Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills had a shot at righting the ship against the Atlanta Falcons Monday night, as they hoped to avoid a losing streak heading into their bye week. Instead, a poor effort against the New England Patriots in Week 5 spiraled into another subpar effort this week, and the Bills lost 24-14 to a good Falcons team that they made look great.
In the first half, Buffalo’s defense was inept, to put it lightly. They were gashed to the tune of 340 net yards, an absurd number that almost doesn’t even show how dominant Atlanta was. As if that wasn’t enough, the offense was putrid, as well, as they netted just 48 yards in five possessions following an opening-drive score. The game looked like it was going to be a blowout, so it’s a testament to their will that the team was able to claw back into it and keep it a game.
That battered defense recovered in the second half, giving the beleaguered offense multiple chances to tie the game. However, the Falcons were able to put together a back-breaking drive late in the fourth quarter to seal the deal with a field goal.
In a game this rough, there are plenty of fingers to point and plenty of people at which to point them. Here’s how our five players to watch performed this week.
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QB Josh Allen
I understand that the receiving corps isn’t great. I understand that the Falcons have a very good defense. I understand that every game can’t be a Josh Allen Superman game. However, it shouldn’t have been necessary for Allen to be Superman in Atlanta, and yet, the Bills never felt like they were going to win that game.
Allen was under duress all night, as the Falcons blitzed him more than he’s been blitzed since his second year in the league. The blitz was beyond effective, as they hit, harried, and demoralized ALlen, and by proxy, Buffalo’s offense. The protection scheme was poor, and Allen looked uncomfortable in the pocket even in the rare moments when he did have time to throw. He doesn’t appear to be trusting that his line will keep him upright, and he certainly doesn’t appear to trust his pass-catchers to make any space to throw—more on that below.
However, Allen had chances to make plays, whether via throwing the ball to players who were open or by more decisively taking off and running. Too often, he’s seemed caught in between of late, and that goes for his scramble/throw decisions and his checks at the line of scrimmage as it relates to protections. He and the offensive linemen have especially had trouble identifying edge blitzers from the secondary, and on a key fourth down, Falcons corner A.J. Terrell came free on a blitz, forced Allen out of the pocket to his left, and prevented him from hitting an open Ty Johnson.
Allen also threw interceptions on the final possession of each half. Granted, it wasn’t all...
