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Behind Enemy Lines: Buffalo Bills

Sep 24, 2016, 5:23 PM

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It’s never too early for turmoil when Rex Ryan is involved.

Ryan’s Buffalo Bills are off to an 0-2 start in 2016 and they’ve already found a scapegoat in (former) offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who was fired the day after a 37-31 loss to the New York Jets last Thursday. Anthony Lynn stepped into the position.

The timing of the firing was strange because the Bills had almost 400 yards of offense against the Jets, while the defense yielded 493. Of course, Ryan’s twin brother, Rob, heads up the defense, so there’s that.

There are reports that the team’s owners, Terry and Kim Pegula, met with Bills players without Ryan being present. Let’s face it, so far 2016 has been a mess for Buffalo.

Anyway, the Bills have 14 more games on their schedule, including Sunday’s clash with the Arizona Cardinals at New Era Field.

All week, we’ll keep you abreast of Buffalo’s preparation for the Cardinals, who are seeking their first win in upstate New York since 1971.

It’s Behind Enemy Lines…


Saturday, September 24

Bills defense has plenty of fixing to do of its own (Buffalo News)

It’s easy to get so caught up in the turmoil the Buffalo Bills’ offense has generated that you forget there are some real problems with their defense as well.

Major problems. The kind of problems that could easily have led to the coaching shakeup that occurred on offense. In fact, as many critics have voiced, the Bills fired the wrong guy in offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

Bills’ change of coordinators eliminates one more excuse (Buffalo News)

Earlier this week, I ran into a friend at the gas station and the conversation quickly turned to the Bills. He said that as a season ticket-holder, he had no problem with the team firing Greg Roman two games into the season.

“Fans always think they know more than the offensive coordinator,” I said. “He’s always the most unpopular guy in town. Who was the last one you liked?”

He hesitated, stuck for an answer.

“Ted Marchibroda?” I said. He smiled and nodded.

The Bills say Greg Roman installed too many plays. How does installing plays actually work? (Buffalo News)

In the week since the Bills replaced offensive coordinator Greg Roman with Anthony Lynn, many players have said they’re glad Lynn will scale back the number of plays the offense has installed every week, which they hope will allow them to think less and play faster.

So what exactly goes into “installing” plays?

After being stepped on in a walk-through, Sammy Watkins is questionable for Cardinals game (Buffalo News)

Just when you thought the Buffalo Bills’ situation was about as wacky as it could get heading into their Week Three matchup with the Cardinals, coach Rex Ryan dropped this note on Friday: Top receiver Sammy Watkins, who has been dealing pain from an offseason foot surgery, got stepped on during a walk-through this week, further clouding his status for Sunday’s game.

Top 10 reasons why you should be pumped for Bills-Cardinals (BuffaloBills.com)

As the Bills gear up to take on the Cardinals at home, here are the top 10 reasons why you should be pumped for this Week 3 matchup.

Special teams looking to give Bills and edge vs. Cardinals (BuffaloBills.com)

Buffalo’s special teams units have performed well through the first two games, but their exploits have largely flown under the radar so far this season.

With all the attention focused on the Buffalo Bills’ offensive and defensive struggles through the first two weeks of the season, the special teams unit has enjoyed some success that has mostly flown under the radar.


Friday, September 23

Stephon Gilmore, Bills chalk up his nightmare game against Jets as just a bad day at the office (Buffalo News)

If it felt like you were watching Stephon Gilmore play the worst game of his career last week, there’s a good reason for it.

At least according to one analytics website, it’s because he did.

Pro Football Focus charted the Buffalo Bills’ top cornerback, as it does for every player of every NFL game, and charged him with allowing seven receptions (on eight targets) for 129 yards against the New York Jets. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had a 118.8 passer rating when throwing at Gilmore, according to PFF, with Quincy Enunwa (55 yards) and Brandon Marshall (47 yards) making three receptions each.

Five things Anthony Lynn must do to fix the Bills’ offense (Buffalo News)

1. Stop going three-and-out. The Bills are punting after just three plays on 37 percent of their offensive drives through two games, which ranks 31st in the NFL. Only the Los Angeles Rams – with no touchdowns in two games – are worse.

Anthony Lynn ready for his shot, even if it’s still Greg Roman’s offense (Buffalo News)

“I’ve been training to do this all my life,” Lynn said Thursday in his first press conference since replacing Greg Roman. “When I was playing I knew I was going to coach one day, so I started taking notes on things that I would do if I was coaching way back then.”

But one thing Lynn couldn’t prepare for is taking over someone else’s playbook mid-season. The Bills won’t be running “Anthony Lynn’s offense” on Sunday. It’ll be more like Anthony Lynn doing Greg Roman’s offense.

Bills confront sobering reality: Their fans love to get hammered before games (Sporting News)

The young man stood above a keg, can of beer already in hand.

He began chugging from a hole punched in the bottom of the 12-ouncer at the same time brew began flowing through the tap. He finished the “shotgun” before an entire cup could be poured, producing a celebratory spike.

