By Justin DiLoro / Billswire.usatoday.com
Over the past two seasons, it’s been a difficult time to be a Buffalo Bills wide receiver. For parts of the 2017 season, the unit was mentioned among the least-productive units in league history. The team was 31st in passing yards per game, averaging 176.6 yards per game. They were 27th in passing touchdowns, averaging exactly one per game.
The 2018 season didn’t pan out much better. General manager Brandon Beane jettisoned Tyrod Taylor for a preseason battle of Nathan Peterman, AJ McCarron, and Josh Allen. Peterman won the three-way battle, and ultimately took control of the offense.
Unfortunately, the team, along with Peterman, imploded during the first week of the season, and the position was passed along to the inexperienced Allen. The growing pains were apparent, especially through the first half of the season. While it did get better down the stretch, the view of the entire season still left quite a bit to be desired.
The Bills held down the 31st spot in yards once again, this time averaging 174.6 per game. The myriad of Bills quarterbacks could only muster 13 passing touchdowns, worst in the league. The group ended up throwing the second-most interceptions in the NFL, 23 (mostly) ill-advised balls.
Yet, there is a reason for the team to hold their head’s high.
Josh Allen’s improvement as the rookie season continued gives hope for an offensively-starved franchise. Yes, he hopped linebackers and ran wild at times. However, the decision-making, while still a work in process, was ripe with better choices down the stretch. He didn’t take as many wild risks while throwing the football. Allen was less jittery behind the line and more confident.
All of this adds up to benefit…Zay Jones.
Yes, the third-year receiver should be the most likely player to emerge on the Bills’ offense.
Buffalo added John Brown and Cole Beasley to their receiving corps. It may cut down on his targets. Still, Jones can still thrive.
Entering his third season with Buffalo, Jones has the seventh-most catches amount receivers drafted in the 2017 draft. He has gained 968 receiving yards during his two years in the NFL, also good for seventh among the draft class. He is fourth among the group with nine touchdown receptions.
His improvement from year one to year two should put him on a path to make a big step forward in year three.
The improvements are major. His receptions increased from 27 to 56; his receiving yards more than doubled from 316 yards to 652 yards. His touchdown total went through a small explosion, swelling to seven touchdowns from the mere two in his rookie year.
There are many things working in Jones’ favor. It will be his second year working with Josh Allen. Even though head coach Sean McDermott has discussed the importance of running the ball, the team is still going to let the pigskin fly. After all, Allen was among the league leaders in deep passes attempted.
But the team will place a greater emphasis on Allen keeping his mechanics in line for short-to-intermediate passes. That’s Jones’ wheelhouse.
Jones will also be playing under the same offensive coordinator for the first time in his brief career. The East Carolina product has a season under Brian Daboll’s offense, so now the task for Jones is to refine his game and a bit deeper within the offensive scheme. That’s something Beasley and Brown don’t have the luxury of.
Plus, third-year wide receivers do have a history of breaking out.
The Bills have more weapons that opposing defenses will need to account for while defending the pass. Thus, Jones should face some more man coverage. He has the quickness to create some space in tight places. In addition, if defenses decide to defend using zone coverage, the former second-round pick has the intelligence to find holes in the defense.
Jones put up some decent numbers in the first half of the season last year. However, there were several games where garbage time production found its way into the box score. As the season progressed, meaningful production increased as well. It’s not perfect, but the projection is promising.
Thus, it’s a good bet for No. 11 to break out for the Bills this season. For Jones, his third season is definitely his best time to be in a Buffalo uniform.