By Neel Cheruvu
The Buffalo Bills lost to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2 of the 2017-2018 NFL season by a final score of 9-3. The Bills’ offense could not get anything going the entire game, besides the very last drive when they finally started moving the ball downfield. On the contrary, the defense was stout and played tremendously, allowing only 9 points to the explosive Panthers’ offense featuring the likes of Cam Newton and Kelvin Benjamin.
The struggles of the Bills’ offense could be due to LeSean McCoy, the Bills’ superstar running back, not being able to get going on the ground game. McCoy, who torched the Jets for 122 yards in Week 1, produced 9 yards on 12 carries against the Panthers, a terrible average of 0.8 yards per carry. All the blame, however, cannot be placed on McCoy, as Tyrod Taylor threw for a mere 15 yards in the first half. He had trouble finding his receivers and the Bills’ offense was simply shut down. Their offense could only manage 3 points, thanks to a 45-yard field goal by Bills’ kicker Stephen Hauschka. The Bills’ defense was on the opposite end of that spectrum.
They were outstanding the whole game, sacking Cam Newton 6 times. Bills’ defensive end Jerry Hughes looked back in form, sacking Newton twice. The defense made big plays when it mattered and let up only 3 field goals to the Panthers; the Panthers’ offense could never get in the endzone. The Bills’ defense was the story of this game and the only reason that they ever had a chance to win it. The Bills’ offense was given the perfect opportunity to win the game at the end. Down by 6 with 2:35 left on the clock, all they needed was a touchdown and the extra point. Tyrod Taylor made a series of completions to Jordan Matthews, Zay Jones, and LeSean McCoy to keep the drive alive; then the penalty occurred.
It was 3rd and 1 for the Bills at the Carolina 41 yard line, with 1:06 remaining in the game. Tyrod Taylor stepped forward and threw a pass to a wide open Andre Holmes for 10 yards; however, a pass interference call was made on Andre Holmes and the Bills had to move back, giving them a 1st and 20. Tyrod scrambled a couple times and the Bills now faced a 4th and 11 with 14 seconds left, the game on the line. Tyrod hiked the ball, stepped back, and fired a pass to a wide open Zay Jones cutting to the corner and near the endzone.
However, Zay was not expecting Tyrod to throw it in the other direction and had to adjust to the ball. This resulted in the ball slipping through his hands, and the hopes of a Bills’ win along with it.
