00:00:05
Speaker 1: The Bills score on their first three possessions and their final two to beat the Raiders 33 to 30. Welcome into Bills postgame live. He's Bills legend George Wilson. I'm Maddie Glab. Josh Allen and James Cook had a clean game. They combined for three touchdowns. Buffalo's defense had some nice moments too, grabbing a takeaway of their own. George, what did the Bills do to earn this victory?
00:00:28
Speaker 2: Offensively, they protected the football. It starts with taking care of the ball.
00:00:32
Speaker 3: They did that clean game, no turnovers, gave up a couple of sacks, but those were sacks that I think Josh just ate the football, not make the situation worse. We were able to establish the run consistently, staying ahead of the change, staying on schedule, being able to prevent ourselves from being in a lot of third and long situations.
00:00:49
Speaker 2: Defensively, we stopped the run, just like we've been doing all season defensively.
00:00:54
Speaker 3: We kept– minimized those explosive plays until late in the game when they got that late touchdown, late in the fourth quarter. But for the most part, they forced Kirk Cousins and the Raiders offense to drive the length of the field and finish those drives. I believe the– excuse me, the Bills defense only gave up two touchdowns in the red zone today.
00:01:12
Speaker 2: The Bills were three of five.
00:01:13
Speaker 3: And so, as a result, they won those situations and be able to make enough plays to come away with the victory tonight.
00:01:19
Speaker 1: The Raiders finished with just 65 rushing yards. Ashton Genting just averages 2.2 yards per carry in this game. Let's dig into the highlights here because there's some touchdowns we've got to talk about. Bills out at Allegiant Stadium, their second game on the West Coast. Josh Allen fires it to Kulshakir who fights his way through traffic for the touchdown. 13-7 Bills up in the second quarter. And then in the third quarter, Kirk Cousins back to throw. Dorian Williams with his first career interception, giving the ball back to Buffalo's offense.
00:01:55
Speaker 2: In swing possession, Josh steps up and escapes pressure.
00:02:00
Speaker 3: Finds Keon Coleman in the end zone with a flip underhand pass. Josh Allen doing Josh Allen things. Bills making the score 23-13. Big play right there. Late for the fourth quarter. We're knotted up at 23. James Cook is pushed into the end zone by the entire offensive line. That's a team touchdown right there for the three-yard touchdown game.
00:02:21
Speaker 2: 30-23 Buffalo.
00:02:23
Speaker 1: Final score is 33-30. The Bills win this one 2-0 out on the West Coast. Josh Allen was on the podium after this game. Let's hear what QB1 had to say.
00:02:35
Speaker 4: For you, with DJ out of the lineup, Uh, he stepped up extremely. I mean, he big time, you know, um, he's a guy that just continues to work hard. He's putting himself in good spots and he's making the most of his opportunities, making plays when the ball's coming his way.
00:02:50
Speaker 3: You guys, uh, continually have to score 30 to win.
00:02:54
Speaker 5: Is that, I mean, it puts pressure on you a little bit, I guess.
00:02:58
Speaker 2: Would you rather have an easier day?
00:03:00
Speaker 4: Listen, it's, it's football. We, we play how we need to play. Um, if we, we just have to score one more point than they do, you know, um, that's just how it rolls sometimes. And we're not going to sit here and say, you know, we, we can be better as offense. We left a lot of points on the field. I don't think we were very good in the red zone tonight. So yeah, we'll learn from this. We'll clean it up. And you know, we, we offensively felt like we hurt ourselves. I saw him, I saw him, but once it comes out, you know, you kind of get hit and tumble around and, It's so hard in these away games, which feel like home games. Once you hear the crowd go crazy, you're like, I don't know if it's a touchdown. I don't know if it's an interception. So again, he finds himself in the right place at the right time and finds a way to get open. I mean, again, I was just trying to make a play. They played really good defense, kind of stepped up in the pocket, felt somebody coming from the left side there, stepped back and again, quick eyes, saw our guy open and gave me a chance.
00:04:03
Speaker 5: This was the game where the last one you had to, but it was there too.
00:04:06
Speaker 6: Was it not there today?
00:04:08
Speaker 2: Have you spied the whole game?
00:04:09
Speaker 4: Um, again, every game is different. Every game, every situation, um, calls for different things. Um, you know, they played a different style of defense, a little bit of cage rush to try to keep me in the pocket. Um, and that's where, you know, you got to throw the ball consistently and throw it well. And I thought we did that tonight. I felt like I was in a good rhythm. Um, ball was coming out really good and, um, Yeah.
00:04:32
Speaker 1: After you flipped.
