The Bills escaped Las Vegas with a 33-30 win and head into the bye week at 5-1. Here’s everything I wrote down along the way.
1st Half
- Ray Davis: kickoff return weapon. 40 yards this time. (Bills: 5 kickoff returns, 132 yards, long of 40)
- I like sitting DJ Moore here. He’ll be missed, but we can’t afford not having him for the real run.
- Good ball protection by James Cook. Two hands on it, as it should be. (22 carries, 95 yards, 1 TD, no fumbles)
- Also good to put Dalton Kincaid in the game early. He’s a difference maker, and Joe Brady must make defenses worry about him from the get-go. (8 targets, 7 catches, 38 yards)
- Wasting 2 timeouts in the first offensive drive is far from ideal.
- Bills’ PA rollout game continues to suffer. Keon Coleman and Dawson Knox ran routes in the same area.
- Josh Allen was surprised by Walker coming on a blitz on 3rd down. I expect better from him in those situations. Tyler Bass FG is good, 3-0 Bills.
- Tre Tucker with the first catch between the Bills’ LBs and Safeties for 15 yards and a 1st down. This defense needs the bye week badly, and I hope there are changes planned.
- More of the same from the defense in their 1st drive. Bend and then break. Goal-line run by Ashton Jeanty, Terrel Bernard had him for a stuff, but simply got outpowered. (Jeanty: 10 carries, 22 yards, 1 TD)
- Good next offensive drive by Buffalo. PA rollout again not giving Josh easy buttons, he buys time and ends up finding Joshua Palmer for a big gain, out of structure.
- Also out of structure, Ty Johnson is a weapon in the passing game.
- Two more catches by Kincaid on this drive, I love it. One was a screen. Used his big body to gain two extra yards after contact. Utilize your weapons.
- After putting O’Cyrus Torrence on his butt, Maxx Crosby pushes Josh right after he throws the ball. Bills’ QB asks for a penalty, Crosby trash-talks. I’ll certainly keep an eye on this matchup.
- Drive stalls in the red zone as Josh tried to force a backshoulder to Kincaid in the end zone. Great job by Stokes making a play on the ball there. Another good FG by Bass. 7-6 Raiders.
- Bills’ D gets off the field. Man coverage on 3rd down and great job by Davison Igbinosun. The rookie has committed some penalties, but also has had some impressive coverage snaps. I like it. Rather have him playing physical all the time than allowing catches in soft coverage. (3 pass breakups)
- Cook with a checkdown catch and the 1st down. Every time he catches the ball in space there’s a feeling he can bring it to the house. Brady gotta find ways to give him more opportunities in the passing game. (3 catches on 3 targets, 58 yards)
- Josh with a dart to Coleman for another 1st down. Keon appears for the first time in this game.
- Josh reads the Raiders’ defense like a book pre-snap, changes the play and goes swing pass to Cook in the flat. Another big gain.
- 25 offensive plays for the Bills in this game versus just 12 for the Raiders.
- Great screen pass to Khalil Shakir, Spencer Brown leads the way for the TD. 13-7 Bills. Offense looks unstoppable. (Shakir: 4 catches on 6 targets, 34 yards, 1 TD)
- No Terrel Bernard on the field for a couple of drives, and Bills’ coaches with boards on the sidelines to communicate before snaps. Communication has been a hot topic recently on this D.
- Raiders in the red zone and Bills’ D forces a 4th down. Raiders tried to go, but a false start kills their chance. FG is good, 13-10 Bills, 2 minutes left in the 1st half.
- Joshua Palmer with his weekly awful drop on a perfect pass by Allen on a 2nd down. It set up a sack on 3rd and 9 and gave the Raiders a new opportunity with 1:40 left. I wouldn’t mind never watching Palmer in a Bills uniform anymore, to be honest.
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson with a missed tackle on Brock Bowers, allowing the Raiders to get in FG range.
- CJGJ with an Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty, what did he do there? Walked toward the Raiders’ players and spit on the guy? What’s wrong with this dude? Inadmissible. Ejected from the game.
- FG Raiders as the clock expires. 13-13, and the Raiders will have the ball back to start the 2nd half.
2nd Half
- Bills’ pass rush starts the 2nd half strong. T.J. Parker hits Kirk Cousins hard. IGB closes the drive with a great play on the ball on 3rd down.
- Keon with a nice catch on a corner route, strong hands. 1st down.
- James Cook is so close to hitting a home run.
- 4th and 2, 5 wide, Josh manipulates the defense from the pocket and finds Kincaid for a TD. Torrence was caught (barely) holding the Raiders’ DT, though. FG by Bass is good, Bills up 16-13.
