The Buffalo Bills just took their first L of the season, falling 29-26 to the New England Patriots, and trust me, Bills fans are stewing. This wasn’t some minor stumble; it left a ton of questions hanging in the air, especially after looking at those snap counts.
The O-Line’s Iron Man Act Is Falling Apart
You’d think playing every single one of the 59 offensive snaps would be a badge of honor for Josh Allen and his entire starting offensive line, right? Alec Anderson, Dion Dawkins, O’Cyrus Torrence, Spencer Brown, and Connor McGovern were out there for the whole dang game. But being available doesn’t mean you’re playing well, and that’s the hard truth coming out of this Patriots game. Dion Dawkins’ pass protection is becoming a real red flag. We were all hoping that weight loss would make him quicker off the snap, but lately, it looks like our left tackle is just getting absolutely overpowered way too often. Buffalo’s gotta figure out how to give Allen some dependable protection. Whether that’s chipping in with an extra tight end (since we supposedly have so many!) or just getting better execution from the guys already on the field, something has to change. Fast.
Four Tight Ends, Zero Payoff? What’s Going On?
Here’s a head-scratcher: The Bills rolled out *four* tight ends against New England, and I’m still trying to figure out what they got for it. Dawson Knox led the group with 36 snaps (61%), followed close by Dalton Kincaid with 35 (59%). Jackson Hawes got 14 snaps (24%), and Keleki Latu? He saw one, just one measly offensive snap (2%). If we need help with pass protection, shouldn’t these guys be stepping up? There’s some context, sure: Latu played a solid 18 special-teams snaps (69%), so he’s contributing there. But is that enough to justify keeping four tight ends on the active roster when the offensive payoff is this tiny? It just doesn’t add up.
Cook’s Electric Runs Get Sidelined As Coleman Shines
And then there’s James Cook. Man, I’m still waiting for them to just give him the rock. He only played 35 offensive snaps (59%), while Ty Johnson got 19 (32%) and Ray Davis saw four (7%). Despite the limited opportunities, Cook absolutely tore it up, with 12 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown, averaging a sick 6.3 yards per attempt. How many times are we gonna see productive afternoons from him and ask why he didn’t get more touches? Being on the field for over half the snaps is fine, but actually handing him the ball when he’s running that effectively? That would be even better. On the receiver front, Keon Coleman was a bright spot, leading the group with 46 snaps (78%) and making them count with six catches for 116 yards and that clutch fourth-quarter touchdown that briefly put Buffalo ahead. Khalil Shakir was right behind him with 45 snaps (76%), while Joshua Palmer played 35 (59%) and DJ Moore, who re-aggravated his shoulder, played 23 (39%). Greg Dortch only got two offensive snaps, but like Latu, he had a bigger special teams role. Coleman’s emergence was one of the few things to feel good about on a seriously frustrating afternoon.
This loss to the Patriots definitely stung, leaving Buffalo with some serious soul-searching to do about their O-line, tight end usage, and getting their best playmakers the ball. With the season marching on, they’ve got to tighten things up, especially on defense, where they spent a whopping 76 snaps on the field, constantly giving Drake Maye somewhere to throw. The heat is on to fix these issues before those questions turn into even bigger problems.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
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