ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — So here they are, the Buffalo Bills, 1-0 and alone atop the AFC East.
OK, their first victory was a 21-12 decision Sunday afternoon at New Era Field over the New York Jets, the consensus worst team in the National Football League.
What’s next?
There’s a meeting with the Carolina Panthers five days from now in Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.
Yeah, that team, which made the Super Bowl two years ago and opened the season with a less-than-impressive 23-3 road win over the 49ers.
It’s also the team for which new Bills coach Sean McDermott was the defensive coordinator over the previous six seasons.
After Sunday’s victory, McDermott cautioned the media “It’s only one win … let’s keep it in perspective.”
And, in typical coach fashion, he saw a lot of things that need work.
“I’ve got a long list,” McDermott said. “Fundamentally, we’ve got a lot of work to do (along with) getting some other things corrected.”
And one that that stood out, though because the Bills won, it didn’t appear to be a flaw, was the obvious absence of the Bills wide receivers as the game unfolded.
Quarterback Tyrod Taylor kept his passing eyes on running back LeSean McCoy and tight end Charles Clay all afternoon.
McCoy was targeted six times with five receptions and Clay had nine targets with four catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
By contrast, wide receivers Jordan Matthews, Zay Jones and Andre Holmes were collectively thrown to eight times with four catches and a TD.
Clearly, the Bills corps of wideouts has taken a hit since last season.
Sammy Watkins was traded to the Rams, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin left via free agency for the Rams and 49ers, respectively, and Percy Harvin retired.
Hence, Sunday’s starters were all new: Matthews, a trade acquisition from the Eagles in the Ronald Darby deal, Jones, one of this year’s two second-round draft choices, and Holmes signed as a free agent.
And their development and familiarity with the offense was stunted when Taylor was sidelined for nine days on the brink of the season while in the concussion protocol.
But when asked about the wide receivers diminished role in the passing game in favor of McCoy and Clay, McDermott maintained, “I equate it to Tyrod taking what the defense was giving him. That’s where our balance comes in as an offense with the run game, the tight end, LeSean, (running back) Mike Tolbert and those wideouts.
“Obviously (the Jets) were doing some things they wanted to try to take away the wide receivers so we were going to distribute the ball in other areas. That’s what balanced offenses do … it doesn’t mean it’s necessarily balanced, statistically, across the board.”
To which offensive coordinator Rick Dennison added, “Almost all of our passes are progressions, so what the defense gives you, that’s what you take. They’re taught to go one to two to three, if that’s what the defense is giving us, that’s what we’re going to take. Tyrod did what he was coached and went through, so that’s where the targets went. Each game is going to be just a little different based on what they give us.”
But don’t the wide receivers have to be bigger contributors?
“If they’re open, they’ll get involved.” Dennison said. “Zay had the one early, it was a big play for us to get started. Andre scored the touchdown, Jordan made two explosive plays, so I think there’s plenty there. I think it’ll continue, and everybody will get involved. That’s the way we design it. Certainly, LeSean gets a lot of balls to touch, but we design it so that it’s a straight progression. Whatever they’re giving us, we’ll take what we can get.”
Meanwhile, for Taylor, it was simple.
“It will come,” he said of expanded use of the wide receivers. “We knew going into this game the backers were something that we had to take advantage of match-up wise. We didn’t think that those guys could stop Shady (McCoy) and Charles coming out of the back field and just working them into the middle of the field.
“Those outside targets will definitely come but it’s a game of match-ups, and each game is going to be different. We have to be able to take advantage of those match-ups.”
(Chuck Pollock, a Times Herald sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