00:04:33
Speaker 3: The ball to Keough, I touched it out about Bill's Mafia was changing MVP. Can you just talk about Bill's Mafia.
00:04:37
Speaker 5: Here in Las Vegas and the atmosphere?
00:04:39
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, the last two weeks, the amount of fans that we've had in both stadiums, it's pretty remarkable, and it really does, it feeds us, and we play better when we can feel that energy and feel that juice, and that's what they bring to us.
00:04:56
Speaker 5: Do you plan to talk to CJ about the incident or do.
00:04:59
Speaker 6: You kind of just let that slide?
00:05:01
Speaker 4: I have no idea what happened. As captains, we'll see what happened and address it if it needs to be addressed. Getting James involved in the passing game was big, especially that touchdown.
00:05:14
Speaker 5: Was that, again, something you saw, or was it part of something.
00:05:17
Speaker 4: You wanted to try to do? Yeah, just taking what they were giving us early. I think that the last few weeks they had been bitten by some of the deep throws, and they were trying to make it a point of emphasis to keep everything in front. Guys Linebackers were dropping with some depth. So, again, quick little fake, token fake, and then get your eyes up and the ball might be coming to you rather quickly. And I think all running backs, it might have even been one drive had, I think, catches on that drive. I could be wrong, but that's what it felt like. So they did a great job of, you know, getting open in the passing game.
00:05:51
Speaker 6: Also, at Dalton, you had said that Joe said you needed to get him involved. Now, it wasn't big yards, but you did target him. It was eight.
00:05:58
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:05:58
Speaker 3: 100%.
00:06:02
Speaker 4: The more touches that we get him, the better. Even just the focus that the defense has to put on him. Sometimes it's going to be the underneath stuff that allows other guys to get open behind him. Sometimes he's going to be running the deep stuff to allow other stuff to get underneath him. Again, that's just the flow of the game, but made it a point of emphasis to get him involved today, and we've got to continue to do that.
00:06:23
Speaker 5: Josh, you've played Max Crosby in college and pros.
00:06:26
Speaker 4: A player of his caliber.
00:06:27
Speaker 2: And his competitive edge, how does that make you a better.
00:06:29
Speaker 4: Player of Well, you've got to know where he's at at all times. It's no secret our protection plan was to get some hands on him and slide his way and not let him impact the game in a major way. He's going to make plays. He made a lot of plays in the run game. That's going to happen. He's a fantastic football player. But our goal was to not let him wreck the game, and I think we did that tonight.
00:06:52
Speaker 6: First time in a month with no turnovers.
00:06:54
Speaker 4: I know that's always an emphasis, but what were you guys.
00:06:56
Speaker 6: Kind of doing this week to instill a little.
00:06:58
Speaker 5: Bit more strong?
00:07:00
Speaker 4: Again, just a little bit more emphasis in practice of ball security. I still think there was a throw or two that could have been wishy-washy in terms of the decisions. So, again, something to clean up, but we'll take no turnovers.
00:07:14
Speaker 7: Josh, going off the question about Dalton, was there also a more concerted effort just overall to take more of.
00:07:19
Speaker 2: The underneath throws in this game?
00:07:20
Speaker 4: Yeah, like I said earlier, you know, what the defense was trying to do and, you know, they're playing pretty far off and kind of allowing some of that stuff and, really just daring me to take some of that stuff and continue to take it. So that's all I try to do.
00:07:38
Speaker 2: Any thoughts on tying Jim Kelly at 258?
00:07:40
Speaker 4: Say it again?
00:07:41
Speaker 2: Any thoughts on tying Jim Kelly's touchdowns?
00:07:45
Speaker 4: I mean, Hall of Famer. Got a good relationship with Jim. He's a fantastic person. It's pretty cool.
00:07:52
Speaker 2: Josh, go to and on this West Coast trip, now 5-1. Just where do you think the team has overall went into this 5-1?
00:07:58
Speaker 4: I mean, five and ones, it's really good. You know, it's no secret. And that's our goal is to come out and be one and oh each week. You know, we feel like there's games that could have gone the other way. We feel like there's, you know, on both sides. So we got to continue to get better. I think that having this bye week where it is now, get away for a little bit, let guys kind of catch their breath and relax. But when we come back, we got to play our best football. You know, I think. I think we're going into it fairly healthy. Bi-weeks are always great for that, getting guys back. So yeah, but we got to continue to grow. Not sure yet. Just hanging out.
00:08:42
Speaker 1: Josh Allen magic in this game, George. A third and eight play. Josh Allen gets out of the pocket, shakes a defender. and does a sidearm shovel pass 12 yards down the field to Keon Coleman for a touchdown. Josh Allen, part quarterback, part magician, one of one.
00:09:03
Speaker 3: Yeah, hey, right here, this is Josh Allen doing Josh Allen things. It's unorthodox. It's non-traditional. But at the end of the day, when it works, we love it. And that's the beauty of the game. You have to take what the defense give you, and sometimes they put you in some some compromising situations where you have to do something that's not planned for.
00:09:21
Speaker 2: But that's backyard football. That's what Josh does best.
00:09:24
Speaker 3: And Keyon finds himself in position to make another play for this team.
00:09:29
Speaker 1: Josh Allen says he thought he got into a good rhythm in this game against the Raiders. He said the Raiders were cage-rushing him and also baiting him into trying to do things Allen shouldn't do. He finishes 23 of 33 for 255 passing yards, two touchdowns. What was most impressive about his play tonight?
00:09:47
Speaker 3: Just being poised, understanding what the defense was trying to do to him, trying to manipulate him into thinking that there are opportunities downfield. Josh understood how they were rushing him, trying to contain him and as a result, he was very smart when he scrambled tonight, even slid to protect his body. But just understanding what the defense is trying to do to you and taking advantage of that. Delivering the strikes of 23 completions to eight different targets. Running backs got fed tonight. Tight end, Dalton Kincaid, that was a concerted effort. by Joe Brady to be able to get Kincaid involved early and often, and Keyon to continue to step up to make big plays. Josh Palmer, another big one on the scramble drill. And so that just makes every defense have to guard every blade of grass when you have a guy like Josh Allen, that quarterback that's going to spread the ball out and throw the ball where you are not.
00:10:38
Speaker 2: As a defender.
00:10:39
Speaker 1: After two fumbles last week, James Cook made a concerted effort to protect the football tonight against the Raiders. Cook did a great job of, when he went into traffic, holding the football with a second arm and guarding it with his body. He finishes with 95 rushing yards. Why does protecting the football like that make such a big difference, George?
00:10:59
Speaker 3: Because everybody's going after the ball. It's a trend, you see. They call it the peanut punch of the peanut tillman. Everybody's punching the ball. You see it in practice. You see it in the game, and it's showing up. So James Cook heard all the chatter this week coming out of last week's game, putting the ball on the ground, four fumbles coming into today's game. But at the end of the day, he's a pro. He's last year's NFL rushing leader. Today he came out and showed, hey, to my teammates, to my coaches, to all of Bills Mafia, hey, I can get the job done.
00:11:31
Speaker 2: I can protect the football.
00:11:32
Speaker 3: And he not only was productive on the ground, he was also productive in the passing game. Because we were able to establish the run game, he was even more effective in the play-action pass game along with the other guys. Three catches for 58 yards to help move those chains and stay on schedule as well for James.
00:11:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you look at the Bills establishing the run game. They finished with only 103 rushing yards tonight against the Raiders, which is under their average, but it's enough to get the passing game going. It's enough to get a tight end like Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman in the game. Why was it just a little bit from the run game to really open things up for the Bills overall?
00:12:12
Speaker 2: Because you have to keep the defense balanced.
00:12:14
Speaker 3: Over the past couple of games, you kind of get away from the run game, being a little bit more pass happy, but today we were a balanced attack, being able to run the ball effectively enough to keep those defensive linebackers honest. And when we play action, there were guys running wide open in the flat, receivers coming open in the middle of the field in between those hashes, and that's because of the play action fake. Got those linebackers stepping up to the line of scrimmage, creating those windows right behind that underneath coverage.
00:12:42
Speaker 1: All three running backs finish with a catch against the Raiders. You see them involved in the run game. They're also involved in the passing game as well. Ty Johnson has two catches for over 20 yards, and Ray Davis has a catch himself. Bill's head coach, Joe Brady, on the podium after this win against the Raiders. Let's hear what the head coach had to say. It seemed that CJ kind of spitted towards Raider players.
00:13:06
Speaker 7: Just your thoughts on that. Yeah, you know, I haven't seen the actual clip yet. You know, I was just talking to the ref. They said it took it to New York, and, you know, it was clear as day. So, you know, I'm sure I'm going to see it probably shortly after here. But at the end of the day, if it shows up, like, that can't happen. That's the discipline I'm talking about right now. And, you know, it's no different than all the penalties that are showing up. Like, it's uncalled for. It can't happen. It's going to be addressed. And, you know, the team is way more important.
00:13:34
Speaker 2: Are you running out of things to say about Josh Allen.
00:13:37
Speaker 6: After he makes that one point in the scramble play?
00:13:42
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:13:43
Speaker 7: I thought it was a great play call.
00:13:45
Speaker 2: No, it's, it's, yeah.
