Buffalo Rumblings
There will be no Victory Monday this week, as the Buffalo Bills lost 13-12 to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday afternoon, bringing their record to 11-5. The loss also clinched the AFC East division title for the New England Patriots, ending Buffalo’s five-year streak. It was an ugly game offensively, and it was the Bills’ lowest scoring total of the season.
Entering Week 17, Buffalo found itself with a few key contributors in safety Jordan Poyer, defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and tight end Dalton Kincaid. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips and kicker Matt Prater each missed their second consecutive game, and second-year wideout Keon Coleman was a healthy scratch for the fifth time this season.
See the full list of inactive players here: Buffalo Bills Week 17 inactives vs. the Philadelphia Eagles
D.Dawkins T 76 100%
D.Edwards G 76 100%
O.Torrence G 76 100%
C.McGovern G 76 100%
J.Allen QB 76 100%
S.Brown T 74 97%
K.Shakir WR 59 78%
D.Knox TE 48 63%
T.Shavers WR 43 57%
B.Cooks WR 39 51%
J.Cook RB 39 51%
J.Palmer WR 38 50%
Ty.Johnson RB 29 38%
G.Davis WR 29 38%
J.Hawes TE 21 28%
K.Latu TE 16 21%
R.Davis RB 10 13%
R.Gilliam FB 7 9%
A.Anderson T 2 3%
R.Van Demark T 2 3%
After logging a season-low 50 offensive snaps in Week 16, the Bills logged 76 snaps in Week 17, the second-most this season. Despite no injury designation and numerous trips to the x-ray room, Josh Allen (100%) still looked a step slow, and it resulted in plenty of points left on the table. Allen was sacked five times and fumbled on Buffalo’s second possession of the game, but he added two more rushing touchdowns to his season total. We can all nitpick his lack of weapons or the inconsistent pass protection, but he missed crucial throws and/or held the ball too long.
Buffalo failed to get running back James Cook (51%) going, as he totaled 20 carries for 74 yards, and the team is now 0-4 in games in which Cook has failed to eclipse 100 scrimmage yards. While Cook garnered four targets, he caught just one of them for three yards, while Ty Johnson (38%) hauled in 3-of-4 targets for 33 yards. Johnson’s 29 snaps were a season-high, likely because of the Bills’ offensive line losing the battle in the trenches all game.
A Dalton Kincaid-less Bills’ offense is hard to watch at times. Tight end Dawson Knox (63%) remains a consistent target across the middle of the field, hauling in all five of his targets for 30 yards. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks (51%) logged 39 snaps, his most since joining the Bills, and was the only pass catcher to consistently create separation. The 32-year-old Cooks caught four balls for 101 yards. It’s also time to give Tyrell Shavers (57%) more opportunities moving forward. He rarely sees targets but makes the most of his opportunities when they present...