Buffalo Bills OC Anthony Lynn trying to make Greg Roman’s system work (NewYorkUpstate.com)

Anthony Lynn has been thinking about how he would call plays since back when he was still playing. But the new Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator, who obtained that position after Greg Roman was fired last week, didn’t envision getting play-calling duties this way.

What Buffalo Bills OC Anthony Lynn said in first press conference (NewYorkUpstate.com)

The Buffalo Bills have spent the week transitioning to new offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn after Greg Roman was fired last week.

Lynn had his first press conference on Thursday. Here’s everything he said.

Rex Ryan: ‘Heightened concern’ over Sammy Watkins’ availability for Sunday (ESPN.com)

Rex Ryan said Thursday that there is “heightened concern” over Sammy Watkins’ availability for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals after the Buffalo Bills’ top receiver remained out of practice.

Playing fast the aim for Bills offense (BuffaloBills.com)

Through the first two weeks of the 2016 campaign Buffalo’s offense was uneven in performance, efficiency and execution. It’s partly why head coach Rex Ryan felt a change had to be made. New offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn didn’t get to choose the scheme, but he will be choosing what plays are run and how the Bills will operate. Step one for Lynn is to increase the pace of their game.

Williams: Have to have a ‘stone wall mentality’ (WGR550.com)

Defensive tackle Kyle Williams knows all too well about the years without the playoffs for the Bills. The former fifth round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft (134th overall) has played in 138 career games with the Bills and has accumulated 479 total tackles, 35.5 sacks, and one career interception. However, the team’s record in his tenure with the team has not been pretty, sitting at 66-96.


Thursday, September 22

Bills-Cardinals scouting report by Jay Skurski (Buffalo News)

The Buffalo Bills face no easy task in getting back on track Sunday. The visiting Arizona Cardinals have established themselves as a Super Bowl contender, and despite a slip-up in Week One at home against New England, they looked every bit the part in a Week Two demolition of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here is how Jay Skurski sees the matchup.

Rex-isms: 10 attention-grabbing comments by the Bills coach (Buffalo News)

Rex Ryan definitely loves the microphone. Since he was hired by the Buffalo Bills, Ryan’s mouth has produced many “Rex-isms” — honest, outrageous, shocking, sometimes funny, sometimes foolish — statements that only he is capable of making. Here are our top “Rex-isms” of Ryan’s tenure.

LeSean McCoy, Tyrod Taylor looking forward to Anthony Lynn’s ‘simplified’ offense (Buffalo News)

Bills running back LeSean McCoy and quarterback Tyrod Taylor both said Wednesday that their offense should be simpler to run with new coordinator Anthony Lynn at the helm.

“There won’t be a drastic change, but there will be a difference,” McCoy said. “The plays will be simplified a lot.”

McCoy said Greg Roman, whom the Bills fired on Friday, was an “intelligent coach” who ran a “thinking offense” that put as many as 80 or 90 potential plays in place every week, which is a lot to master. Now they’re down to 30 or 40.

LeSean McCoy: ‘Not as much thinking’ the goal with Bills’ new offense (ESPN.com)

Amid what Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan has called the most challenging start to a season in his seven-year head-coaching career, one of his most veteran players, guard Richie Incognito, provided some comic relief Wednesday.

Bills will move Anthony Lynn to coaches’ booth to call plays (ESPN.com)

New Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn will call plays from the coaches’ booth beginning with Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Former offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who was fired Friday, called plays from the sideline.

Playing fast the aim for Bills offense (BuffaloBills.com)

Increasing the tempo and reducing game plan volume are two main changes being implemented by new offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn in the hope that it will allow Buffalo’s most talented playmakers to shine.

Buffalo Bills have hurt playoff odds more than any other NFL team, says ESPN (NewYorkUpstate.com)

When the 2016 season kicked off, the Buffalo Bills had a 38.1 percent chance of making the playoffs according to Football Outsiders’ playoff odds simulation.

Following back-to-back losses to the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets, Buffalo’s playoff odds are significantly worse. In fact, no team saw their chances drop more than the Bills.

According to ESPN Insider, the Bills’ playoff odds after an 0-2 start have dropped by more than 20 percent.


Wednesday, September 21

At this point, Eagles are where Bills should be (Buffalo News)

As if the first two weeks weren’t nauseating enough, along come the Philadelphia Eagles with their spanking new coaching staff and shiny rookie quarterback, providing a power-point presentation to our football-loving nation on everything that’s wrong with the Buffalo Bills.

Offensive coordinator change not new for Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood (Buffalo News)

Eric Wood has been down this road before.

The Buffalo Bills’ center was a rookie in 2009 when then-coach Dick Jauron fired offensive coordinator Turk Schonert just two weeks before the season started.

Bills entering must-win territory as Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals visit (ESPN.com)

Is it too early to call this a must-win game for the Buffalo Bills?

Perhaps not. Reeling after two consecutive losses to begin the season, as well as last Friday’s firing of offensive coordinator Greg Roman, the Bills’ backs are up against the wall as they host the Arizona Cardinals (1-1) this Sunday at New Era Field.

