GM Asking About Buffalo Rookie? Bills Studs & Duds in Week 1
The Buffalo Bills unofficially returned to action on Saturday afternoon, carrying on their winning ways of the new decade with a 27-24 victory earned through Tyler Bass' game-winning field goal from 46 yards out.
Saturday's comeback had several stand-outs ... for the right and wrong reasons ...
Stud: The Defense
Unlike the Bills, the Colts opted to showcase some of their starters, including new quarterback Matt Ryan. For the most part, Buffalo's secondary unit held its own.
Draft picks stole the show for a Bills defense that only allowed points after an interception placed them in dire straits: Premier pick Kaiir Elam took some lumps (including a pass interference penalty and a head injury observation that ended his afternoon) but he came through with strong coverage while primarily responsible for Alec Pierce, the Colts' second-round receiver. Sixth-round cornerback Christian Benford played so well (stopping Colts back Phillip Lindsay from gaining the first on a two-yard third-down and earning a crucial pass breakup of Ryan on a prior fourth) that Buffalo sideline reporter Cynthia Frelund told viewers that a rival general manager texted her to inquire about his potential post-preseason status. It's safe to say that the lasting impression will work in his favor.
Those efforts came before the defense's first scorer of the game, as veteran edge man Carlos Basham gave Nick Foles a rude welcome to the game with a fumble-forcing sack that yet another rookie, third-round linebacker Terrel Bernard, took back 69 yards for a six-pointer.
Dud: Case Keenum
The Bills might be better off freezing Josh Allen when he's not on the field this season because Saturday hinted that the current backup quarterback situation might not be pretty.
Matt Barkley, to his credit, recovered from a fourth quarter interception to lead a comeback effort, one that featured several big throws en route to victory. His potential replacement as Allen's understudy didn't fare as well. The long-tenured Keenum, embarking upon his first season in Buffalo, lost three turnovers (two interceptions and a fumble) that yielded the Colts' 10 first-half points. He wound up completely 11-of-18 passes but mustered less than five yards an attempt and failed to oversee any touchdown drives.
Stud: Khalil Shakir
The NFL preseason likely lingers for the rookies' benefit and the Bills' freshmen did not disappoint. In addition to Elam, Benford, and Baylon Spector, the fifth-round choice Shakir began to establish himself as a realistic threat in a packed receivers' room.
Already lauded for his route-running in camp, Shakir was a reliable target on Saturday, hauling in all five of his targets for 92 yards. Each of his grabs picked up first downs, giving the Bills' opening offense a reliable big play threat despite failing to reach the end zone.
Shakir wasn't the only one to break through: Isaiah Hodgins caught all but two of his 11 targets, picking up 77 yards. A good part of that tally came on a 27-yard diving grab that helped set the Bills offense's first touchdown of the day, a one-yard rushing punch for Raheem Blackshear.
Dud: Jake Kumerow
Kumerow, on the other hand, had a tough day on his end. While his special teams prowess might've been enough to sustain him in the past, he left the worst kind of impression on the offensive staff, negating a big 20-yard gain with a lost fumble in Indianapolis territory. Hodgins' strong outing certainly didn't help his case.
In terms of other veterans, Jamison Crowder is likely safe but likely made no fans via Keenum's first interception, which went through his fingertips and into the arms of Indianapolis safety Rodney McLeod.
Stud: Raheem Blackshear
His latter score was mired by a late ankle injury (though he was cleared to return), but the undrafted rookie played a large role in Buffalo's late-game endeavors, visiting the end zone twice and setting the stage for one of those six-point tallies via a 32-yard hook-up with Barkley that unofficially began the Buffalo comeback. He was mostly limited to short-yardage situations on the ground (11 yards on six carries) but added 60 yards on four grabs.
Dud: Luke Tenuta
Not all rookies had a stellar Sunday: thurst into the startling lineup, it was a missed block by the tackle Tenuta that led to Keenum's lost fumble. Another missed block forced Zach Moss to improvise his way to a 27-yard gain on the Bills' opening drive.
