls.