The Buffalo Bills came so incredibly close — seven yards, in fact — to pulling the upset of the heavily favored Seattle Seahawks on the road on Monday Night Football. The Bills couldn’t get the last touchdown that they needed, and lost 31-25, which dropped their record to 4-5 on the season.
They’re next up against the Cincinnati Bengals after a much needed week off, but before we turn the page to the next opponent, first is a detailed look at how the game went for the players that make up the Bills roster.
Each and every week, WKBW.com will review the tape, and bring you how each player graded out in the previous week, with the help of the Game Pass app on NFL.com. Before we get to the rankings, first, an explanation of how they are done.
Every week, when the All-22 film becomes available, we’ll go through and watch each play and every player on each play as many times as necessary, to assess a letter grade for that game to the player. It is subjective analysis, and it’s important to note that we do not know the play calls and full responsibilities. With that written, the grades stem from technique, outstanding efforts, and presumed liability.
Only players that take a snap on offense or defense are accounted for, and players with under 15 snaps, unless they have a significant impact on the game, will not be factored into weekly rankings.
Season-long grades have been tallied and documented, with each individual game’s grade being weighted for how much the player was on the field in a given week. You can find those below all the weekly rankings at the bottom of the article.
You’ll see an explanation of the best five players of the week, and also the worst three players of the week, to illustrate what made them such a starkly important player to the outcome of the game — either for good or bad reasons.
Now, the individual player grades of the Bills versus the Seahawks:
The Top Five
1) LG Richie Incognito
Snaps on the Field: 86/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: A-minus
- The Bills were going against one of the top run defenses in the entire league, and they were actually able to have a great deal of success against them. It was due to the offensive line, and Richie Incognito was leading the way all game long for the Bills. Incognito was playing with quite an edge to his game, really at times just punishing defenders he was going to block — especially when he got a head esteem and pulled to the other side of the line. The defensive tackles on the Seahawks struggled against him all game long.
2) OLB Jerry Hughes
Snaps on the Field: 38/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: A-minus
- Going into one of the best matchups he’ll see all season long, Hughes was a dominant player in the matchup. Whether it was on running plays where he either pushed his man back or squirmed his way into the backfield, or on passing downs when he beat right tackle Garry Gilliam repeatedly with a mix of speed and power, Hughes was a nuisance for the Seattle defense. His hold at the top of the rankings in 2016 continues to grow stronger with performances like he had in Seattle.
3) WR Robert Woods
Snaps on the Field: 67/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: A-minus
- If Woods was dealing with a foot injury, he certainly didn’t show the effects of it on Monday night. Against New England, he was a bit slower in and out of his breaks, which made him essentially a non-factor. In Seattle, Woods kept defenders guessing with his route running, which is the most underrated part of his game. It helped him keep defenders way off and he gained separation, which gave Tyrod Taylor a big enough window to get him the ball. He also had a knack for settling down into a spot on the field right in between a pair of zone defenders, and then had the ability to make some people miss. Some fans don’t view him as a starting receiver, but I think people will be quite surprised when they see how much he signs for in the offseason either with the Bills, or as a free agent.
4) FB Jerome Felton
Snaps on the Field: 23/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: A-minus
- In 2015, Jerome Felton was a massive disappointment and played way below expectations. In 2016, Felton is back to being one of the best fullbacks in football and his performance against Seattle was the most shining example of that. Felton was mauling people out in front of both his running backs, not allowing the defender to escape him to stop a play short. He even showed a lot of determination running the ball, picking up a key first down on a sustained drive in the first half. Being released at the beginning of the season must have woken Felton up, because he has progressively gotten better as the season has gone on.
5) DL Jerel Worthy
Snaps on the Field: 22/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: A-minus
- It’s time to start getting Jerel Worthy more time on the field. He’s had solid performances in the past, but this was by far his best. Worthy was jolting off the snap and into the backfield, at times fighting through multiple blockers to blow plays up. He was consistently in Seattle’s backfield — which the same cannot be said for rookie Adolphus Washington. In what limited time he’s had on the field, Worthy has played well enough to warrant a larger role.
