Cole Beasley has nothing to worry about.
Those were definitely chants of “Beeeease” from the crowd at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, after the Buffalo Bills’ slot receiver provided just the spark the offense needed in a 26-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins.
Beasley finished with 10 catches for 110 yards in the win, easily his most productive game of the season.
“It always feels good to make plays when your number's called,” Beasley said. “You definitely don't want it to be the other way, or else you feel the opposite, so it's definitely a good feeling, but I have confidence in myself that when my number is called, that I'm going to come through.”
Beasley, who has been vocal about his hesitancy regarding the Covid-19 vaccine, has been a lightning rod at times this season because of his stance. After the Bills’ Week 4 win over Houston, he wondered whether fans were booing him at home.
Fans on social media responded that they were actually chanting his name, similar to how they did for Bruce Smith back in the day. Beasley was getting plenty of love from the crowd for his performance against Miami – even if he wasn’t sure whether some actually were still jeering him.
“I don’t know. Whether some are booing or some are saying “Bease,” it still felt good playing and they were loud. So I enjoyed it either way,” he said.
Beasley has 17 catches for 198 yards in the Bills’ last two games. That comes after he had just three catches for 21 yards in the two games before that. Head coach Sean McDermott and quarterback Josh Allen said Beasley handled that relative inactivity well.
“He hadn’t had a lot of opportunities in the last few weeks and teams were kind of keying on him and playing funnel to try and force him inside,” Allen said. “Finally, he got some opportunities and he made some plays for us, huge plays that helped us move the ball.”
Beasley is just like any other NFL receiver – he wants the ball on every play. He also understands, however, that the Bills have a roster full of playmakers, so he had to stay patient in the weeks his number wasn’t being called as much.
“You always want to be involved more, so, it's just the competitor in me,” he said. “Just staying patient is the most important. You don't want to come between anything going on with the team. And we're winning games, so it doesn't really matter, you know? But as a competitor, you do have those feelings that you want to be involved, but here with all these weapons, you just stay patient. It does eventually come around, and I know that just being around this game for a long time. I know how things work. They were doing a lot of things to take me away early and I knew eventually after the other guys start getting off, it'll come back around.”
The turning point of Sunday’s game came in the third quarter. Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie made an ill-advised decision to try to return a punt deep inside Buffalo territory, but instead muffed it. Receiver Jake Kumerow was able to recover the ball in the end zone, though, maintaining possession.
Facing third and 14 three plays later, Beasley got 15 yards on a reception for a huge first down.
“With that down and distance, we were kind of thinking that they would be in zone, and the route I ran, I think this might be the first time I've ever gotten any man coverage,” he said. “It's not like it's a bad route for man coverage, but the route I ran, I'm just really good about getting behind the backers and finding windows and Josh is really good about manipulating guys and finding me, but they ended up playing man. It worked out. I got open. I should have kept running out. I ran the wrong way. Even on the good plays, you still have those regrets, but it worked out for us.”
On the Bills’ first possession of the third quarter, Beasley was the intended target on a third-and-12 pass from Allen that fell incomplete.
“It was more of a mental thing than a physical thing,” Beasley said. “It bugged the (expletive) out of me. But you know, a play like that, you either respond the right way or the wrong way. I feel like I needed that play to kind of happen. It got me in my zone after that.”
Dwelling on the negative is something Beasley has tried to cut out of his life. His outspokenness on social media regarding his vaccine hesitancy has brought with it an avalanche of criticism from those who object to his stance. That’s part of the reason Beasley decided to deactivate his Twitter account.
“When I first got here, I got away from all that stuff and then things happen,” Beasley said. “And the issues that we have at hand, I just felt like I needed to take responsibility for the guys that couldn’t. But it’s good for me to get back to where I wanted to be, and it’s not on there. The real world is out here and not there. Most people say things on there that you don’t want to hear. And it’s definitely a weight lifted and I feel like I did the right thing. And I’m going to stay off it.”
Beasley had another huge catch in the fourth quarter, gaining 14 yards on a third-and-13 play.
“He made huge plays,” McDermott said. “I think the one third down in particular, in the fourth quarter over the middle there, you know, just getting open. The line had good protection and then Josh just made a great throw over the middle. … So it was good to see, really good to see. He's a good football player for a reason. He has a good feel and Josh knows how to find him.”
