The Buffalo Bills have not lost three regular-season games in a row since 2018. They haven’t lost three games in a row period since the 2019 season, when they lost their final two games entering the playoffs
before losing to the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. The Bills also have never lost following a bye week under head coach Sean McDermott.
Well, this week, the Bills face the Carolina Panthers. They’re coming off their bye week on a two-game losing streak. Will they continue their offensive tailspin? Will their defense continue to look lost and overpowered for long stretches of play? Or, will they do what they’ve done over the last few years, which is make adjustments, right the ship, and catapult themselves to a strong season overall?
We’re still a few days from finding out, but if they’re going to pick up an all-important victory on Sunday, they’ll need some big-time performances from their big-time players. Our five players to watch are below, but one quick note: I’m going to skip quarterback Josh Allen this week. We discuss him plenty in this space, and he’s obviously a key to success every time the Bills step on the field.
And with that, here’s our list.
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RB James Cook
Buffalo’s best offensive player not named Josh Allen is James Cook, who has developed into a superstar in his own right. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady needs to be creative in feeding him touches.
Buffalo is a team devoid of dynamic playmakers on the outside. Their best pass-catchers would likely be secondary options on most other elite teams in the NFL. Cook can also catch the football, and when he has the ball in the open field, he’s a threat to score from wherever he touches the pigskin.
Sometimes, people can look so hard for solutions that the obvious answers are hardest to find. This isn’t rocket science. The best players need the ball in their hands. Allen and Cook need to be the two guys driving this train. Give No.4 the rock on Sunday in a variety of ways and the offense should open up in the way we expect.
WR Khalil Shakir
While tight end Dalton Kincaid has been an as-advertised strong contributor, he’s dealing with an oblique injury right now. That leaves Shakir as Buffalo’s best receiver — and he’s arguably that anyway, even when Kincaid is healthy. There’s no reason why Shakir should have just five targets in a game where Kincaid isn’t playing, but that’s what happened when Buffalo lost to the Atlanta Falcons.
Brady needs to dial up some plays that allow Shakir to do what he does best, which is catch the ball quickly and make people miss in the open field. It doesn’t always have to be a quick screen to accomplish this. Shakir can run drag routes, slants, quick ins, and quick outs. Honestly, maybe Brady can go crazy and design some picks and rubs where he uses a bigger-bodied player like Tyrell Shavers to create some separation for Shakir to do damage over the middle.
This also isn’t rocket science. The best players need the ball in their hands. Giving No. 10 some targets early could help to open up others players later in the game.
DT Larry Ogunjobi
Larry Ogunjobi is one of two players coming off suspension, with the other being Michael Hoecht, who should make an immediate impact for the Bills’ defensive front. I think Ogunjobi is a bigger key to the game merely due to the position he plays and the state of the roster at this time. T.J. Sanders is on Injured Reserve, and DaQuan Jones is looking like he’ll miss the game thanks to a calf injury he suffered in warmups two weeks ago.
Even if the Bills bring up a player from the practice squad here, we have to assume that Ogunjobi is going to play plenty of snaps behind Deone Walker and Ed Oliver. If the veteran can come in and provide some juice (pun intended) up front, then the Bills might be able to slow Rico Dowdle and the potent Panthers rushing attack.
LB Shaq Thompson
Is the veteran Buffalo’s best linebacker right now? Yes, he is. That means that Shaq Thompson should see plenty of time on defense, and whether he sees time with Matt Milano or in place of Matt Milano, I’m not concerned.
Thompson has looked great against the run and better than expected in short zone coverage. He’s aggressively making reads, he’s hitting hard, and he’s not missing tons of tackles. Thompson filled in admirably for both Milano and Terrel Bernard at different points, and he’s also done a good job as the third linebacker with those two players — or with Dorian Williams when Milano has been hurt.
However we slice it, Thompson should play a big part in Sunday’s game when he returns to the place he called home for the first 10 years of his career.
CB Christian Benford
In Buffalo’s last game, Drake London torched the Bills for 10 catches, 158 yards, and one touchdown. Most of that production came in the first half. When Benford followed London in the second half, though, that production slowed. London caught just one pass for 11 yards after intermission.
If the Bills are going to play man, they need their top corner to shadow the opposing team’s top receiver. It’s not something the Bills usually do, but in this year’s defense, it needs to happen.
Tetairoa McMillan is Carolina’s top receiver. Benford needs to follow him. If he does, I think the Bills have a great shot at keeping Carolina’s offense bottled up for the day. If veteran quarterback Andy Dalton, who is likely to start for Bryce Young, sees Tre’Davious White lined up across from McMillan, then it likely won’t end well for the Bills.
