The opposite was the case on Sunday. Even the normally stellar left side of the Bills offensive line provided him with sieve-like protection. Without another true playmaker or – at the minimum – someone that can distract the secondary, the Bills’ passing game will likely struggle this season. The Buffalo Bills (0-1) gave Baltimore all they could handle. That running attack will be crucial again this season, especially if the Bills want to end a 16-year playoff drought.
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Taylor had his chance Sunday.
On the Bills first three offensive drives, the team only netted two yards of offense.
Beyond that circus throw to Clay, nearly every one of Taylor’s other 14 pass completions – which totalled 92 yards – was an easy short curl, comebacker, out, or safety-valve dump-off. “I’m probably one of the only coaches that’ll give credit to the opponent because they deserve it”. However, they led only 3-0 on a 50-yard field goal by Justin Tucker. Several times the Bills had to burn timeouts at inopportune moments because their offense wasn’t ready as the playclock almost expired. Terrance West, who had a solid day as the No. 2 back, sliced through for the first down that effectively ended it.
2nd Quarter- The Bills found their offense. They held the Ravens to the 13 points, racked up four sacks, and allowed just 83 yards rushing. In the receiving end, Nick O’Leary posted 63 yards in six receptiosn while Jarrett Boykin added 29 yards in three receptions.
Baltimore got the ball back, but the Bills still held the Ravens for the field goal.
ROOKIE BLUNDER & THUNDER: In his first National Football League game, Ravens top draft pick left tackle Ronnie Stanley jumped offside on third-and-1 early in the first quarter.
The answer was no. The Bills scored their first TD moments later. “There are some things we have to work on, but all in all, we had a great game”. He was assessed 15 yards for trying to gain leverage during a field goal block, and the Ravens opted to take the penalty and wipe Tucker’s field goal off the board. Wright made the stops on second and third down, dropping McCoy for a loss of of four on second down and six more yards on third to force a punt.
Though it may not be the most marquee Week 1 matchup, this game has big implications.
That doesn’t bode well for a Bills offense that came off as badly overrated in the opener.
Buffalo’s biggest issue past year was its defense, which fell to No. 19 in the league after finishing the 2014 season ranked fourth. Failing to score more than seven points was a disturbing outcome.
This game was there for the taking … from start to finish. The opener seemed like a continuation, not a departure.
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On those two, though, coach Rex Ryan was forgiving. This was a bad loss against an AFC opponent they’ll likely contend with for a wild-card spot. Dumervil’s absence hurts the Ravens the most as he led the team in sacks the past two years.
