Taking a closer look at position battles and snap counts on both sides of the ball
Hey, Bills Mafia — remember when everyone and their mothers said in the offseason that the Buffalo Bills would take a major step back this season? Comedy at its finest as the Bills locked up the two seed in the AFC by routing the undisciplined New York Jets, 40-14, in their final regular-season home game on Sunday afternoon.
Quarterback Josh Allen strengthened his MVP campaign with three total touchdowns and Buffalo’s defense returned to near 100% health and we, as fans, got a taste of the once-elite defense we’d known for years. With the two seed now locked up, there’s a strong chance that Buffalo opts to rest some starters for weekend’s finale against the New England Patriots.
The Bills received some positive news from the injury department. Both cornerback Rasul Douglas and linebacker Matt Milano logged full practices on Thursday and Friday and returned to the lineup. Safety Taylor Rapp logged limited practices throughout the week but was able to play through his questionable tag. Defensive tackle Austin Johnson was the healthy scratch on the defensive line and cornerback Kaiir Elam returned to the inactive list with Douglas back in the lineup.
For all information on the Week 17 inactives, including safety Damar Hamlin, here’s the full list.
Bills Week 17 offensive snap counts (70 snaps)
Unlike that team over there in Baltimore, Buffalo’s star quarterback sees the bench in the fourth quarter when his team is up by 20-plus points. Allen (86%) didn’t play a single snap in the fourth quarter and Mitch Trubisky (14%) got his first taste of action since Week 13 against the San Francisco 49ers. Trubisky threw just one screen pass to practice-squad call-up wide receiver Tyrell Shavers (14%), who ended up taking it all the way to the house for 69 yards. It was Shavers’ first career reception! Shavers was also the 13th different Bills’ pass-catcher to haul in a touchdown this season, tying the NFL record.
Running back James Cook (46%) led the room in snaps on Sunday and picked up 53 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. As a team, Buffalo averaged just 2.9 yards per carry. Regardless, rolling into the playoffs with a three-headed monster on the ground with both Ray Davis (23%) and Ty Johnson (30%) receiving regular run behind Cook sounds like a recipe for success.
The offensive discipline remains a big question mark. There were a whopping 23 penalties in this game and while Buffalo only accounted for seven, a majority of them were called on the offense. Penalties wiped out at least two big chunk plays from wideouts Keon Coleman (90%) and Amari Cooper (31%). Speaking of them, Coleman logged 20 (!) more snaps than any Bills’ pass catcher and showcased his hops on a wild but typical Allen play. Cooper also showcased his contested-catch ability by hauling in a 30-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Nine different pass catchers had at least one reception.
Buffalo’s offense is incredibly unique — three capable running backs and tight ends paired with a healthy mix of yards after the catch, contested catches and taking advantage of the gaps in the middle of the field. Perhaps I’m way too optimistic and excited about the playoffs…
Bills Week 17 defensive snap counts (63 snaps)
The Bills’ first defensive possession caused a bit of worry considering New York was moving the ball rather easily on the ground and in the short passing game. But, the defense made a fourth-down stop and the flip was switched. Safety Cole Bishop (100%) filled in for Hamlin yet again, and finished third on the team with five tackles. Cornerback Christian Benford (63%) picked up a pass deflection and his second interception of the season, further solidifying his status as a rising star in the NFL.
Aside from Hamlin, the defense was back to full health. Milano (56%) returned to the lineup and showed some glimpses of his previous form before injury by registering a quarterback hit and scooping up a fumble late in the third quarter. Douglas (63%) returned, too, improving Buffalo’s open-field tackling.
Shoutout to the defensive line for dominating the Jets in the trenches. Defensive tackles Ed Oliver (44%) and DaQuan Jones (35%) caused havoc on inside run plays and got to Aaron Rodgers often. Oliver finished with one sack, one forced fumble and three tackles for a loss. Even Jordan Phillips (30%) intercepted Rodgers! The edge applied pressure, too, with edge rushers Greg Rousseau (41%) and Von Miller (22%) each recording sacks. Even A.J. Epenesa (54%) could not be stopped — sacking Rodgers in the end zone for a safety and recording two tackles for loss.
Due to the blowout situation, plenty of backups received extra run. Linebacker Joe Andreessen (41%) played the whole fourth quarter and… led the team in tackles with eight. Rookie edge rusher Javon Solomon (37%) recorded a quarterback hit.
Bills Week 17 special teams snap counts (22 snaps)
There isn’t much to say about special teams with the team nearly back to full health. Both fullback Reggie Gilliam (95%) and tight end Quintin Morris (95%) remain the special teams leaders. Perhaps with linebacker Baylon Spector back on Injured Reserve, Andreessen will essentially slide into his role while rookie Edefuan Ulofoshio (68%) figures to be a part of the weekly active roster moving forward.