Press sets up the Buffalo game

Josh Allen: I don't think many teams can keep up with all of our receivers https://t.co/SC0qb246NY

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 22, 2020

Rams-Bills early preview is up. A look at Buffalo's notable additions and top performers in Week 2, and why Los Angeles' defense and run game are key components this week: https://t.co/NB7h6TkDqS

— Stu Jackson (@StuJRams) September 22, 2020

wv wrote:

Well, I think every team is going to try to do that. But i think the Defenses are trying to challenge the Rams OLine as much as the Rams QB.

The thing is, Buffalo has a topped ranked defense. 5th in the league. 3rd against the run. So that’s not just any team trying to do that.

from Week 2 of The Athletic’s NFL power rankings: https://theathletic.com/2081885/2020/09/23/nfl-week-2-power-rankings-saints-offense-ravens-chiefs/?source=dailyemail

6. Buffalo Bills

What we learned: Their wide receivers are going to be tough to match up with in man coverage. Stefon Diggs was a monster against the Dolphins, catching eight balls for 153 yards. Through two weeks, his 239 receiving yards are tied for tops in the league. Diggs’ competitiveness has popped off the screen. He’s making catches in traffic. He’s out-fighting opposing defensive backs. And he’s playing with a fearless mentality. John Brown had a 46-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Cole Beasley caught five passes for 70 yards. And rookie Gabriel Davis had an outstanding diving grab on a clutch 6-yard touchdown. Brian Daboll has been an aggressive play-caller, and Josh Allen leads the league with 729 passing yards. Bills-Rams should be a fun matchup in Week 3.

Big time players make big time plays. #BillsMafia | 📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/h28sOrXGIk

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 20, 2020

What the Bills are saying about Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey

Cameron DaSilva

link https://theramswire.usatoday.com/lists/rams-bills-aaron-donald-jalen-ramsey-quotes-comments/

The upcoming matchup between the Rams and Bills is certainly one of the best games of Week 3, pitting two of the last 11 undefeated teams against each other. And unless there’s a tie, one of them will suffer their first loss of the season.

The Bills offense is cruising at the moment, ranking first in passing, sixth in scoring and third in total yards, but they’ll face a real test on Sunday afternoon with Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald coming to town.

Naturally, the Bills’ top players and coach Sean McDermott were asked about Donald and Ramsey leading up to this pivotal game, and it’s hardly surprising that they all had great things to say about the Rams’ defensive stars.

Josh Allen on Aaron Donald

Allen is one of the most athletic quarterbacks in the NFL, but he’ll have his hands full trying to avoid Donald in the pocket. Like everyone else, he knows just how good Donald is at not only getting to the quarterback, but blowing up running plays in the backfield.

“He’s the best in the world at what he does and arguably the greatest to ever do it at that position,” Allen said, via the Bills’ official site. “He’s so explosive, so powerful, so quick. He can bull rush you, he can swim you, he can basically juke you at the line of scrimmage. So, he’s a tough task to handle.

“It’s not just the stats that speak out for him. Obviously, the stats are great, but it’s the other stuff. It’s forcing double teams and allowing his other players to get one-on-one matchups and it’s the attention that he brings to the game, which is the tricky part. You have to have a plan for him. You have to get two guys going to him at all times and even then it still might not be enough. It’s going to be a tough task on Sunday. We’re doing the best that we can do to game plan. We’re getting a good look on scout team right now and, ultimately, we’ve got to go and we’ve got to execute what coach tells us to do.”

Sean McDermott on Aaron Donald

McDermott is a former wrestler himself, and he can see wrestler traits in the Rams’ all-world pass rusher. Here’s what he said about Donald leading up to Sunday’s game.

“That speaks for itself, right?” McDermott said of Donald being a former wrestler. “Everything that goes into wrestling, man. I watched him warm up in the Super Bowl on TV and he’s warming up like a wrestler. If my information is right, I think he was a wrestler and a good one. I mean, that background serves people well in a lot of ways in their lives.”

Josh Allen on Jalen Ramsey

Allen will have to tread carefully on Sunday with Ramsey lurking on the other side of the field. He and Stefon Diggs have gotten off to a great start this season, but they haven’t faced a cornerback as talented as Ramsey.

Here’s what Allen said about the Rams’ top cornerback.

“The toughest part, in my opinion – I think 20 does a good job reading the quarterback in his drop,” Allen said on a conference call with reporters. “His eyes are really in the backfield and he’s able to tell if the quarterback’s speeding up his drop to get it out quick, ready to jump a route. He’s a very aggressive corner, can play in man, can play in zone. He’s very good at route recognition and it’s going to be tough to win some matchups versus him, but at the same time, it’s not time to shy away from anybody or anything.

“He’s definitely a problem to be dealt with and we have to keep our eye on him, for sure.”

