By Nick Wojton / Billswire.usatoday.com
The Buffalo Bills have a long road to go, but they’re in a much better position heading into next week than the Jacksonville Jaguars are now.
The Bills won 24-21 in a battle of 3-7 teams on Sunday at New Era Field. The playoff picture is still a long ways away, however, the Buffalo is technically still alive with that win.
With that here are five takeaways from the Bills win over the Jags:
Plenty O’ penalties
The Bills and Jags combined for a ridiculous amount of yellow flags on Sunday. In total, 23 penalties were called between the two sides with the Bills taking 13 to Jacksonville’s 10. Of those penalties, none will be highlighted as much as the ejection of Buffalo defensive end Shaq Lawson and Jacksonville running back Leonard Fournette. The two ignited a brawl.
In the incident, it appeared that Lawson was more defending himself than instigating the issue. Some good did come from it because it appeared that the Bills took the momentum in the game afterword. But that’s just one penalty. The penalty problems, especially along the offensive line, have plagued Sean McDermott’s team the entire year and just hasn’t gone away. Down the stretch run, the Bills have to put a point of emphasis on improving there.
Linebackers are for real
Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano are the centerpieces of the Bills’ defense and folks need to start talking about it more. Edmunds’ gets the hype as a first-round pick, but Milano is preforming even better.
Milano snagged his third interception of the season on Bortles on Sunday and added a pass defended. Opposing tight ends can’t seem to get anything going against him at all this season. On two targets, James O’Shaughnessy had no catchs in the game. Against the rush you’d like to see the Bills improve, but even there, Edmunds’ fills up running lanes and his speed and athletic ability impresses on a weekly basis.
Shady can’t get involved
The Bills showed on Sunday that this is Josh Allen’s show and truthfully, LeSean McCoy is going along for the ride. McCoy had 17 carries in the game but only mustered 46 rushing yards (2.7 avg). Allen led the Bills with 101 yards rushing in the game. Allen had plenty of designed runs along with the ones he tucked himself on pass plays. Shady only added one catch on the day.
At this point of the season with another poor outing the books, the Bills have to start to wonder if McCoy has lost a step and how much the team has to improve around him. McCoy’s blocking certainly doesn’t help him much, but we haven’t seen the… Wow how’d he do that?… much at all. As long Allen complements McCoy well, it’s not a problem.