Welcome to another edition of the Bills Mailbag. Let’s get right to your questions …
Timothy Noe asks: Is it time to activate Antonio Williams from the practice squad to see if he can breathe some life into the Buffalo Bills running game?
Jay: It’s not quite time … but that time might not be all that far off, either. Here is what coach Sean McDermott had to say about running backs Devin Singletary and Zack Moss on Friday.
“I think they're two young players ... whose best football, I believe, is ahead of them,” McDermott said. “A lot of confidence and trust in those two. Do I expect us to be able to do things better than we've done at times? Yes, I do. And I think that they would say the same thing. It's about detailing their work, it's about running with an attitude, making people miss, breaking tackles, and taking care of the football all the while. That's the responsibility they take, and I think to this point, they've done a fairly good job with that.”
The statistics, however, speak for themselves. Singletary hasn’t topped 30 yards rushing in the past three games. Moss had 19 yards on eight carries last week. The Bills have to get more out of both of them. If they don’t, the thought of going to Williams isn’t a bad one.
Dennis Priore asks: With the state-commissioned study on a future Bills stadium released this week, I think it’s a certainty that a new stadium will be built in the next several years. The questions that remain are: 1. Where? (Orchard Park or downtown), and 2. What type of stadium (open air or dome)? So, it got me thinking, while most stadiums in the NFL are open air as opposed to domes, is there any correlation regarding a percentage of teams that play in an open-air stadium making it to a Super Bowl, as opposed to teams that play in a dome?
Jay: The most likely answer to the first two questions is an open-air stadium in Orchard Park. That’s the cheapest option. It’s also the one favored by the team, although since the Pegulas don’t plan to foot the bill, there are other parties with a say in the matter, too. As for the Super Bowl, I looked at the last 10 of them. Interestingly enough, the only team to play in a dome to make it to the big game in that time is the Falcons, who famously choked away a big lead and lost to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI.
Jeff Cooke asks: You have to hand it to Cole Beasley in that he has taken a public stand on Covid-19 vaccination – right or wrong. Why can't the media get a straight answer from Josh Allen and the Bills’ organization on their MVP franchise player?
Jay: It’s private medical information that Allen is under no obligation to share if he doesn’t want to. The Bills certainly aren’t going to say, and I’m not sure what more the “media” can do. The question has been asked. For anyone out there ready to yell “that’s a HIPAA violation!" relax. You don’t know what that means, and it’s not. Allen simply chooses not to answer, which is his right. The “media” can’t force him. That doesn’t mean I agree with his stance. He could choose to set an example by answering the question. Heck, given his status in this town, he may even convince some fans who haven’t been vaccinated to take that step if he came out and explained why he did and why he believes that’s the right choice for others. Or, if he’s not vaccinated, he could explain why he made that choice. I can understand why Allen may not want to go down that path, though. For as truly awful as this pandemic has been, perhaps the worst part is how a public-health situation has managed to divide our country even more. The media did its job and asked Allen about his vaccination status – an important question because it potentially impacts his availability for the team, and thus is not strictly an individual choice. He chose not to answer. I get that Aaron Rodgers’ recent positive Covid-19 test has brought up the subject again, but if Allen’s not going to change his mind and provide an answer, it does no good to repeatedly bring up the subject. If he changes his mind and wants to explain his decision one way or the other, I’m all ears.
Ed Helinski asks: It’s your turn to call the shots regarding the Bills offensive line. With some ineffective play, shortcomings in the running game, and with recent injuries and benchings of some starters, who gets the nod for the Jacksonville game and maybe beyond?
Jay: It’s pretty straightforward this week. With Jon Feliciano and rookie Spencer Brown ruled out because of injuries, the offensive line most likely will look the way it finished the game against Miami. From left to right, that’s Dion Dawkins, Ike Boettger, Mitch Morse, Cody Ford and Daryl Williams. Ryan Bates and Tommy Doyle would be the two reserves, although the Bills could promote another player from the practice squad in order to dress eight offensive linemen. As for how it will look when the team is fully healthy, Feliciano figures to regain his starting job at left guard, while Brown would be reinserted at right tackle and Williams would shift back inside to right guard.