00:13:46
Speaker 7: I mean, he, you know, it's, it's, it's who he is. I thought he was outstanding today. And look, that was, that was, I give that, I give their coach staff a lot of credit. That was nothing. There was nowhere, anything like the defense we prepared for. And the, the calm, the Josh being able to handle that and be able to, Hey, make adjustments and us figure out, Hey, how are they handling it? What are they doing? And us be able to, kind of respond to all of our guys and Josh not get, I mean, it's kind of who he is, but not get flustered and be like, all right, cool, I got it. Let's see, what are we going to do now? It kind of speaks to who he is. And I thought he was outstanding today. Yeah, I mean, it's kind of who he's been, you know, if I'm being honest, it's kind of who Keon's been the whole time. Keon's never, his play has never been his issue, you know, and he hasn't, and right now there's not issues off the field. You know, he's where he needs to be. He's handling everything like a pro. And there's so much trust we have for him as the player, the development. And, you know, he continues to just make plays. You know, game was on the line. You know, we threw him the double cross. Obviously, he's, you know, he's upset about the one that he had the opportunity to go finish the game on the, you know, on the naked. You know, but that's the trust that we have in him. And he just needs to continue to just every day just try to treat it the same. And, you know, his best is still ahead.
00:15:06
Speaker 5: Joe, a hard-fought game today. What does this win say about this game?
00:15:10
Speaker 7: Yeah, you know, I hope bigger and our best football is still ahead, you know, but when we left Buffalo coming off of a loss, you know, in a long week and, you know, we said we're going out west and we got to grow as a football team both on the field and off the field and we want to come back with two wins and um, for them to be able to handle last week leading into a Monday night game, a long Monday night game, staying out here, uh, the way that they handled themselves all week, the trust that I had for them and the responsibility and the way that they handled it all. And then just to come out here and, um, you know, find the way to win. Um, you know, it's, it speaks to the character and who we have. Um, and I love that the guys know that we haven't played our best football. And so they're not, they're not pleased with that. And, but, uh, we're winning football games and I'm so proud.
00:16:02
Speaker 4: Of them for.
00:16:12
Speaker 6: That.
00:16:14
Speaker 7: It's going to be a key part of offense. Like this is an opportunity for us to grow. You know, we asked our players to grow last week, you know, together. And now it's an opportunity for us as a staff to, see what we're putting on tape, how can we continue to evolve both offense, defense, and special teams. It's all three phases, you know, but everything, you know, our offense is going to get evaluated just as much as our defense is right now, and, you know, in order for us to get to where we need to be, we have to improve in all phases.
00:16:45
Speaker 5: Can you continue to live like.
00:16:48
Speaker 2: That in the NFL?
00:16:51
Speaker 7: No, I mean, all I care about is finding the way to win, and whatever we have to do and do, you know, look, I'd love for every game to be a shutout, but as long as we just keep putting the ball down and us finding ways to win football games and the guys have a lot of trust in one another and continue to compete and even if it's not pretty, we have each other's back and that speaks louder to me. Our defense is going to continue to clean it up, right? But there's a lot of plays out there that our offense is a product of them being able to score points, right? And, you know, so there's so much that kind of goes together, but we're going to stay together, we're going to continue to grow, and it'll be an important week for us coaches.
00:17:28
Speaker 6: James Cook really made the effort to secure the ball.
00:17:30
Speaker 4: How important is that for his confidence going forward?
00:17:32
Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean, look, he was, you know, besides the four-minute situation, which that's not a besides, that's a critical play. I mean, he was outstanding. And, like, they asked me in the production last night, like, hey, what are you going to do with James Cook? I was like, I'm going to hand him the football. Like, I didn't get to standing right here without James. And it's the confidence I have in him and not making it anything bigger than it needs to be and trust that he's going to correct it and clean it up. And, you know, he was again, he was outstanding today. Obviously, you stay in balance right there. And, you know, that game doesn't get to that point. But it's the confidence that I have in him, the trust that I have in him, the trust that the team has in him, that no one no one makes it bigger than he knows when he holds that football, that he holds the whole organization. And, you know, I love that guy and I love to see him respond today.
00:18:18
Speaker 3: Like IGB was making plays on the ball throughout the game just what have you seen.
00:18:22
Speaker 7: From him what do you think he provides yeah I thought I thought you know we were a little matchier today in coverage and you know the stickiness kind of showed and that's what IGB kind of does and what I love about IGB is he just keeps playing you know and you know they might take a shot he's going to go right back at it you know with the same mindset he has you know he has a short memory and so And, you know, he's continuing to grow game in, game out, and us getting a feel of what's best for him. But one thing I know is he competes every damn play, and, you know, that's exactly what we're looking for. Joe, it's pretty clear you were trying to get done for the match with Bowers.
