The Bills were plundered by the Buccaneers on Sunday.
Here are five things we learned from the 33-27 loss:
No run zone
(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
All that talk about wanting to run the ball and becoming a balanced football team can be thrown out the window.
The Bills dialed up zero running back handoffs in the first half. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen was their leading and only rusher with four carries at halftime.
Their first run by a back was in the third quarter on a fake punt on fourth and three. It went for negative-three yards.
Buffalo expanded the running game in the second half, handing the ball off to Devin Singletary on their second drive out of the half. Singletary’s first carry went for 29 yards.
It’s confusing why the Bills unloaded the playbook and quarterback keeps a week after playing in severe winds against New England. It seems like they learned from their mistakes but they’re actually a week late after the slop fest versus the Patriots.
The decision, in hindsight, is especially damming after Allen had his first 100-yard rushing game in two seasons.
Embarrassed yet?
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The Bills defense didn’t come and play like they were embarrassed last week against the Patriots. Instead, they played like all of their problems were irrelevant as the Buccaneers found themselves up 24-3 at halftime.
Tampa running back Leonard Fournette broke off a 47-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Bucs quarterback Tom Brady juked Bills defensive lineman Efe Obada for a first down and scrambled for 12 yards to pick up another.
Brady pieced up the secondary, easily moving the chains through his receiving trio of Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and Rob Gronkowski. The only play that went the Bills’ way was the first of the game when the Bucs botched the snap.
Don’t fight with reporters, show some fight on the field like you did in the second half.
Loss of draft capital
Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
The Bills saw a lot of high draft picks riding the pine. RB Zack Moss, OL Cody Ford, and DE Boogie Basham were all inactive for the game.
Buffalo opted to run Matt Breida, Taiwan Jones, Devin Singletary at running back and replaced Ford with the return of Jon Feliciano and Tommy Doyle. Basham was out of the lineup for DT Brandin Bryant, a call up from the practice squad.
That’s a second-round pick Buffalo traded up to get, a third-round pick on a shallow position, and another second-round pick, respectively.
The best thing the Bills have done with a draft pick since Allen was trade it to Minnesota for wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
Sign of life
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
The Bills finally showed themselves to be the team we’d thought they’d be heading into the season.
Despite the loss in overtime, the Bills showed signs of life, overcoming a 21-point halftime deficit. The teams flipped the script with the Bills outscoring the Buccaneers 24-3 to force OT.
It was a fight Buffalo hasn’t shown this season. When they went down to Indianapolis 24-7 at halftime they folded, eventually losing 41-15.
Now at 7-6 and barely clinging to a playoff spot the question begs if it’s too little, too late for Buffalo.
Gabe Davis' resurgence
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Bills lost Emmanuel Sanders to a knee injury so they were forced to turn to Davis.
Davis, who’s arguably taken over the role as Buffalo’s No. 2 wide receiver, saw the highest snap count he has all season. Davis finished with five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown.
On the Bills’ final offensive drive of regulation, Davis fought through the arms of Buccaneers cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting to convert on a third and short.
Davis’ numbers have been only trending upward and clearly shows the ability to take over a vacated second-option role behind Diggs.