About the only thing Beasley failed to do Sunday was complete his only pass. That came on the very next play after the third-and-13 conversion, when he attempted to connect with wide receiver Gabriel Davis in the front-right corner of the end zone.
"I wanted that one so bad and I wanted it for Gabe, though,” Beasley said. “The dude came up and when I let it go, I thought it was perfect. But I just gotta lead him a little bit more in the back of the end zone. There was a good corner on him, too. I was glad Gabe was able to make a play on it and I didn’t throw a pick.”
2. It’s time to ask about Cody Ford’s future
With rookie right tackle Spencer Brown out of the lineup because of a back injury, the Bills moved Daryl Williams from right guard to right tackle, where he started the season before being replaced by Brown. They also shifted Jon Feliciano from left guard to right guard, creating a hole in the starting lineup that was filled by Ike Boettger. That the Bills went with Boettger says a lot about where Ford is in his career, and none of it’s any good. The Bills traded up in the second round of the 2019 draft to select Ford out of Oklahoma and have tried him at right tackle and both guard spots. He’s been unable to find a home in the starting lineup at any of them.
3. Tyler Bass came up big
The Bills’ second-year kicker opened the scoring with a monster 57-yard field goal in the first quarter, kicking toward the tunnel end of the stadium. The field goal tied for fourth longest in franchise history and is the second longest in Bass’ career, following a made 58-yarder last season against Arizona.
“Going into the game, warming up I hit a 56 into the wind, and with the wind I hit a 58,” Bass said. “It felt good if it ever came to the point where we needed a 57. At that time, we had a little wind. I’m just grateful for coach to give me the opportunity to go out there. It means a lot that he trusts me. I was treating it like any other kick, not swinging too hard, not trying to smash the ball. Get out there, focus on my steps, focus on my target and trust my guys.”
Bass also connected on a clutch 39-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that pushed the Bills’ lead to 20-11.
“I don’t know what he does all day,” safety Micah Hyde said of Bass. “I don’t know what those specialists do all day when we are at work, but whatever he’s doing, he’s got to keep doing.”
4. Tommy Sweeney got the start at tight end
With usual starter Dawson Knox out because of a broken hand, Sweeney made his second career start and first since his rookie year of 2019. Sweeney, who missed all of the 2020 season after developing myocarditis, a heart condition, after a battle with Covid-19, was targeted four times, finishing with three catches for 30 yards
Sweeney also drew a crucial pass interference penalty on Miami linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel on a third-and-5 play from the Dolphins’ 11-yard line in the third quarter on the play before Allen’s touchdown pass to Gabriel Davis.
“I think Tommy stepped up and made some big plays for us,” Allen said. “I don’t know what his stats were, but there was a big third-down conversion that he had. Obviously, the crossing route he got, too. In the run game, he blocked extremely well. Missing Dawson, he’d a dynamic player that guys have to worry about. Hopefully we can get him back soon, but Tommy did a really good job today.”
5. Allen's ownership of the Dolphins continued
The Bills' quarterback went 29 of 42 for 249 yards and also rushed for 55 yards and another touchdown. Allen compiled a passer rating of 100.2 – the fifth consecutive game with a passer rating of at least 100, setting a team record. He has thrown for at least two touchdowns in all eight of his career starts against Miami, winning the last seven of those games, the longest winning streak for the Bills over the Dolphins in franchise history. Buffalo has now won eight straight games against AFC East opponents, the second-longest such streak in franchise history.
Allen has accounted for 112 total touchdowns in his first 50 career starts, which ranks third in NFL history. Additionally, his 28 rushing touchdowns is tied with Cam Newton for the most by a quarterback in his first 50 starts.
5. Vernon Butler Jr. and A.J. Epenesa returned to the lineup
A former first-round draft pick of the Carolina Panthers, Butler had been a healthy inactive the past three games. With Justin Zimmer out for the Bills because of a foot injury, however, Butler returned to the lineup. He committed a costly penalty in the first half, getting whistled for illegal use of hands to the face on a third-down play that gave Miami an automatic first down. Butler did not register any stats.
Epenesa, meanwhile, was a surprise inactive against the Titans in Week 6. He finished with three tackles in the win.
7. The Bills’ remaining inactives were healthy
Running back Matt Breida sat for the fifth consecutive game, while rookie defensive end Boogie Basham was inactive for the second straight game and fifth time overall. Fellow defensive end Efe Obada was also inactive for the fourth time in seven games.