00:18:58
Speaker 3: You went over the situation, presented itself, and it looked like, I mean, he caught a.
00:19:02
Speaker 7: Few, but I think Christian played pretty well.
00:19:04
Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. That guy has been killing everybody.
00:19:06
Speaker 7: Since the start of that match. Yeah, I mean, I said it the other day, right?
00:19:09
Speaker 2: Like, you know, watched.
00:19:11
Speaker 7: You know, you watched Denver last year when we were getting ready to play them and Sertan was on them, right? And it speaks to the confidence that we have in Christian and, you know, and he's going inside, right? Like Christian's playing outside most of the time. And to have the confidence to say, hey, I'm going to go inside and I'm going to get matchy. And, you know, you know he's going to give up. You know, he's going to get his, right? That's part of football. But just continuing to contest it and continue to keep going. And he was up for the challenge and, you know, I thought he rose to it.
00:19:38
Speaker 6: Yeah, I didn't know anything other than there was a commotion.
00:19:50
Speaker 7: Threw a flag you know i'm thinking it's a 15 yard penalty right so i'm already taking you know uh i'm already putting a another db in in that situation because we got to be more disciplined than that you know and then they just let me know that hey they're they're reviewing it from new york and um you know that they were kind of moving on from you know ejecting them from the game and so I haven't had an opportunity to see the clip or to see what's happened, but the discipline of our football team has to improve, and that sure as hell can't happen. The team is bigger than that. The situation is bigger than that. Everything is bigger, and it can't happen, and it definitely has to be addressed.
00:20:22
Speaker 2: What did you say to CJ?
00:20:26
Speaker 7: Yeah, I'm going to keep that private.
00:20:28
Speaker 5: Awesome.
00:20:30
Speaker 2: Thank you, guys.
00:20:31
Speaker 1: That's Bills head coach Joe Brady addressing the media after beating the Raiders 33-30. Brady was asked about safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson's disqualification in this game due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and Brady said, we have to be more disciplined as a football team. I will address it. Josh Allen also was asked about C.J. Gardner-Johnson being ejected from the game, and Allen said, us captains are going to get together. And if we feel like we need to address it, we will address it as players. George, C.J. Gardner-Johnson is in his eighth season, a veteran in this league. As a veteran playing on a defense with a ton of young players, you need to be lifting your team up, not beating it down. And Gardner-Johnson took it down a notch tonight by being ejected from the game when, as a vet, you know better.
00:21:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, you never want to see that, especially from one of your veteran guys, one of your leaders on the youngest defense in the NFL. So when CJ goes out of the lineup, it forces a guy like Kilgore, who hasn't gotten many reps this season, to be forced into action. But from a leadership standpoint, I loved hearing Josh saying, hey, the team captains are going to address this. And when I first saw it, I said to myself, that's something the players need to address and not leave it up to Joe Brady. As a leader in the locker room, as a leader of men, you can't have moments like that. Spitting at a player, another player is disrespectful.
00:22:00
Speaker 2: It's selfish. It's undisciplined.
00:22:01
Speaker 3: And at the time that it took place, it was at the end of the first half. The Raiders are driving in a two-minute situation. That penalty puts them inside of the red zone.
00:22:11
Speaker 2: It's selfish.
00:22:12
Speaker 3: It's a poor time for that to take place. And it should never happen. That has no place in football. And CJ has some ownership that he needs to take. and some apologies that he needs to extend to Brock and the Raiders, but also to his teammates for putting the team in that type of situation.
00:22:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, you saw the Bills after that unsportsmanlike conduct penalty escape with just a field goal, which was great by Buffalo's defense to get out of there. Matt Gay tied the game up at that point, 13-13, heading into the halftime. Now, with the defense overall, George, you saw Buffalo's defense have some nice series in spurts tonight. You saw the defense work together. You saw the defense be physical. In the fourth quarter, there was a chance for the Raiders to tie it. You see Greg Rousseau bat a ball down, and you see Jalen Kilgore come up with a pass breakup. Then in the third quarter, you see back-to-back drives where Buffalo's defense forces a three and out, and then Dorian Williams grabs an interception. How can the defense be more consistent?
00:23:14
Speaker 3: And that's the key. We have to be consistent. We're six games in. At the end of the day, we are who we are to some degree, but you have to continue to grind and get better. Yes, there are some windows that are still open in our zone coverage. That can get sure it up going into the bye week. Now you don't have to spend a week game planning. You can do some self-scouting, look at yourself critically, and figure out where you can make the most strides so that you're playing your best football going.
00:23:42
Speaker 2: Into the later part of the year.