Rex Ryan wants more from Sammy Watkins, less ‘ground and pound’ (ESPN.com)

More than a year-and-a-half later, Ryan’s emphasis seems to have shifted away from the “ground and pound” approach and toward putting the ball in Sammy Watkins’ hands — even if Watkins is dealing with foot soreness from offseason surgery, another in a growing succession of physical ailments for the third-year receiver.

Police officers sue Bills RB LeSean McCoy over bar fight (ESPN.com)

Two off-duty Philadelphia police officers injured in a February bar fight involving Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy filed a lawsuit Tuesday morning against the former NFL rushing leader in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

Mike Francesa Destroys Rex And Rob Ryan, Buffalo Bills In Epic Rant (NESN)

In case you haven’t been following along with the Bills, they’re currently 0-2, and they look like an 0-2 team. Buffalo’s offense failed to show up at all in its 13-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, but they bounced back Thursday, only to watch their defense get annihilated by the New York Jets 37-31. And that apparently was reason enough to fire offensive coordinator Greg Roman. So, basically, the Bills are a mess after just two weeks, and Francesa went in on the team Monday on WFAN. Namely, head coach Rex Ryan and his assistant head coach and twin brother, Rob.

Top 6 storylines for the Bills-Cardinals this week (BuffaloBills.com)

They don’t play each other very often, and they haven’t played against one another in Buffalo in 12 years. The Buffalo Bills face the tough task of trying to put their season back on the rails this Sunday when they go up against the Arizona Cardinals, a bonafide Super Bowl contender. Here are the top storylines going into this Sunday’s game:


Tuesday, September 20

Rex Ryan: Rob Ryan has done ‘as good of job as anybody coaching’ (ESPN.com)

“I think my brother’s done as good a job as anybody coaching in this league, so I think that’s … but I get it,” he said Monday. “That’s always going to be [those questions] out there but hey, it comes with the territory. And now it’s time to move on, I’m focused on Arizona and I better be.”

Sammy Watkins explains what happened when Buffalo Bills players met with Pegulas (NewYorkUpstate.com)

“They just showed up and said, ‘Hey, we need to talk,'” he said. “I think the talk went well. It had nothing to do with anybody. It just had to do with the players. … to be 0-2, that’s probably the reason that caused it. I just think they wanted to see where my head was, and the leaders on the team, where their heads were.”

Offense adjusts with Lynn now calling the shots (BuffaloBills.com)

With Monday being an extra day of practice this week, the session was split evenly between installing some of the new tweaks Lynn wants to implement in the offense and installing the game plan for Arizona, the opponent the Bills host on Sunday.

The players are not expecting any of the forthcoming changes to be a heavy lift knowing they’re largely coming from the same playbook they’ve been working with the better part of the last 18 months.

Watkins: Not just me who needs ball more (BuffaloBills.com)

“I don’t want to be out to be selfish,” said Watkins. “As I got to film I think we need to go to Woods more. He’s open on every play. But as a wide receiver you want to get 10 targets and see what you can do and help your team out as much as you can. But that means Woods needs 10 targets too. Clay needs the ball too.”


Monday, September 19

Sammy Watkins says he’s good to go, but Rex not as sure (Buffalo News)

Bills coach Rex Ryan certainly didn’t imply that Monday, saying, “Sammy is probably very similar to last week,” when Watkins tested his surgically repaired foot before the game and decided he was OK to play.

But the Bills star receiver had an opposite take. Asked if his foot would be an issue for Sunday’s game, Watkins said, “That’s kind of out the window.”

Jimmy Garoppolo is better than Tyrod Taylor (Buffalo News)

Bills fans will cringe to hear this, but Garoppolo is better than Tyrod Taylor. His first two games were more impressive than anything I’ve seen from Taylor over a sustained period in his 18 games as a starter. You know what’s even more distressing? Taylor might be the fifth-best quarterback in the AFC East.

Rex Ryan, 0-2 Bills eager to face Arizona, New England (ESPN.com)

“It might be the best team in the league, and maybe this is the exact team we need to play,” Ryan said of the Cardinals. “And it’s back-to-back weeks, by the way. You got [Cardinals coach] Bruce Arians this week, and you got [Patriots coach Bill] Belichick next week. So it’s like, OK, there’s a few more easier options than those two, but maybe this is exactly what we need.”

Coming off long weekend, Bills ready to regroup (BuffaloBills.com)

There won’t be any easy answers for the Bills to uncover to right all of the wrongs in their first two games, but Buffalo’s coaching staff and the players have three extra days to find the fixes necessary to get on the winning side of the ledger in Week 3. As they come back to work today the players are resolute in their desire to improve the consistency of their play.

Bills make practice squad add (BuffaloBills.com)

The Bills made a move on their practice squad Monday. Buffalo signed OT William Poehls.
A 6-8, 334-pound Montana product, Poehls (pronounced Pales) originally entered the NFL in 2014 as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans. He has spent time on the Titans practice squad since entering the league. Poehls, 25, is a native of Chandler, Arizona.

Sammy Watkins discusses Roman firing, gives interesting quote (BuffaloRumblings.com)

Sammy Watkins wasn’t shy talking to the media today about the Bills firing of offensive coordinator Greg Roman.

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Behind Enemy Lines: Buffalo Bills