| Bills coach Chan Gailey could do little but stare in awe at the 49ers' play and in disbelief at the play of his team on Sunday. (US Presswire) |
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for the Buffalo Bills, it did -- and then some. The Bills suffered their second blowout defeat in as many weeks in Week 5, falling 45-3 to San Francisco. Buffalo allowed a franchise-worst 621 yards on defense and allowed more than 500 yards in consecutive games for the first time in team history.
Offense: D
The Bills were shorthanded along the offensive line due to injuries and were unable to generate much of a push in the run game. Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller (53 combined yards) had little impact for the second game in a row. Ryan Fitzpatrick (16 of 26, 126 yards, one INT) continues to struggle with his accuracy and came up short on several opportunities.
Previous game’s grade: D
Defense: F
This was a record-breaking performance on the defensive side of the ball -- and not the good kind. With players like Mario Williams, Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus up front, why are the Bills losing so many battles along the line of scrimmage? Where’s the pass rush? The LBs aren’t doing their fair share against the run, and Buffalo’s young CBs are really struggling in pass coverage. An all-around disaster.
Previous game’s grade: F
Special teams: B
Leodis McKelvin continues to be one of the team’s few positives in recent weeks with his play in the return game. He appeared to get the Bills on the board early with an 80-yard punt return, but it was called back due to a holding penalty. He responded with a 59-yard kick return the next time he touched the ball. New punter Shawn Powell had a good day (41.2 net average).
Previous game’s grade: C
Coaching: F
This was the type of game that often gets coaches fired. Because it’s only Week 5 -- and the Bills have two winnable games coming up on the schedule -- it doesn’t look any changes will be happening in the near future, but it seems inevitable if this keeps up. For all the talent Buffalo’s defense has on paper, the struggles have been puzzling.
Previous game’s grade: D
For more updates on the Bills, follow correspondent Mark Ludwiczak on Twitter @CBSBills and @MarkLud12.