The Buffalo Bills went into Charlotte and summarily executed the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium 40-9 without a shred of remorse. No autopsy necessary, and this was definitely not death by a thousand cuts. James Cook and Michael Hoecht committed violent crimes on both sides of the ball, the former running 19 times for 216 yards for two ‘tuddies’, and the latter 1.5 sacks, three tackles (one solo), one tackle for a loss, and one QB hit. The game was out of reach by halftime, even if the scoreboard only read 16-3 in Buffalo’s favor.
Other atrocities to note after the game:
Ed Oliver
Oliver left the game early with what is now being feared is a torn bicep that will sideline him indefinitely. This is terrible news for the Bills’ defense. They may now have to look to add another DT before the trade deadline or hope TJ Sanders will be able to return soon. However, Sanders certainly didn’t strike fear in opponents before he went on IR. Let’s hope Hoecht and Ogunjobi can stay healthy and they get DaQuan Jones back sooner than later.
Passing game
The real DOA from this game was Buffalo’s passing game. Josh Allen was a downright pedestrian 12/19 for 163 yards in three quarters of play before he was replaced by Mitch Trubisky in the fourth quarter. I’m beginning to wonder if all is well with Josh Allen’s throwing arm. I can’t remember (old age) if it was the Panthers or Atlanta Falcons’ game when I saw Josh Allen wringing his right hand walking to the sideline, but it stuck in my mind. Something just seems off with the inaccuracy on some of Josh’s throws that makes me wonder if he has some elbow tendinitis or something else going on. It would certainly explain his errant passes of late.
Another atrocity we are seeing in the passing game is the latest performance by Keon Coleman. While his 3-for-30 yard day isn’t anything to panic about, his play on the field certainly is for me. He looks lost… and when he does catch a pass he looks like he’s about to drop it first. Watching him return a punt induced immediate heart palpitations. Could he be on the trade block? It sure looks like they are trying to feature him, and he keeps disappointing. Sigh…
Neither Curtis Samuel nor Elijah Moore did a thing to enhance their trade value in this game either. This is clearly the most outstanding need before the trade deadline… a WR with some sort of ability to gain separation and/or play on the boundary. Double sigh…
While Buffalo remains a strong contender with a 5-2 record they are still a game and a half behind the Patriots who are starting to look like the ‘cinderella’ team this season. My disdain for Mike Vrabel is only one notch below Bill Belichick, so this AFCE race the rest of the way should be fun to watch (not).
Next up the dreaded Kansas City Chiefs travel to Buffalo in what is sure to be a thrilling matchup next Sunday in a late afternoon start. Here’s hoping the Bills can find some kind of passing game before then. Or James Cook runs for 300+. Otherwise it may be a very long day at Highmark Stadium.
Editor’s babble: I’ll be watching Josh Allen with my best prescription glasses next Sunday. I’m suspicious he has an undisclosed injury. You can find more of my craziness on Xwitter @RobynMundyWYO.
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