The Buffalo Bills know they’re in a tough spot, as they get set to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday. Following an embarrassing blowout loss in Miami to the Dolphins, the Bills failed to reach double digit scoring at 13 points, rushing for less than 100 yards. Fast forward to 2019 and the Eagles are playing all-out to keep pace with their competitors, the New England Patriots. Their offensive malaise, worsened by injuries and turnovers, have left them in a hole too deep.
Bills’ QB Josh Allen is one of the most criticized players over the past couple of weeks. He’s tallied three or more turnovers in three of the last five matchups. He is now tied with Tua Tagovailoa for the most multi-turnover games since Week 5.
This week, the Bills offense is getting two awesome new additions. Fellow wide receiver Joshua Palmer is expected to return after missing several weeks with the injury he suffered against the Falcons. Allen said he hoped Palmer would have an immediate effect on the players, saying,
“I think [Palmer] adds a lot of juice to what we got going on.”
The Bills added receiver and returner Mecole Hardman to their power squad. He could be elevated to the active roster in time for this week’s game. Hardman expressed confidence in his role, stating,
“I think they got a plan for me, and I think whatever they got for me is for me and I got no objection to anything.”
The loss of Dalton Kincaid has been glaring—just ask Utah quarterback Bryson Barnes—on how much the former Ute’s absence has hurt the team’s passing attack. Kincaid leads the Bills in receiving touchdowns with four. Give Credit Where It’s Due Overall, he has been the most important player—often when the passing offense is at full throttle. So unfortunately, his injury has probably prevented the team from being able to build on that momentum.
In advance of this week’s game against the Buccaneers, Head Coach Sean McDermott made it clear that not only do they need to improve, but they have to improve. He was frank about the team’s difficulties but still expressed hope that they would find their groove, saying,
“I think we’re finding ourselves a little bit.”
The Bills’ offensive unit, highly touted on the season, will face intense scrutiny to get back on track following their disappointing showing in New Jersey. Now with Kincaid out, Allen’s rapport with these other receivers is even more important. The new coaching staff is interested in using every piece of talent at their disposal to develop a less predictable offense.
With that kind of roster turnover, offensive coordinator Joe Brady emphasized flexibility and making sure they implemented a plan that worked best with the players available. He emphasized that while they want to keep expanding their approach, they want to leverage Palmer’s offensive skillset as much as possible.
“As an offensive staff, we know [Palmer’s] skillset and how he can be utilized and just continuing evolving with all the wideouts that we have, and trying not to be as predictable in certain situations and continue moving guys around,” Brady explained.
Thursday night’s matchup against the Buccaneers is shaping up to be a critical turning point for the Bills. Following their matchup against Tampa Bay, they’ll face the Houston Texans in a Thursday Night Football battle. Next, they’ll take to the road to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers. That course only gets harder as every game goes by. Each game is incredibly important as they continue to look to stay in playoff contention in the Central Division.
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