How confident are you in the direction of the Buffalo Bills?
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The Buffalo Bills are 2-0 heading into a Week 3 Monday Night Football showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Through two games, the Bills have put up a combine 65 points on their opponents. After exorcising their Hail Murray demons in Week 1, Buffalo completely overwhelmed the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium.
Now, they return home to host a familiar AFC South foe in primetime — a Jaguars team that’s given the Bills all they can handle in recent seasons. Jacksonville may have yet to win a game this season, but they lead the head-to-head all-time series 10-9, and have dealt frustrating losses to Bills Mafia in the last two matchups.
Right now, it may feel like these are two teams headed in opposite directions, but it’s rarely the case where NFL teams’ fates are decided by Week 3 — even at 0-2. Make no mistake that as strange as it may sound, it’s possible the Bills are punching above their weight class this season — given the changes at almost every position.
As such, are you confident in the Bills’ current direction under head coach Sean McDermott?
Since quarterback Josh Allen entered the league, all four games against the Jaguars have been decided by a touchdown or less. That means every point carries extra weight, including those by way of the kicking game.
With the news Tuesday that the Bills worked out kickers Cade York and Anders Carlson, it stands to reason kicker Tyler Bass may be on a bit of thin ice. In two games this season, Bass has made 3-of-4 field goals and converted all eight of his extra-point tries. Bass’ lone miss came late against Miami with Buffalo comfortably ahead.
Where he’s struggled most has been on special teams kickoffs, most notably in Week 1 when he couldn’t get the football into the end zone during the fourth quarter and into a stiff wind. That inefficiency led to a kick-return touchdown and also caused him to boot a kick out of bounds before the end zone, resulting in a penalty.
Some have pointed to those gaffes in Week 1 as stressors to Buffalo’s chances at winning, though ultimately Bass hasn’t cost the team a victory, indirectly or otherwise.
So why is One Bills Drive trying out kickers — does it have anything to do with Bass’ leg strength and the recent trend that’s seen kicker after kicker convert multiple field goals well over 50 yards? Are they simply ready to move on from Tyler Bass, regardless of the nearly $7.4 million in additional dead cap they’d take on? Sticking with Bass and paying his $4.4 million contract is by far the most economical move for general manager Brandon Beane.
So tell us:
- Are you confident in the current direction of the Buffalo Bills?
- Do you believe it’s time to move on from Tyler Bass?
Vote below!