- Dorian Williams jumps a route in the middle of the field for an INT. Great play by a guy who isn’t known for his coverage instincts. (the game’s only turnover)
- Coverage, overall, has looked tighter in this game. (Cousins: 23 of 41, 56.1%, 2 TDs, 1 INT; Bills defense: 11 passes defended)
- Bills’ pass catchers drawing fouls against the Raiders’ DBs. First Kincaid, then Coleman, on what looked like a great route. Bills in the red zone.
- Have the Bills passed the ball on any 1st down? It’s been run all the time.
- 3rd down and Josh Allen does his thing. When we think we’ve seen everything, he scrambles and throws a shovel pass for 15+ yards in the air for a TD. Incredible. Props to Coleman on getting open in the scramble drill. Bills up 23-13. (Allen: 23 of 33, 255 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT, 112.6 passer rating)
- Maxwell Hairston with a penalty. Haven’t seen him in the game until this point.
- Weekly mandatory shoutout to Deone Walker, dude’s different.
- Bowers with a tough catch, Christian Benford, following him all over the place, with great coverage. (Bowers: 4 catches on 9 targets, 70 yards)
- Las Vegas makes it to the red zone with two 3rd-and-long conversions.
- The defense is notoriously more aggressive today. It hasn’t always worked, but they’re playing differently, in a good way.
- Bernard and Williams have been criticized a lot recently, but today they’re looking good. Kaleb Elarms-Orr continues to get some opportunities, though.
- It seems Kincaid got hurt on his last play, a PI call on a contested catch situation. Hopefully nothing serious, he’s going to the locker room now.
- Another 1st down by the Raiders, Bowers with strong hands. Benford all over him, simply too big.
- Greg Gaines with a great goal-line stuff on 2nd down. Reminded me of Big Jordan Phillips.
- IGB makes the play on 3rd down, a FG here is a win for Buffalo’s D.
- 1st down PA pass, Shakir catches and runs for the 1st down. Who would’ve thought?
- Kincaid is questionable to return, X-rays to check his ribs.
- Bills’ offensive drive stalls and Josh takes another big hit on a 3rd and 10. Free rusher on a blitz. (Allen: sacked twice for 13 yards, 6 QB hits taken)
- Raiders started the drive at the 9-yard line but quickly got to the red zone. Damar Hamlin with a couple of TD-saving tackles.
- Benford continues to do a good job on Bowers.
- TD Raiders. Tucker beats Benford, and Cousins throws it perfectly over Dee Alford covering the flat. Tie game, 23-23.
- Kincaid is back as Cook starts the drive with two good runs.
- Awesome play design by Brady to set up the Bills TD here. 3rd down PA, all the blocks moving to the right side and completely fooling the Las Vegas defense. Josh has an easy pass to Cook on the left for the 1st and goal.
- Jimbo’s TD. Bass’ extra point is good. Bills up 30-23. Bills Mafia can be heard in Las Vegas.
- The pressure is getting to Cousins, he’s simply getting rid of the ball too fast. Bills force a 3rd down. (Bills defense: 6 QB hits, 0 sacks)
- 3-and-out, great play by rookie Jalon Kilgore here, as the single high safety. Cut in front of the route and forced the 4th down. Bills will get the ball back.
- Keon Coleman creates separation and catches with strong hands for the 1st down. Great to see Keon rebounding and establishing himself as a really solid WR2 for this Bills’ offense. (4 catches on 6 targets, 59 yards, 1 TD)
- James Cook takes Buffalo to the red zone.
- Buffalo tries to win it on offense and passes on 2nd and 3rd down. No 1st down, though, and they’ll need to kick to make it a 10-point game and we get to the 2-minute warning.
- Bass hits the FG, 33-23 Buffalo. 1:56 left.
- The Bills’ defense wants to keep the Raiders alive. 1:32 on the clock, and Kirk Cousins throws a bomb for a TD. Kilgore makes a rookie mistake, allowing Tucker to take the top of the defense. Las Vegas will try the onside kick now. (Tucker: 5 catches, 97 yards, 2 TDs, both in the 4th quarter; Raiders scored 17 points in the 4th)
- The Raiders try a drop kick, and Shakir catches it easily. Ball game, Bills win, 33-30.
- Despite the different attitude, Buffalo allows another 30-point game on defense. The last defensive drive was incredibly disappointing, and it’s not the first time this unit allows the opposition to drive all the field and score extremely quickly. DC Jim Leonhard will have a lot of work to do during the Bye Week. (Bills have allowed 30+ points in four of six games: 31 Texans, 31 Lions, 34 Rams, 30 Raiders)
- On offense, they continue to find ways. Having Josh Allen helps, but also big props to James Cook and the run game. Tyler Bass has also been consistent. Another 30+ game and another W. (Cook: 22 carries, 95 yards, 1 TD plus 3 catches for 58 yards, 153 scrimmage yards; Bass: 4-for-4 on field goals, longest of 47; Bills have scored 30+ in four of six games)
1-0. Go Bills!
Catch up on all this and more with the latest edition of Leading the Charge!