After two tough losses for the Buffalo Bills, the season is taking a turn for the worst. But it’s not time for fans to start panicking just yet.
The past two weeks have been rough for the Buffalo Bills, to say the least. After a humiliating loss on Thursday night on the road to the division rival New York Jets, the Bills got handled at home by the New Orleans Saints, 47-10 — by far their worst loss of the season. The Bills have looked awful on both sides of the ball over the two-game losing skid, getting outscored 81- 31 combined.
The biggest issue for the Bills has been the running game, both in terms of their own and stopping their opponents’. They have allowed a combined 489 yards rushing the past two weeks, which is an insane number. The Saints ran all over the Bills on Sunday, as both Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara each rushed for over 100 yards.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Bills have struggled to get LeSean McCoy going. McCoy has a combined 75 yards the past two games, and if you take out is 36-yard run against the Saints, he has an abysmal 19 carries for 38 yards. McCoy is the engine that makes the Bills offense go, and if he struggles, the offense tends to stall.
There’s no doubt that the Bills’ last two games are discouraging to fans. When your team gets outscored 81-31 in a two week span, it is a bad sign. However, it is too early to hit the panic button on the Bills season. First off, this team is currently sitting sixth in the AFC, holding down the last Wild Card spot. The AFC is top-heavy this year, and finishing 9-7 should get the Bills into the postseason.
The Bills’ remaining seven games are tough, no doubt. They include two games against the division rival Patriots, who are playing their best football of the season. They also have to travel to Arrowhead Stadium and play the Chiefs, who are very tough at home. However, the Bills’ other four games are winnable. They play the Chargers next week, then the Colts and Dolphins twice. Buffalo could easily pull of wins in each of those matchups, bringing their record to 9-7.
Now, the Bills have to play better football to even think about the playoffs, and it all starts with the running game. The Bills have to do a better job of stopping the run and getting McCoy into open space. When McCoy is going, it opens the field up for Tyrod Taylor, who needs help to get his own game going.
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Before their Thursday night game against the Jets, the Bills were rolling, and McCoy was the main reason why. The Bills must find a way to get him back on track, and it shouldn’t be a tough task against a stingy Chargers run defense, who are rank dead last in rush defense. The Bills have to take advantage of this week to get their season back on track. If they can’t leave L.A with a win, then it will officially be time to press the panic button in Buffalo.