By Justin DiLoro / Billswire.usatoday.com
The grades are in for the Buffalo Bills this past season. Unsurprisingly, the assessment was underwhelming for several units.
The Bills dropped to 6-10 in 2018 after a surprising 9-7 record for their 2017 campaign. Even with the drop in win total, the could be considered remotely successful due to the development of quarterback Josh Allen. While there were other parts of the team that faced regression, the focus on the future of the club still made the pitfalls of the 2018 season bearable.
Here are the positional grades for Buffalo’s 2018 year.
Quarterbacks: C-
This has more to do with the perceived growth of Josh Allen. The Bills finished 31st in passing yards per game (174.6). As a whole, the team failed to pass for 300 yards in any game. In fact, the team failed to reach the century mark three times on the season. Buffalo’s quarterbacks were last in the league in completion percentage, completing only 54.3-percent of passes on the season. In addition, the group threw for the fewest passing touchdowns in the league (13).
Even after the debacle of having Nathan Peterman and AJ McCarron in the fold during training the preseason, the light at the end of the tunnel is Allen. His ability to make something out of nothing was impressive. The rookie has a ways to go as he enters his first full offseason, but his improvements in playing from the pocket give hope to the next phase of Bills signal callers.
Running backs: D-
The Bills running attack, even though it ranked ninth in the league in rushing per game, running for 124 yards per game. However, LeSean McCoy looked like a shell of his past, gaining the fewest yards in a season in his 10-year NFL career. Backup Chris Ivory showed fleeting moments of the power running game that he was brought in to support. McCoy averaged 3.3 yards per carry, while, Ivory added a scant 3.2 per carry. Marcus Murphy and Keith Ford played a supporting role as well but were used sparingly, even with Murphy’s 4.8 yards per carry. All of this pales in comparison to what the unit was supposed to produce as a whole this year. When the top runner is the quarterback and not the six-time Pro-Bowler, you know something went south in the run game.
Wide receivers/ tight ends: D
Robert Foster and Isaiah McKenzie ended up being the best stories of the season. Foster became a sensation in the passing game, stretching the field for Allen. McKenzie added an explosive dynamic in the short passing game. However, both are still developing, and their progress thus far is more of a good story than strong production.
Zay Jones put up decent numbers but was largely invisible for portions of games. The Bills need to find work to get more mismatches with Jones, as more involvement from him in the passing game is desired.
Charles Clay struggled to be the solid receiving target over the middle. As one of the highest paid players on the team, 21 catches is substandard for what is needed from such a player. Jason Croom showed some promise, reeling in 22 passes. Croom could be another solid role player in the future, but this is an area that needs a significant upgrade going forward.
Offensive line: D-
The unit, as a whole, struggled all year. The quarterbacks were under duress often, being sacked 41 times on the year. The line failed to open holes for McCoy and Ivory. Whenever the team seemed to put together a solid run from the backfield, a penalty negated the progress.
Dion Dawkins could be the only returning starter next season. Wyatt Teller went through some massive growing pains, while John Miller and Vlad Ducasse could not handle interior rushers on a play-by-play basis. Jordan Mills, Russell Bodine, and Ryan Groy were average at best. With the firing of Juan Castillo, one can only believe there will be a massive turnover of this unit.
Defensive line: B
The defensive line showed some promise throughout the year. While the unit did apply decent pressure to opposing quarterbacks, they largely failed to complete sacks, finishing 26th in the league with 36 sacks. Jerry Hughes totaled seven sacks, while Kyle Williams added five sacks. Shaq Lawson showed improvement, providing a strong edge against the run and sacking quarterbacks four times. Trent Murphy struggled through an injury-plagued season, registering four sacks.
The run defense was on a bit of a roller coaster this year, allowing 200-plus yards on the ground three times while holding opposing rushing units under the century mark eight times. The team could use another strong body in the middle to strengthen the interior rotation with the loss of Kyle Wiliams.
Linebackers: B
Lorenzo Alexander tapped the Fountain of Youth once again, becoming a nuisance in the side of opposing quarterbacks. Alexander was second on the team with 6.5 sacks but was often tasked with taking on interior offensive linemen on blitzes. Matt Milano was having a solid season prior to breaking his leg. Milano is a cornerstone of the team’s defense in the future. Tremaine Edmunds went through a learning curve at times, but there is no doubt his future is bright in the middle of the defense for years to come. The team could benefit from some more depth, as there was some dropoff after Milano’s injury.
Secondary: A-
The secondary led the league in yards allowed through the air, allowing 179.2 yards per game. The unit did not replicate the takeaway success of 2017, but the unit was still the strength of the defense. Safety Jordan Poyer led the way with four interceptions, while Micah Hyde and Tre’Davious White added two each. Levi Wallace stepped in admirably to fill in the cornerback position opposite White. The unit, which started with Vontae Davis, also used Ryan Davis and Phillip Gaines out wide. Even with all of the changes, the group allowed a 300-plus yard passer only once on the season.
Special teams: D+
It wasn’t good. Stephen Hauschka was money until the team went through a series of holder changes and then he suffered an injury against the New York Jets. Hauschka hit 78.6-percent of his field goals, which was his lowest success rate for a full season. The Bills went through three punters on the season. Of the three, one was injured and the other two were ineffective.
The return game featured several mishaps on the year. The team ranked in the bottom third of the league in kick and punt returns. They were also “credited” with five fumbles on kick returns.