Buffalo's Baffling Struggle: Searching for Consistency in the Bills' AFC Losses

Buffalo's Baffling Struggle: Searching for Consistency in the Bills' AFC Losses | The Wandering Buffalo

Trent Sherfield, Buffalo Bills WR

I am writing this after a disappointing loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, wondering what is going on in Buffalo. This was a tough loss to a good team that has always seemed to give the Buffalo Bills trouble. While it is not this particular loss that I am having trouble wrapping my head around, it’s the combination of losses, which happen to be all against AFC football teams. With this being our fourth AFC loss, the Buffalo Bills are beginning to put themselves back against the wall even to have a chance to make the playoffs. It seems that under the McDermott regime, we deal with something similar every year; we get hot, cool off, and then seem to get hot again just in time. I sure hope we can turn this around once again, but I scratch my head searching for answers regarding the lack of consistency year in and year out. Something is “off” with this team.

Football is a game of injuries, and the Bills have had their fair share this season on the defensive side of the ball (you could say the same for last season as well), but why the struggles on offense? Most fans point their fingers at the coaching, specifically Ken Dorsey. Was Stefon Diggs onto something when he was labeled a “Diva” expressing frustrations of some sort prior to the season beginning?

Over the last few years, we have seen a more conservative game plan for Josh Allen, and while Josh is putting up top QB numbers on the season, we seem to be missing those game-changing plays that come with the risky play of the past. Josh faces A LOT of criticism for leading the league in turnovers since 2018, the media reminds the fans of this almost every game, but what the media leaves out is that Josh is leading the league in total touchdowns.

So why is the offense struggling? I think the obvious answer is our continued lack of run game, but that has been the case since welcoming Josh Allen to Buffalo, NY. When watching these guys play week in and week out, I notice that Josh is missing a “Mr. Dependable” with the trust and rapport he had with Cole Beasley. We have Stefon Diggs, who has been great, but Diggs finds himself battling double coverage on almost every play. When looking at our wide receiver room, we have talented guys in Davis, Harty, Sherfield, Shakir, and Kincaid, and it seems like our offseason pick-ups of Harty and Sherfield are being under-utilized. It was not until the last couple of games that we saw Kincaid and Shakir get more chances.

Is the coaching staff underutilizing these players? Is it the lack of creativity? Is it a lack of trust? All questions I find myself wondering. With all that being said, Dalton Kincaid has found himself as a focal point on offense, and he has not disappointed. It makes me wonder if Knox did not get hurt, would Dalton still be seeing the same opportunities? I am encouraged by the plays Kincaid has made, and I feel like he is starting to fill the void of “Mr. Dependable” for quarterback Josh Allen. Let’s hope we continue to see him grow with Josh Allen and this offense.

As a transplant myself, living in Colorado, I am excited for this Week 10 matchup against the Denver Broncos. I am hoping we can come in and make a statement against a wildly inconsistent Broncos team and gain some of our “swagger” back as a whole team.

There are lots of unanswered questions, but I am confident we will find our way. Until then, GO BILLS!

See you Monday night.

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Jeremy Goddard
WRITER