00:23:44
Speaker 3: And hopefully clinching a playoff berth to get a ticket to the big dance.
00:23:48
Speaker 1: Speaking of that zone defense, Kirk Cousins and his playmakers ate up the open space on the field often in this matchup. How can Buffalo do a better job of playing tighter when they're in zone?
00:24:01
Speaker 3: Just understanding how the offense is trying to manipulate you in those zone coverages. For the explosive play, for instance, for the explosive play late there in the fourth quarter, We were in the strike zone, what's usually right in that 25 to 35-yard mark on the field. That's typical for where offense wants to take a shot at the end zone. They caught us right there in the quarters coverage, ran the post route right there in between the corner and the safety. But understanding those situations and understanding that this is going to happen when you're playing this coverage or we're at this point in the game or this spot on the field, but it's just going to continue to take reps.
00:24:40
Speaker 2: With that zone coverage, it's going to get better.
00:24:43
Speaker 3: You expect it to get better, but it gets better only with time and more reps. And as we get a consistent lineup in the game, those guys will start to build more of a rapport with one another.
00:24:54
Speaker 1: From zone to man, you saw Buffalo's defense play some man defense as well. You had to going up against a tight end in Brock Bowers, who is a physical, almost like a wide receiver out there. He can grab anything and going into this game, Bowers had at least 85 receiving yards in three straight games. So you saw Christian Benford take that assignment. And in the first half, Bowers was shut down. He did not have a target in the first half. Now, in the second half, Bowers made some hay, getting some catches of his own to finish with 70 receiving yards. How was Buffalo successful in the first half in that man coverage?
00:25:28
Speaker 3: It looked like in the early downs, they were going to place more zone in those first and second down situations. And when it's third and short, or maybe even third and long in some instances, going man to be able to get some hands on Bowers.
00:25:41
Speaker 2: And as a result, Kirk Cousins.
00:25:43
Speaker 3: And Mayer and Tucker took advantage of it and got some extra opportunities and made some hay getting the ball to some other guys. But you eliminated their main target. Their offense runs through Bowers. You have to eliminate him and force somebody else to beat you. And Mayer and Tucker stepped up and made some meaningful plays for the Raiders to give them some points and first downs. But in those big moments, you have to play man. You have to have confidence. in your technique as a player, and your coaches have to believe that you can go out there and compete and get the job done.
00:26:14
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:26:15
Speaker 1: Mayor Ann Tucker finished with over 95 receiving yards in this game. Christian Benford did a nice job of shutting down Brock Bowers in the first half with zero targets. We're now going to go into the broadcast booth and hear from Chris Brown and Eric Wood, who have more on this matchup.
00:26:34
Speaker 5: All right, Eric, the last two offensive drives by the Bills. Josh pulls a rabbit out of a hat, and then they lean on James Cook. Not only in the run game, they got him involved in the pass game as well.
00:26:45
Speaker 6: Yeah, James Cook extremely productive through the air today. Three catches for 58 yards. Also, it's 95 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Josh Allen makes the incredible play to Keon Coleman, and then they get that next drive back. And James Cook, heavily involved in the run game, also has the long catch down the sideline. which ultimately ended up setting up his three-yard touchdown run.
00:27:06
Speaker 5: And I know the defense gave up 30 points again, but they got some key red zone stops and forced the Raiders to settle for field goals. It's not going to look good on the stat sheet, but it's going to look good in the win column winning by three.
00:27:20
Speaker 6: Yeah, absolutely. And you do whatever it takes to get the win. No, you're not happy about giving up 313 yards through the air. You give up that late touchdown over the top to make this game a little bit more interesting than it maybe needed to be at the end. but you come out of here with a W and you're happy about it.
00:27:35
Speaker 5: So the Bills complete their two-game West Coast swing with two big victories and head into the bye at 5-1. We'll send it back to you guys in the studio.
00:27:47
Speaker 1: Thank you, Chris and Eric. Yeah, there were a few times where the Bills' defense forced the Raiders to have to attempt a field goal. The Raiders were just 2 of 5 in the red zone today. That's good for 40%, which is under their average of 56%, hanging around 20th.
00:28:02
Speaker 2: In the league.
00:28:03
Speaker 1: How did Buffalo's defense tighten up in the red zone areas?
00:28:06
Speaker 3: In those red zones, as you get closer to the end zone, you don't play so high on top of the offensive player. You play a little bit more underneath so you can get your hands on the ball and have vision on the football. They tightened up those windows, they won those reps, they won those battles, and they were able to keep the Raiders from scoring touchdowns on three of those five trips into the red zone.