Everyone Else
6) QB Tyrod Taylor
Snaps on the Field: 85/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-plus
7) OLB Lorenzo Alexander
Snaps on the Field: 46/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-plus
8) DL Kyle Williams
Snaps on the Field: 42/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-plus
9) WR Marquise Goodwin
Snaps on the Field: 48/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-plus
10) RB LeSean McCoy
Snaps on the Field: 64/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B
11) C Eric Wood
Snaps on the Field: 63/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B
12) RG John Miller
Snaps on the Field: 86/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B
13) DL Leger Douzable
Snaps on the Field: 23/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: B
14) LT Cordy Glenn
Snaps on the Field: 86/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
15) ILB Zach Brown
Snaps on the Field: 38/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
16) RB Mike Gillislee
Snaps on the Field: 24/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
17) WR Justin Hunter
Snaps on the Field: 26/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
18) TE Charles Clay
Snaps on the Field: 82/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
19) ILB Preston Brown
Snaps on the Field: 47/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
20) CB Corey White
Snaps on the Field:
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
21) DL Adolphus Washington
Snaps on the Field: 18/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
22) WR Walt Powell
Snaps on the Field: 42/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
23) TE Nick O’Leary
Snaps on the Field: 17/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
24) WR Percy Harvin
Snaps on the Field: 21/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: B-minus
25) CB Stephon Gilmore
Snaps on the Field: 45/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: C-plus
26) CB Nickell Robey-Coleman
Snaps on the Field: 23/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: C-plus
27) S Corey Graham
Snaps on the Field: 47/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: C-plus
28) CB Kevon Seymour
Snaps on the Field: 15/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: C-plus
29) CB Ronald Darby
Snaps on the Field: 19/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: C
The Bottom Three
30) OL Ryan Groy
Snaps on the Field: 26/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: D-plus
- When Eric Wood left the game with a broken leg in the second half, that meant Ryan Groy would enter the game and take the rest of the snaps at center — and it certainly wasn’t good. On the last two drives, Groy was single-handedly responsible for multiple plays being blown up. The Bills were spoiled having Wood manning the ship on the offensive line, but now face potential mismatches every week without their starting center if Groy has to play. He really struggles with powerful defensive tackles, and the Seattle game provided evidence of that.
31) RT Jordan Mills
Snaps on the Field: 86/86
Grade vs. Seahawks: D-plus
- The downslope of Jordan Mills’ season continued on Monday night. The first six weeks of the season yielded performances that were average to slightly above average, which was a pleasant surprise considering how he played in 2015. However, over the last three weeks, Mills has been distinctly below average and the Bills have suffered as a result. Against Seattle, he stood no chance against Cliff Avril. The defensive end kept him guessing all game long, and Avril was so quick off the snap that Mills was even trying to cheat and start his kick slide a quarter of a second earlier. He couldn’t keep up with Avril, and it blew up many plays — including down the stretch in the final offensive drive for the Bills. If this continues, the Bills may want to consider taking a look at either Cyrus Kouandjio or Seantrel Henderson, but what Mills was able to do in the first six weeks should warrant him some faith in him over the next couple of weeks.
32) S Robert Blanton
Snaps on the Field: 46/47
Grade vs. Seahawks: D-plus
- For the second straight week — and in only the second week the Bills have been without Aaron Williams for a full game — Robert Blanton is in the bottom three performers. He was a clear weakness in coverage, showing the always dreaded hesitance without trusting his instincts, and he was also a step too slow when he made his assessment of the play. There were quite a few opportunities for Blanton to make a big pass breakup, but he was either half-a-step too slow, or let the play pass him by. When the Bills drop back into Cover 2 with their safeties, it’s on him to not allow a receiver to blow the top off the defense, and he was slow in doing that on a couple of plays. They didn’t end up burning the Bills, but it’s just proof that Blanton — for whatever reason — is either not trusting what he’s seeing, or is a quarter of a second late in recognizing it. Either way, it’s a problem that needs to be fixed, otherwise teams will continue to attack him.
