The Buffalo Bills offense looked absolutely unstoppable for the first two weeks of the season, putting up a ridiculous 36 points against the Houston Texans, a team known for their tough defense, and then dropping 41 points on the Detroit Lions in Week 2. But man, has the tide turned fast. After those first two explosive outings, Buffalo’s offense just hasn’t felt right, and it all kinda starts with their star quarterback.
Allen’s Turnovers Threaten to Tank The Offense
Josh Allen, usually so reliable, has been a major part of the Bills’ recent offensive struggles. Over the last two weeks, he’s coughed up three interceptions and two fumbles, losing one of them. Yikes! They managed to squeak out a win against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 3, even with a whopping five turnovers, but you just cannot win consistently playing like that. The chickens came home to roost in Week 4. Turnovers and an offense that could only manage zero or one first down on seven of 11 possessions doomed them in a home loss to the New England Patriots. Even with a 3-1 record through four weeks, you gotta wonder if this turnover problem is a ticking time bomb. Head coach Joe Brady isn’t sugar-coating it either. He’s calling for “improved efforts from everybody, not just Allen,” if they want to get back to their standard. “There’s a standard by which we play, and we’re either playing to that standard or not,” Brady said. “It obviously wasn’t good enough against New England, and we didn’t find a way to go 1-0.”
From JSN-Level Production to Barely There: What Happened to Kincaid?
One of the most alarming changes for Buffalo has been the vanishing act of their talented tight end, Dalton Kincaid. Early on, this dude was cooking! In those first two dominant wins over the Texans and Lions, Kincaid hauled in 12 catches on 14 targets for a staggering 245 yards and a touchdown. His 4.69 yards per route run figure was absolutely elite, trailing only our very own Seattle Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and his target rate was 12th highest in the NFL. He was an absolute menace, just getting open and making plays.
Then, defenses apparently got the memo. Over the last two weeks, Kincaid has been virtually neutralized. He’s only managed three receptions on five targets for a measly 45 yards, and even had a lost fumble. His yards per route run plummeted to 1.13, and his target rate dropped to a dismal 12.5 percent, tying him for 160th out of 209 qualifying players. It’s clear what’s happening: defenses are getting physical with him and sending help over the top, totally taking away Buffalo’s 2023 first-round pick. On a slightly brighter note, the rookie receiver Keon Coleman did break out with six catches, which is a good sign for their receiving corps through these first four weeks, but man, Kincaid’s drop-off is glaring.
This Bills team is sitting at 3-1, but you gotta wonder if these offensive struggles, especially with Allen’s turnovers and Kincaid being shut down, are going to be a real problem going forward. Coach Brady is calling for “improved efforts from everybody,” not just Allen, and if they do not get it, that 3-1 record could start to look pretty shaky.
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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