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For the amount of points scored for the Bills (31), and the amount scored against the Bills (37), you would figure the offensive line had a great day for the Bills, while the defensive line struggled, right?
Don't be so quick to make that judgment call. Let's take a look at how those players graded out against the Patriots.
Offensive Line
Andy Levitre
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: +5
Observations: It's no surprise by this point in the season, but Andy Levitre was the best offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills by a mile. He is one of those players that the Bills can leave one-on-one with just about anyone this season and he'll be able to not only hold his own, but to be able to win a large majority of the time. His work in the screen game as well, with the Bills' conversion of a 3rd-and-15 in the first quarter coming to mind most prominently, is the reason why Levitre has been a total package left guard for the team this season.
Grade: A-
Cordy Glenn
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: After a mediocre game against the Houston Texans, Cordy Glenn started off the Bills' game against New England in a bad way. He whiffed on run blocks a pair of times, got called for a holding penalty and didn't look the same as before his injury. Something clicked for him as the game wore on, however. Glenn did most of his damage in run blocking, but also held his own against the Patriots pass rushers. It wasn't his best game of the season, nor was it as bad as his game versus Houston.
Grade: B-
Eric Wood
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: -2
Observations: Battling with Vince Wilfork for a lot of the game, Eric Wood had his hands full. Wood got the better of the big New England nose tackle on Fred Jackson's first touchdown, winning a one-on-one block against him. The center did have some regrettable plays, however. He allowed a sack clean to Jermaine Cunningham up the middle, and also missed a key block on Brandon Spikes in one of his rushes at the backfield. Wood also had the holding penalty, which is debatable, but still is necessary to be listed in these reviews.
Grade: B-
Kraig Urbik
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: -2
Observations: When Kraig Urbik was healthy, he was challenging to be the best offensive lineman the Bills had this season. Since coming back from ankle and foot injuries, Urbik doesn't appear to be all the way back. He whiffed on a blocking attempt of Brandon Spikes on run plays a pair of times early in the game, had a false start called on him and didn't properly feel a stunt which allowed Ryan Fitzpatrick to get walloped. He got better as the game progressed, performing a nice one-on-one block against Kyle Love in addition to an excellent clear out block for one of C.J. Spiller's magical runs for 14 yards. He's getting closer, but you can tell the injury was perhaps a bit stiff early on.
Grade: C+
Chris Hairston
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: -3
Observations: For the second straight game, Hairston struggled out of the gate. Like many of his teammates, Brandon Spikes gave him some problems in the early going. Hairston failed to recognize a Spikes blitz and also tried lunging at him on a run block attempt with no success. To make matters worse, he had a holding call. However, and you've read this a lot all ready, Hairston improved as the game went on. He limited his mistakes and came away with a pair of very nice run blocks to help spring his running backs the intermediate gains. It wasn't a great performance by any means, but still an upgrade to the way Erik Pears had been playing.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
Kyle Moore
Time on Field: 88.9% snaps played; 64 total
Stats: 3 tackles (1 solo)
Plus/Minus: +2
Observations: If you're like me, you're probably surprised to see that Kyle Moore spent more time on the field than any other defensive lineman. Despite the lack of production in terms of sacks, I thought Moore was on the verge a few different times of bringing Tom Brady down. There was one glaring example of an ineffective pass rush late in the game on a 3rd-and-5, when Brady had all day to throw. But the play of Moore on a few different occasions was anywhere from 0.25 to 0.50 seconds away from getting a lick on the quarterback. Brady is so good at stepping in to the pocket that he can thwart a pass rush that beats his offensive tackles. That was a big reason for the lack of production. One other play by Moore that was fantastic came when he recognized a screen play that Brady thought was going to be there, but the lanky Moore put a stop to any desire to throw there. Instead, Brady patted the ball, nervously looking elsewhere, and it went for an incompletion.
Grade: B
Mario Williams
Time on Field: 87.5% snaps played; 63 total
Stats: 3 tackles (all solo)
Plus/Minus: +2
Observations: Like the story with Kyle Moore, Mario Williams also had a game better than advertised. There were times when he was outworked by his assignment, but Williams played with a similar edge that he had against the Houston Texans. He helped flush Brady from the deep drop a few times in the game, and was also stout against the run. Mario Williams was not the defense's problem against New England. In fact, none of the starting defensive linemen were.
Grade: B
Kyle Williams
Time on Field: 73.6% snaps played; 53 total
Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo), TFL, 0.5 sacks
Plus/Minus: +5
Observations: Through and through, Kyle Williams has been a terror for teams to deal with up the middle. If his ankle injury is weighing him down, he's not showing it. His fire off the snap helps him blow numerous pass plays up, as well as taking away a cutback opportunity for a running back. Many will point to his combination sack with Marcell Dareus. To me, his best play was on 1st and goal during the Patriots' final scoring possession, when he had the presence of mind to be ready for Brady's quick snap and stop Stevan Ridley dead in his tracks for a loss. An effort that certainly does not go unaccounted for.
