The Buffalo Bills laid the egg of all eggs last week, losing 30-13 at the hands of the Miami Dolphins. It was a game that Buffalo trailed from the jump, and yet, it didn’t feel like it was entirely out of reach until halfway through the fourth quarter.
The Bills did everything they could to ensure a loss, as they looked confused on offense, turning the ball over three times, and struggling to maintain any sort of flow or rhythm. Quarterback Josh Allen alternated between running for his life and displaying
mass confusion at whatever defensive alignment Miami gave him, passing up open wideouts on early, shorter routes in some instances before scrambling, and waiting desperately for someone to uncover in other cases. On defense, the Bills tried to keep their mates in the game, but injuries, the South Florida heat and humidity, and a knack for missing run fits at inopportune times ultimately cost them.
There weren’t many bright spots in this one, but we did have some interesting moments from our five players to watch. Here’s how they performed.
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RB Ray Davis
James Cook entered the game without an injury designation, so it’s no surprise that Davis played sparingly on offense. He only appeared on seven snaps in total as his lost second season continues. Davis received two carries as the sacrificial lamb late in the game once the ending was essentially decided. He lost a combined two yards on those carries.
What I didn’t have on my bingo card was Davis being the kicker on an onside kick attempt after Buffalo scored to bring the game a little closer. After Allen hit tight Jackson Hawes for a score to make it 23-13 in the fourth, Davis came out to try an onside kick where he would be the intended player to recover. The kick didn’t go 10 yards, the Dolphins recovered it, and even if Buffalo had succeeded, it wouldn’t have mattered, as Hawes was whistled for an illegal formation penalty. That was his second penalty on special teams, with the first coming to negate a big kickoff return from Davis to open the second half. Davis caught one pass for zero yards, carried twice for -2 yards, and returned three kickoffs for 74 yards.
WR Curtis Samuel
Samuel’s one target resulted in a 21-yard catch on what was an insane play. Allen dropped back to pass on 3rd & 16, finding no one open. He scrambled left, circled back to his right, and fired across the middle. Samuel leapt, made the catch, and picked up a first down. It was on this play where I sighed and said, “here we go…this is where the comeback starts.” Alas, that drive ended with a bad interception in the end zone where Allen fired inside to Dawson Knox, who was shoved off his route, gave up, and turned to the outside.
Samuel’s usage, or lack thereof, continues to mystify, especially as the Bills’ receiver group draws increasing criticism. Samuel also returned one kickoff for 19 yards. He played 24 offensive snaps, tying him with Tyrell Shavers for the fewest among Buffalo’s wideouts. Khalil Shakir led the way with 45 snaps, followed by Keon Coleman (42) and Elijah Moore (25).
DE Javon Solomon
After Buffalo added multiple defensive linemen this offseason without truly addressing the wide receiver position — unless we consider Joshua Palmer and Kaden Prather to be significant upgrades — there was plenty of head-scratching. Entering this game, Buffalo’s intended roster had six edge rushers on the 53-man roster. However, after Michael Hoecht tore his Achilles tendon and A.J. Epenesa suffered a concussion, the Bills were left with only four healthy edge players entering this game.
After 10 minutes of game time, the Bills were down to three edge players, as rookie edge rusher Landon Jackson suffered a knee injury that will cost him significant time. That meant that Solomon was on the field for much more than he usually is, as he appeared on over half the team’s defensive snaps for just the second time in his career (the first time was the meaningless regular-season finale against the New England Patriots last season).
For his part, Solomon made some plays, but like the rest of his defensive companions, he didn’t do much that could change the outcome of the game. He totaled three tackles on 28 defensive snaps.
LB Terrel Bernard
I don’t know what to think here. It’s highly unlikely that Bernard has forgotten how to play football between last year and this year, but his play this season has been so below what we’ve come to expect from him that it defies explanation. Was he always subpar and just bailed out by solid turnover luck? Or is something happening — perhaps up front with the defensive tackle group — that’s leading him to be far less effective than he’s been in the past?
As a small linebacker, he needs strong defensive tackle play to keep him clean, but he’s consistently made bad reads, over-pursued plays, and found himself out of position in the run game even when Buffalo’s defensive front does well. In coverage, which had always been a strength, he looks lost, as he’s been a step slow whether in man or in zone this year.
Pro Football Focus grades aren’t often my go-to for supporting detail, but Bernard’s chart this season tells me what my eyes see: he’s been bad. He finished with five tackles, including one for a loss, against Miami.
S Jordan Poyer
I don’t think the Bills signed Poyer with the expectation that he’d be a starter, much less playing over 80% of the defensive snaps, but here we are. Poyer has helped second-year man Cole Bishop tremendously, as he’s allowed the coaching staff to put the young man in better situations to perform to his strengths.
Poyer, for his part, has been very good, as well. He led the team in tackles on Sunday, totaling eight overall. Bishop made his second interception of the season. Even with all the injuries in the defensive secondary, I’m less concerned about that group moving forward than I am the defensive front. Poyer continued his resurgence with another solid output this week.