Back in 2018, Ramsey took a flamethrower to quarterbacks across the NFL – Allen included. He called the Bills QB “trash,” and even though the two have squared off since then, it remains in the back of a lot of people’s minds.

Just not Allen’s.

“That was so long ago, that’s really a non-factor in my opinion,” Allen said via LocalSYR.com. “He’s been a great player in this league for a long time, and he’s only gotten better. He’s a problem we’re going to have to deal with.”

Stefon Diggs on Jalen Ramsey

Although the Rams haven’t been sticking Ramsey on their opponent’s No. 1 receiver, he’ll certainly line up across from Diggs at least a few times on Sunday.

Diggs doesn’t see that as a reason for Allen to shy away from Ramsey, but he also doesn’t want him to force the ball, either.

“He’s damn good, everybody knows that,” Diggs said, via the Buffalo News. “As far as shying away, it’s football. At the end of the day, we don’t really shy away in anything. I would just say trust in Josh, trust in Josh’s decision making. Each play is going to be big because he’s been playing some good football, and we trust him to make decisions and put the ball wherever it needs to go. Just taking what the defense gives you. You don’t want to reach for anything or try to force anything. You’re just going to take what they give you and let the game come to you.”

Sean McDermott on Jalen Ramsey

McDermott coached against Ramsey when Jalen was with the Jaguars, but he’s in a new scheme now with the Rams. He has confidence in Diggs to win those matchups with Ramsey, but he also knows it’s going to be a back-and-forth battle all day.

“Jalen Ramsey’s a heck of a player,” McDermott said, via the Rams’ official site. “You know how I feel about Stefon Diggs, so those are good matchups. Those are fun to watch. We’ve got a lot of respect for Jalen. Went up against him a time or two there in Jacksonville, and now again that he’s with the Rams here, should be a good matchup to watch.”

Rams-Bills: The Friday before confidence poll and a preview of what Buffalo GM Brandon Beane has done in 3 years to make the Bills a Super Bowl contender https://t.co/lOwDUHyc5j

— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) September 25, 2020

Bills vs. Rams: Behind enemy lines with Rams Wire

Nick Wojton

link: https://billswire.usatoday.com/2020/09/26/buffalo-bills-los-angeles-rams-behind-enemy-lines-aaron-donald-tyler-higbee-jared-goff/

The Bills are a mere couple of hours away from facing their first NFC opponent of the 2020 season, the Los Angeles Rams. It’s not a team Buffalo is known for facing, so perhaps you’re a little behind on your Rams knowledge. That’s fair.

In order to truly get some insight on all-things Rams related, Bills Wire linked up with our friend Cam DaSilva, managing editor of Rams Wire, to pick his brain ahead of Sunday’s Week 3 Bills-Rams meeting. Intel from behind enemy lines right here:

==

Entering 2020, Tyler Higbee was one of the most slept on tight ends in the NFL… exactly how good is he? The Bills might be without their best coverage linebacker Matt Milano in this one.

CD: He’s really developed into a well-rounded tight end in the NFL. His route running has improved in the last year or so, as have his hands – which were a trouble spot for him previously. Some of his production comes from Sean McVay’s play calling, which gets him open on drags, checkdowns and simple out routes, but Higbee is a big possession receiver who can also attack the seams.

What’s your general thoughts on the extension for Robert Woods? Deserving? He never really took off in Buffalo, but he always was liked by Bills Mafia.

CD: Definitely deserving. He was one of the most underrated and underpaid receivers in the league before signing this extension, and had he not gotten hurt in 2017, he’d like be coming off three straight 1,000-yard seasons. He’s as reliable and consistent as they come, almost always proving to be good for five catches and 70 yards each week. He doesn’t get enough credit for being such a good blocker, either, which is a strength of his game – as I’m sure you know.

A bit better from Jared Goff this season? What’s different?

CD: He’s taking what the defense gives him and getting more time in the pocket. McVay is scheming receivers wide open for Goff, but it’s important that he’s taking those throws rather than trying to force passes into tight windows. It helps that he’s been given a heavy dose of play action, which was his bread and butter in 2017 and 2018. The biggest thing is that he’s getting good protection from his linemen, which has allowed him to see the field much better.

I’d be foolish not to ask about Aaron Donald. especially since the Bills’ interior O-line isn’t the best. As someone who watches him weekly, what will stand out about him?

CD: His quickness. A man that size should not be able to move as quickly as he can. Oh, and it helps that he can toss aside 300-pound linemen like they’re the size of you and I. He just does everything well. He can turn speed to power, he can bull rush right off the snap, he can use his hands to knock a blocker away, and he can win from anywhere on the line. There’s not an offensive lineman in the league that will win a majority of one-on-one matchups with Donald.

What’s your prediction for this one? Who wins and why?