Grade: A-
Marcell Dareus
Time on Field: 68.1% snaps played; 49 total
Stats: 5 tackles (4 solo), 0.5 sacks
Plus/Minus: +6
Observations: In addition to having one of his better games of the season, Marcell Dareus was also plagued by both shoulder and hamstring injuries as the injury report from this week indicates. Despite all that, Dareus took a page out of J.J. Watt's book and deflected a pair of passes to try and limit Tom Brady. One of them should have been an interception, as most everyone knows. He showed good poise against the run for most of the afternoon, and of course combined with Kyle Williams for the Bills' only sack of the game. He looked the part of a third overall pick on Sunday.
Grade: A-
Spencer Johnson
Time on Field: 34.7% snaps played; 25 total
Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo)
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: At his best, Spencer Johnson did a nice job of running horizontally with the line of scrimmage to discourage cutback lanes. At his worst, Johnson took the wrong gap and got turned around a pair of times that led to big runs for the Patriots.
Grade: C+
Alex Carrington
Time on Field: 31.9% snaps played;
Stats: 2 tackles (2 solo)
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: Quietly, Alex Carrington has been a solid contributor when he's on the field. He's not, and likely will never be, a hell-raising defensive tackle that will start in this league. But he is capable enough to be rotated in on a handful of plays and perhaps clear out a blocker or make a play himself. His work on the goal line against New England stands out the most.
Grade: B-
Shawne Merriman
Time on Field: 19.4% snaps played; 14 total
Stats: None
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: Merriman's lone discernible play was one that he got pancaked to the ground by Nate Solder on a pass rush.
Grade: C
Arthur Moats
Time on Field: 2.8% snaps played; 2 total
Stats: 1 tackle
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: Yes, Arthur Moats indeed lined up at defensive end for a pair of plays. And no, he didn't stand out all that much.
Grade: B-
- Those that did not appear in the game on offense or defense were not graded.
- For obvious reasons, this is a report that highlights my findings and opinions from the individual games.
- The GPA's attached at the bottom are an overall grade of how I felt that player performed, basing it all on the play-by-play film review done throughout the week. B- is considered average on my scale, not C.
- Plus/minus scores and GPAs will be tracked as the season goes along. An individual game's GPA will be weighted with how many snaps that player has on the field in the contest when figuring out a season long average.
Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia
Andy Levitre
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: +5
Observations: It's no surprise by this point in the season, but Andy Levitre was the best offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills by a mile. He is one of those players that the Bills can leave one-on-one with just about anyone this season and he'll be able to not only hold his own, but to be able to win a large majority of the time. His work in the screen game as well, with the Bills' conversion of a 3rd-and-15 in the first quarter coming to mind most prominently, is the reason why Levitre has been a total package left guard for the team this season.
Grade: A-
Cordy Glenn
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: After a mediocre game against the Houston Texans, Cordy Glenn started off the Bills' game against New England in a bad way. He whiffed on run blocks a pair of times, got called for a holding penalty and didn't look the same as before his injury. Something clicked for him as the game wore on, however. Glenn did most of his damage in run blocking, but also held his own against the Patriots pass rushers. It wasn't his best game of the season, nor was it as bad as his game versus Houston.
Grade: B-
Eric Wood
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: -2
Observations: Battling with Vince Wilfork for a lot of the game, Eric Wood had his hands full. Wood got the better of the big New England nose tackle on Fred Jackson's first touchdown, winning a one-on-one block against him. The center did have some regrettable plays, however. He allowed a sack clean to Jermaine Cunningham up the middle, and also missed a key block on Brandon Spikes in one of his rushes at the backfield. Wood also had the holding penalty, which is debatable, but still is necessary to be listed in these reviews.
Grade: B-
Kraig Urbik
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: -2
Observations: When Kraig Urbik was healthy, he was challenging to be the best offensive lineman the Bills had this season. Since coming back from ankle and foot injuries, Urbik doesn't appear to be all the way back. He whiffed on a blocking attempt of Brandon Spikes on run plays a pair of times early in the game, had a false start called on him and didn't properly feel a stunt which allowed Ryan Fitzpatrick to get walloped. He got better as the game progressed, performing a nice one-on-one block against Kyle Love in addition to an excellent clear out block for one of C.J. Spiller's magical runs for 14 yards. He's getting closer, but you can tell the injury was perhaps a bit stiff early on.