00:28:28
Speaker 1: We saw... Davis and Igbenosin grow up in this matchup. He's a rookie cornerback, so you got some growing pains. You saw Igbenosin get a DPI. And then next series, you see him force an incompletion. You see him get a holding penalty. But then later on in the game, you see him force an incompletion on a big third and 10 play. So you have some good and you have some bad. But where did Igbenosin grow up most in this matchup, George?
00:28:56
Speaker 2: Competing.
00:28:57
Speaker 3: No matter what the outcome of the previous play, he competed the next play. He made some plays. He gave up some plays as far as penalties go. And that's what you want to see as a coach, as a player, as a teammate. You want to see the guy go out there and compete and work for those opportunities. He made some big plays to build his confidence. He learned in some moments, hey, I've got good size. I can match up against Bowers, but Bowers is a big boy. He got matched up with him in the end zone. They got tangled up, got a pass interference call right there. But just starting to understand how he can use his size, use his God-given abilities to be able to take advantage of those one-on-one opportunities when his number is called.
00:29:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, Igben Osen is a taller, longer corner at over six feet. He's got some physicality to his build, too, and to the way that he plays a stronger player. And so to see him start to figure out how to use his hands for good and not being flagged quite a bit, I think shows signs of the rookie cornerback starting to put it together. I wanted to talk about one more thing that Joe Brady said during his press conference. I thought it was super interesting. Brady said the Raiders defense played way different than how they had prepared to play, than how they had prepared to to see the Raiders on the field, I should say. Josh Allen, Brady said he was fantastic in this matchup. He took what the defense gave him. He didn't put the ball in harm's way. What does that say about an offense's ability to see something completely different than what they had prepared for, but still find a way to score 33 points?
00:30:34
Speaker 3: That's the connection that Joe Brady and Josh Allen have.
00:30:38
Speaker 2: And that comes through experience.
00:30:40
Speaker 3: Playing together, them understanding how all the different defenses that they've seen try to manipulate them and try to dictate what they want to do as an offense. But you have that maturity and that experience to say, hey, they've changed some things up. What we saw on tape is a little different than what they're doing right now. And that's probably because of those 121 rushing yards that Josh had on the ground last week. Traditionally, the Raiders as an organization has been known to be a man-dominant coverage in their secondary, no matter who's at head coach. So after seeing Josh move the chains and gain so many yards on the ground last week, I expect they probably came in on Tuesday morning and said, hey, guys, we need to throw this game plan out and let's figure something else out. Let's not let this guy beat us from outside the pocket. Let's force him to beat us in the pocket where you can limit his impact on the game to just his arm and not his legs as well.
00:31:39
Speaker 1: Josh Allen finishes with just five rushing attempts for one rushing yard in this game against the Raiders after going off for more than 100 rushing yards in the game against the Rams. But that's the Josh Allen experience that we all have. Some games he'll go off for $ 1. 20, and then in some games... We just see one rushing yard because he does enough through the air. We have to talk about this playmaker. Keon Coleman again shows that he is a proven playmaker. Without DJ Moore in the lineup due to a shoulder injury, Coleman steps up once again. He's targeted. Six different times, four catches for 59 receiving yards and a touchdown. Coleman did a fantastic job of showing that physicality at times in the game and just his confidence as a receiver. George, as you've watched this young receiver through the first part of the season, what has impressed you the most?
00:32:34
Speaker 2: His professionalism.
00:32:35
Speaker 3: I mean, the way he's responded to being called out, to being challenged. Obviously, his teammates love him, respect him, and the same goes for the coaches. Just him being a pro, taking advantage of the opportunities that he's getting, but also being ready and expecting those opportunities to come. And the thing that I love what Joe Brady said about him in the press conference is they trust him. They truly trust him, not just on the field, but off the field. You don't have the same issues that were going on before. And he just seems like he's having so much fun making these plays and earning the trust and respect of the men in that locker room.
00:33:15
Speaker 1: I think it's one of the coolest stories on this Bill's roster this season to watch the way that Keon Coleman has matured this year and shown that when his number is called, he can step up and be a playmaker for this offense. Another great story so far this season has been kicker Tyler Bass and his ability to be a proven point scorer for Buffalo's offense. Bass goes four of four tonight. He's made 18 straight field goals. That is the most by a Bill's kicker since 2007-2008. Bass not part of the lineup last year due to a sports hernia, and this year he's 100% in terms of field goal attempts.
00:33:52
Speaker 3: That's what you love to see. It's a three-phase game, special teams, offense, defense. He's pulling his weight. He's doing his part and putting points on the board, and he's getting some big kicks through those uprights and some big moments. Being able to give the Bills as a team a sigh of relief going up two scores with less than four minutes left in the game gives you that confidence to say, hey, All we have to do is keep it close, put it in Tyler's hand, and then Tyler we trust. Just like he performed and came through last week in overtime, he came through to give us a two-score lead to seal this game here today.
