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Bills coordinators trying to find solutions, know play needs to be better on both sides of the ball

Bills defense vs. Chiefs
Posted at 5:22 PM, Oct 20, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-20 17:22:31-04

BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — For the second straight week the Buffalo Bills ended up in the loss column, and both coordinators admit there are issues. Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier and Offensive Coordinator Brian Daboll spoke to the media Tuesday following the team's 26-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Here's what they had to say:

Bills offense

After a hot start to the season, the Bills offense has started to turn.

"It's what you do with those possessions that count," Daboll said. "It's about executing at a high level and finishing with the ball in the end zone which we didn't get done."

The Bills offense has struggled to find a rhythm, scoring a combined 33 points in their losses to the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs. After four games filled with explosive plays and execution in the passing game, the Bills are as of late, under performing.

"We’re not gonna ride a roller coaster. That’s not what we’re gonna do. You have to have a strong will and a strong mind to commit to one another," Daboll said. "There's no room to feel sorry for yourself. It's about accountability and it starts with me. The guys that we have out there, we have confidence in. We'll work this out."

After years of inconsistency, the Bills offense seemed to find its identity through the first four weeks of the season, but things have died down. Quarterback Josh Allen is coming off one of the lowest performing games in his career when it comes to passing, throwing for just 122 yards and his third interception in the last two games.

"I've got to do a better job at getting him into a rhythm," Daboll said. "I have all the confidence in the world in Josh. Josh will be fine."

While Allen was the team's leading rusher, with 42 yards in the loss, the rest of the backfield had another lackluster day. Devin Singletary, the team's number one running back, has just 270 yards on the season which averages at just 45 yards a game. The Bills are currently 27th in the league in rushing and at this point, the team has a simple answer for their run game performance.

"I gotta give them better plays," Daboll simply said. "It takes everybody. It starts with us as a staff."

Bills Defense

A unit that's been among the best in the league over the last two seasons is struggling. But Leslie Frazier has confidence in his guys.

"If you got the right people that buy into the message, you'll improve over time," he said. "You hope that in November and December, you begin to ascend. You don't want to peak at this time of the year at all. You want to get better as the year goes on and I think we'll do that."

The defense, as of late, has been exposed in various areas including stopping the run. In their loss against the Chiefs, the Bills gave up nearly 250 yards on the ground and left way too many open gaps. Frazier knows the defense wasn't at their best but has urged his team to continue to believe in what they're doing, despite what the outsiders think.

"There are some times when things can get haywire and you want to throw out the kitchen sink and start all over again," he said. "Our message isn’t going to change. We’ve been through some tough stretches before and we’ll get through them again."

Frazier's right. Back in 2017, the Bills defense had three consecutive games in the second half of the season where they gave up 24 points to the NY Jets, 47 points to the New Orleans Saints, and 54 points to the LA Chargers. The Bills defense was able to bounce back from a performance like that and Frazier believes history can repeat itself.

"You keep working on the fundamentals of what you do and believe in what you're doing," Frazier said. "I think we have the right guys. We'll keep working to improve and I think we will. We've done it before and we can do it again."

Injury updates

  • OT Cody Ford, LB Tyrel Dodson, and CB Cam Lewis, were all injured in Sunday's game and are considered week-to-week
  • G Jon Feliciano and LB Matt Milano are "moving in the right direction"

Next up
The Bills (4-2) take on the New York Jets (0-6) on Sunday. The Bills currently lead the AFC East standings with a 2-0 division record [wins over the Jets and Dolphins].

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