Players with less than 15 snaps
OLB Shaq Lawson (13)
RB Reggie Bush (8)
OLB Lerentee McCray (3)
RB Jonathan Williams (1)
OL Cyrus Kouandjio (1)
LB Brandon Spikes (1)
S Duke Williams (1)
S Jonathan Meeks (1)
QB EJ Manuel (0)
ILB Ramon Humber (0)
Inactives: QB Cardale Jones (9), WR Brandon Tate (1), TE Gerald Christian (2), OL Patrick Lewis (9), T Seantrel Henderson (4), DL Corbin Bryant (1), Marcell Dareus (4)
Season Grades (Last week’s rank)
*At least 135 snaps to qualify
1) OLB Jerry Hughes - 3.51 (1)
2) DL Kyle Williams - 3.41 (2)
3) LG Richie Incognito - 3.15 (4)
4) RB LeSean McCoy - 3.15 (3)
5) OLB Lorenzo Alexander - 3.07 (6)
6) FB Jerome Felton - 3.02 (13)
7) ILB Zach Brown - 3.01 (5)
8) RG John Miller - 3.00 (7)
9) C Eric Wood - 2.98 (9)
10) RB Mike Gillislee - 2.94 (8)
11) WR Robert Woods - 2.93 (15)
12) TE Charles Clay - 2.89 (10)
13) LT Cordy Glenn - 2.89 (11)
14) DL Adolphus Washington - 2.88 (12)
15) TE Nick O’Leary - 2.85 (14)
16) WR Marquise Goodwin - 2.78 (23)
17) ILB Preston Brown - 2.78 (16)
18) WR Justin Hunter - 2.76 (18)
19) CB Ronald Darby - 2.76 (17)
20) DL Leger Douzable - 2.74 (21)
21) S Corey Graham - 2.73 (19)
22) S Aaron Williams - 2.73 (20)
23) CB Nickell Robey-Coleman - 2.67 (22)
24) CB Stephon Gilmore - 2.63 (24)
25) DL Corbin Bryant - 2.61 (25)
26) QB Tyrod Taylor - 2.58 (30)
27) OLB Lerentee McCray - 2.58 (27)
28) WR Walt Powell - 2.54 (28)
29) OL Cyrus Kouandjio - 2.47 (29)
30) RT Jordan Mills - 2.41 (26)
31) S Robert Blanton - 1.97 (31)
Total Snaps
1) RG John Miller - 597
2) RT Jordan Mills - 596
3) ILB Preston Brown - 595
4) LG Richie Incognito - 592
5) S Corey Graham - 587
6) CB Stephon Gilmore - 587
7) QB Tyrod Taylor - 573
8) C Eric Wood - 569
9) OLB Jerry Hughes - 537
10) ILB Zach Brown - 528
11) TE Charles Clay - 508
12) CB Ronald Darby - 483
13) DL Kyle Williams - 475
14) LT Cordy Glenn - 445
15) WR Robert Woods - 431
16) OLB Lorenzo Alexander - 392
17) RB LeSean McCoy - 372
18) CB Nickell Robey-Coleman - 351
19) S Aaron Williams - 339
20) WR Marquise Goodwin - 320
21) DL Leger Douzable - 279
22) WR Walt Powell - 277
23) DL Corbin Bryant - 234
24) S Robert Blanton - 222
25) WR Justin Hunter - 200
26) DL Adolphus Washington - 197
27) TE Nick O’Leary - 183
28) RB Mike Gillislee - 156
29) OLB Lerentee McCray - 152
30) FB Jerome Felton - 150
31) OL Cyrus Kouandjio - 146
32) CB Corey White - 115
33) DL Jerel Worthy - 96
34) S Duke Williams - 91
35) WR Sammy Watkins - 82
36) CB Kevon Seymour - 78
37) OL Ryan Groy - 74
38) ILB Brandon Spikes - 73
39) OLB Shaq Lawson - 64
40) RB Reggie Bush - 63
41) WR Brandon Tate - 56
42) S Jonathan Meeks - 45
43) DL Marcell Dareus - 42
44) WR Greg Salas - 36
45) RB Jonathan Williams - 35
46) TE Jim Dray - 30
47) QB EJ Manuel - 25
48) WR Percy Harvin - 21
49) ILB Ramon Humber - 18
50) OL Michael Ola - 11
51) FB Glenn Gronkowski - 8
52) TE Gerald Christian - 7
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