Drew Shapiro asks: Did Urban Meyer stay in Ohio after the Thursday night game in an attempt to publicly and intentionally alienate or embarrass the Jaguars’ organization so they would relieve him of his duties and he could more easily be available to pursue and apply to be the next head coach at Southern Cal? Also, would Brian Daboll ever leave Buffalo for a high-profile college head coaching position, such as those at LSU or USC, or is he married to the pro game?
Jay: Two good questions, but both are tough to answer. In regards to Meyer, that wouldn’t make much sense. If he really wanted to go after the USC job, he could just quit. Drew’s question may be suggesting Meyer would try to get fired and collect the remainder of his salary, but the Jaguars would very likely fire him “for cause,” making the case that he violated the “good moral character” clause in his contract. Meyer could challenge that, but his chances of winning would be slim. No. 1, the case would be decided by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who works for the 32 team owners, and No. 2, Meyer’s behavior would be the exact opposite of “good moral character.”
As for Daboll, he spent a year as the offensive coordinator at Alabama before coming to Buffalo, so, clearly, he’s not married to the pro game in that sense. As for whether he’d leave for a head-coaching position at the college level, I can’t say. I haven’t had the chance to ask him that specifically, and even if I did, I can tell you his answer will be some variation about how right now, he’s focused on helping the Bills win a Super Bowl.
Al Runkel asks: Was wondering, really, how good are the Bills? We've heard all the cliches, so no need to repeat them. The Bills’ record: of their wins, three come against 1-7 teams, one win against a 2-6 team, barely beat the Chiefs that are a shell of themselves this year. They got punched in the mouth by the Titans and Steelers. So, their five wins are against losing records and they still have trouble in the red zone.
Jay: They’re good. They lead the NFL in points scored and points allowed per game. They are No. 1 in turnover differential. They were a failed fourth down away from beating the Titans on the road. Yes, the opener against Pittsburgh was a bummer, but funny things can happen in Week 1. For example, Miami beat New England, and has since lost seven straight. Have the Bills been perfect? No, but they are the favorites for the No. 1 seed in the AFC in my mind. They don’t have to apologize for their schedule. It might be time to dial down the expectations just a bit.
Jeff Miller asks: When the ball is snapped, what exactly does coach McDermott watch? Obviously, of course, we at home have the privilege of getting the overall picture, with replays. This, I can’t find on Google: How often do kickoffs go out of bounds? Tyler Bass has two that I recall. And do Tyler Bass and Matt Haack practice each other’s duties as well as the center and long snapper? Let’s turn the Jaguars into little cubs.
Jay: Jeff has patiently waited for a few weeks for the answer to the first question, so I took it right to McDermott. Here was his response: “Well, I’m just trying to do my job. It just depends on what the play is, where we are in the game. One of the things I try and do is keep my eye on the play clock if we’re on offense or special teams, with the ball in our possession. Overall, just trying to do my job and focus on basically what’s driven by the situation or what we’ve seen up to that point in the game.”
As for the second question, a total of 12 kickoffs have gone out of bounds this season. Tyler Bass is tied for second with two. New England’s Jake Bailey has had three go out of bounds. Finally, yes, Bass and Haack do practice each other's duties, so that in the case of an injury, they would be able to step in on an emergency basis. As for the emergency long snapper, defensive end A.J. Epenesa handled that role when Reid Ferguson was hurt during the preseason.
Daniel De Federicis asks: It was good to see Tommy Sweeney get a few grabs and draw that key pass interference penalty against Miami. Looking forward to Dawson Knox's return, but I hope everyone in Western New York gets to, in the words of Stefon Diggs, "love me some T-Sween" during the Jacksonville game. With that in mind, please rank the following Ts: 1. T. Rex (The Dinosaur), 2. T. Rex (The Band), 3. T-Bone Walker, 4. Mr. T, 5. Mrs. T's Pierogies, 6. Audi TT.
Jay: 6. Mrs. T’s Pierogies. Little-known Skurski fact: My dad, uncle, cousin and I will get together on a Saturday during December and make hundreds of pierogies. Mrs. T has nothing on us. 5. Audi TT. My buddy Kevin’s Audi R8 is where it’s at. 4. T-Bone Walker. A bit before my time. 3. T. Rex (The Band). 2. Mr. T. I pity the fool who disagrees with these rankings. 1. T. Rex (The Dinosaur). The GOAT of dinosaurs. Thanks for all the questions this week! As a reminder, they can be submitted via email, jskurski@buffnews.com, or via Twitter, @JaySkurski.