CD: I think the Rams are going to win a close one. Hopefully it doesn’t come down to special teams because they’ve been bad in that area through two weeks, but I just think their offense is in such a rhythm right now that it might be hard for the Bills to stop them completely. This will also be the Rams’ toughest test, going up against the Bills’ defense, but McVay is outstanding at game planning and should be able to exploit any weaknesses in Buffalo’s defense. I’ll take the Rams, 26-24.

Is Josh Allen Actually Good Now?

link https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/is-josh-allen-actually-good-now/

Josh Allen has had his share of doubters since entering the league. Perhaps his most outspoken critic — Jalen Ramsey — will be playing across the line of scrimmage from him this Sunday.

Ramsey, a starting cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams, infamously described Allen as “trash” after the Bills selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft. At the end of Allen’s 2018 rookie season, there weren’t many who would argue with Ramsey’s assessment; in its annual QB Index, the NFL network ranked him 32nd among the 33 NFL quarterbacks with at least 500 snaps. The next year, in 2019, Allen improved to 18th despite completing just 58.8 percent of his passes and averaging 6.7 yards per attempt, numbers that didn’t do much to quell his skeptics.

This year — at least so far — things have been quite different. During his first two years in the league, Allen never threw for more than 266 yards in a game. In his first two games this season, Allen has already eclipsed 300 yards passing twice, the first Bills quarterback to have back-to-back 300-yard-plus games since Drew Bledsoe in 2002. Allen is just the fourth QB in NFL history to start the season with 700-plus passing yards, six-plus touchdowns and no interceptions.

Allen’s Total Quarterback Rating (QBR) is fourth-best in the NFL, behind only Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Patrick Mahomes. That’s heady company for a guy who ranked 24th in ESPN’s signature metric both of the past two seasons. His top-line season-to-date stats are just as impressive: Allen completed 70.4 percent of his passes for 727 yards against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. He passed for six touchdowns and zero interceptions despite facing the fourth-most blitzes of any quarterback through Week 2. And he’s been particularly good when forced to operate on the fly: On passes outside the pocket, Allen has the third-best QBR in the league (97.3).

Allen has also made strides in the small things coaches expect from a franchise QB. In Week 1 against the Jets, facing a third-and-5 early in the second quarter, Allen coaxed an offside penalty from the Jets defensive line with his hard count. The flag was enough to give the Bills the first down, but Allen wisely wanted more. He used the free play to take a deep shot downfield to John Brown, who narrowly missed catching the ball for a 30-yard gain.

The Bills have an analytically inclined front office1 and have surrounded Allen with talent. They traded four draft picks — including a 2020 first-rounder2 — to Minnesota for wide receiver Stefon Diggs in the offseason. Diggs already has 16 catches for 239 receiving yards on the year. The offensive line has done a good job of protecting its QB, posting the sixth-best Pass Block Win Rate in the league. And Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has also done his part to give Allen the best chance for success, dialing up play-action — the most efficient play type in all of football — 34.8 percent of the time, good for fourth-most frequent in the league. It’s paid off: 54.4 percent of the Bills’ passing yards have come from those play-action calls, tops in the NFL.

There’s been a lot to like in Allen’s game this year. But how confident should we be that this season is the new normal, and not just a mirage? After all, we have two seasons of Allen playing below average and just two games of him playing close to elite. One way to make sense of the numbers is to divide them into two groups: stats we know are predictive of future performance and stats that are not.

For quarterbacks, the stats that tend to be stable over time include passing efficiency from a clean pocket, passing efficiency with no play-action, completion percentage over expected and the share of throws that are off target or negatively graded. Each of these aspects of a QB’s performance is indicative of their true skill and is less affected by circumstances and luck. Stats that aren’t predictive of future performance — and that tend to be highly affected by circumstances and luck — include passing under pressure, passing outside the pocket and passing efficiency with play-action.

Allen’s numbers are great in the unstable, less predictive metrics and middle of the road in their stable, more predictive counterparts. Allen’s QBR when not under pressure (79) is good for just 19th in the league. His off-target throw percentage (16.3) has improved from previous years3 but is still good for just 16th in the NFL. And his completion percentage over expected, an NFL Next Gen Stats metric that compares the difficulty of each pass to that of a league-average quarterback in a similar situation, is just 2.1, 16th in the league.

Given the Bills’ opponents so far, this should probably give us pause. Both the Jets and the Dolphins are rated as bottom-10 teams by our Elo rating system, while the Rams, the Bills’ upcoming Week 3 opponent, are a top-10 team.

Allen has raised his ceiling this year, performing at a level many would have considered improbable before this season. But if the math holds up, and Jalen Ramsey has anything to say about the outcome of this Sunday’s game, we should probably expect Allen to begin looking a little less like Mahomes and Wilson and a bit more like the player we’ve seen take the field the past two years.