Grade: C+
Chris Hairston
Time on Field: 100% snaps played; 74 total
Plus/Minus: -3
Observations: For the second straight game, Hairston struggled out of the gate. Like many of his teammates, Brandon Spikes gave him some problems in the early going. Hairston failed to recognize a Spikes blitz and also tried lunging at him on a run block attempt with no success. To make matters worse, he had a holding call. However, and you've read this a lot all ready, Hairston improved as the game went on. He limited his mistakes and came away with a pair of very nice run blocks to help spring his running backs the intermediate gains. It wasn't a great performance by any means, but still an upgrade to the way Erik Pears had been playing.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
Kyle Moore
Time on Field: 88.9% snaps played; 64 total
Stats: 3 tackles (1 solo)
Plus/Minus: +2
Observations: If you're like me, you're probably surprised to see that Kyle Moore spent more time on the field than any other defensive lineman. Despite the lack of production in terms of sacks, I thought Moore was on the verge a few different times of bringing Tom Brady down. There was one glaring example of an ineffective pass rush late in the game on a 3rd-and-5, when Brady had all day to throw. But the play of Moore on a few different occasions was anywhere from 0.25 to 0.50 seconds away from getting a lick on the quarterback. Brady is so good at stepping in to the pocket that he can thwart a pass rush that beats his offensive tackles. That was a big reason for the lack of production. One other play by Moore that was fantastic came when he recognized a screen play that Brady thought was going to be there, but the lanky Moore put a stop to any desire to throw there. Instead, Brady patted the ball, nervously looking elsewhere, and it went for an incompletion.
Grade: B
Mario Williams
Time on Field: 87.5% snaps played; 63 total
Stats: 3 tackles (all solo)
Plus/Minus: +2
Observations: Like the story with Kyle Moore, Mario Williams also had a game better than advertised. There were times when he was outworked by his assignment, but Williams played with a similar edge that he had against the Houston Texans. He helped flush Brady from the deep drop a few times in the game, and was also stout against the run. Mario Williams was not the defense's problem against New England. In fact, none of the starting defensive linemen were.
Grade: B
Kyle Williams
Time on Field: 73.6% snaps played; 53 total
Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo), TFL, 0.5 sacks
Plus/Minus: +5
Observations: Through and through, Kyle Williams has been a terror for teams to deal with up the middle. If his ankle injury is weighing him down, he's not showing it. His fire off the snap helps him blow numerous pass plays up, as well as taking away a cutback opportunity for a running back. Many will point to his combination sack with Marcell Dareus. To me, his best play was on 1st and goal during the Patriots' final scoring possession, when he had the presence of mind to be ready for Brady's quick snap and stop Stevan Ridley dead in his tracks for a loss. An effort that certainly does not go unaccounted for.
Grade: A-
Marcell Dareus
Time on Field: 68.1% snaps played; 49 total
Stats: 5 tackles (4 solo), 0.5 sacks
Plus/Minus: +6
Observations: In addition to having one of his better games of the season, Marcell Dareus was also plagued by both shoulder and hamstring injuries as the injury report from this week indicates. Despite all that, Dareus took a page out of J.J. Watt's book and deflected a pair of passes to try and limit Tom Brady. One of them should have been an interception, as most everyone knows. He showed good poise against the run for most of the afternoon, and of course combined with Kyle Williams for the Bills' only sack of the game. He looked the part of a third overall pick on Sunday.
Grade: A-
Spencer Johnson
Time on Field: 34.7% snaps played; 25 total
Stats: 2 tackles (1 solo)
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: At his best, Spencer Johnson did a nice job of running horizontally with the line of scrimmage to discourage cutback lanes. At his worst, Johnson took the wrong gap and got turned around a pair of times that led to big runs for the Patriots.
Grade: C+
Alex Carrington
Time on Field: 31.9% snaps played;
Stats: 2 tackles (2 solo)
Plus/Minus: +1
Observations: Quietly, Alex Carrington has been a solid contributor when he's on the field. He's not, and likely will never be, a hell-raising defensive tackle that will start in this league. But he is capable enough to be rotated in on a handful of plays and perhaps clear out a blocker or make a play himself. His work on the goal line against New England stands out the most.
Grade: B-
Shawne Merriman
Time on Field: 19.4% snaps played; 14 total
Stats: None
Plus/Minus: -1
Observations: Merriman's lone discernible play was one that he got pancaked to the ground by Nate Solder on a pass rush.
Grade: C
Arthur Moats
Time on Field: 2.8% snaps played; 2 total
Stats: 1 tackle
Plus/Minus: Even
Observations: Yes, Arthur Moats indeed lined up at defensive end for a pair of plays. And no, he didn't stand out all that much.
Grade: B-
- Those that did not appear in the game on offense or defense were not graded.
- For obvious reasons, this is a report that highlights my findings and opinions from the individual games.
- The GPA's attached at the bottom are an overall grade of how I felt that player performed, basing it all on the play-by-play film review done throughout the week. B- is considered average on my scale, not C.
- Plus/minus scores and GPAs will be tracked as the season goes along. An individual game's GPA will be weighted with how many snaps that player has on the field in the contest when figuring out a season long average.
Twitter: @JoeBuscaglia