Officials have given Bills short end of stick in critical penalty stat this season

The lone offensive holding penalty that went in Buffalo’s favor this season came during a Week 4 win against the New Orleans Saints, when defensive back Ugo Amadi committed the foul on a first-quarter kickoff. Opposing offensive linemen have yet to be called for holding against the Bills this season.

Conversely, Buffalo has had three of its five starting offensive linemen flagged for holding over the first five weeks, with center Connor McGovern and left tackle Dion Dawkins each committing the foul twice and right tackle Spencer Brown called once for the infraction. Tight end Dalton Kincaid has also been flagged twice for offensive holding, while wide receivers Joshua Palmer and Khalil Shakir have each committed the penalty once.

Edge rusher Javon Solomon, linebackers Dorian Williams and Joe Andreessen, along with long snapper Reid Ferguson, have all been penalized for the foul while on special teams.

Buffalo’s number of offensive holding penalties this season vastly outweighs the league average of 7.56. At the same time, each of the other four teams that have been docked by 10 or more such fouls has also benefited from at least six ruled in their favor. The numbers are particularly shocking considering Buffalo is first in the league in quick quarterback pressures of 2.5 seconds or less (45), according to For The Numbers.

While it’s difficult to extrapolate the penalty numbers into a conspiracy against the Bills, it sure is curious how often Buffalo has been whistled for the 10-yard penalty compared to its opponents. For a team that has won often enough up front on the defensive line in pass rush situations, it seems like the Bills should be benefiting from more offensive holding penalties this season.