00:34:27
Speaker 1: Being a kicker in the NFL, it is such a mental game. And hearing from Bass this season when he's spoken to media, he seems so confident in his process and who he is as a player. It's been awesome to see his start to the season. George, the Bills are 5-1 through the first six weeks of the season. They've got a bye week in week seven. What are we learning about this team for your Senator's statement?
00:34:53
Speaker 3: Senator's statement, hey, six weeks in, you've put a lot on tape. For the most part, at this point, you are who you are. So as we go into our bye week, who are we? Who are the Buffalo Bills? On offense, we can run the ball against anybody.
00:35:09
Speaker 2: When we're healthy... We can have a lot of explosive plays.
00:35:12
Speaker 3: So it's important coming out of this bye week that we have a healthy DJ Moore to add some more vertical threat to the offensive side of the ball. On defense, oh, excuse me, before I move on. Also, we need to protect the football. When we don't protect the football, we're a middle of the pack team. We don't really impact the game as much as we'd like to and dictate the time of possession. So we must protect the football, continue to establish the run, and be able to get that vertical threat back to the offensive side of the ball as we go into the rest of the season. Defensively, we can stop the run with the best of them. They're not allowed a single 100-yard rush in these first six games. We can also get to the passer. We can get to the quarterback. We can hit them. We can disturb them, move them off their spot. So that's something that the Bills defensive front is doing consistently. But the glaring thing that everybody has continued to be concerned about is the vulnerabilities on the back end. But those are going to get better. Again, we got some young guys, some new guys playing together. As the season continues to progress on, those windows will get tighter and tighter. Guys will get more and more confidence. IGB won't be the same guy in December as he was in September. So we have to continue to give them the time and the space to be able to learn, compete, and fight for these opportunities. And the beautiful thing about the NFL– Just because you show them one time doesn't mean that they're going to believe you. They're going to come back and they're going to test you next play, test you next series, test you next game. So as a result, going into this bye week, it's important to get healthy and to get locked in for this stretch to finish out this regular season, clinch the division and a playoff berth.
00:36:53
Speaker 1: The Bills are the hottest offense in the NFL through six weeks. averaging about 28 points per game. I should really say 33 because that's what they got tonight. Their average is 32.8 points per game through the first six weeks, and they've shown you can win in the air and you can win on the ground. James Cook has been such a difference maker for this offense this season and did a fantastic job of taking care of the football tonight against the Raiders.
00:37:22
Speaker 2: Bills 5-1.
00:37:22
Speaker 1: They head to the bye week. with a great record. And Joe Brady is the first head coach, first-time head coach, to start his career 5-1 since 2022. That's going to do it for us for Bill's postgame live. For George Wilson, I'm Maddie Glab. We'll see you all after the bye. Thank you.
Speaker 1: The Bills score on their first three possessions and their final two to beat the Raiders 33 to 30. Welcome into Bills postgame live. He's Bills legend George Wilson. I'm Maddie Glab. Josh Allen and James Cook had a clean game. They combined for three touchdowns. Buffalo's defense had some nice moments too, grabbing a takeaway of their own. George, what did the Bills do to earn this victory?
00:00:28
Speaker 2: Offensively, they protected the football. It starts with taking care of the ball.
00:00:32
Speaker 3: They did that clean game, no turnovers, gave up a couple of sacks, but those were sacks that I think Josh just ate the football, not make the situation worse. We were able to establish the run consistently, staying ahead of the change, staying on schedule, being able to prevent ourselves from being in a lot of third and long situations.
00:00:49
Speaker 2: Defensively, we stopped the run, just like we've been doing all season defensively.
00:00:54
Speaker 3: We kept– minimized those explosive plays until late in the game when they got that late touchdown, late in the fourth quarter. But for the most part, they forced Kirk Cousins and the Raiders offense to drive the length of the field and finish those drives. I believe the– excuse me, the Bills defense only gave up two touchdowns in the red zone today.
00:01:12
Speaker 2: The Bills were three of five.
00:01:13
Speaker 3: And so, as a result, they won those situations and be able to make enough plays to come away with the victory tonight.
00:01:19
Speaker 1: The Raiders finished with just 65 rushing yards. Ashton Genting just averages 2.2 yards per carry in this game. Let's dig into the highlights here because there's some touchdowns we've got to talk about. Bills out at Allegiant Stadium, their second game on the West Coast. Josh Allen fires it to Kulshakir who fights his way through traffic for the touchdown. 13-7 Bills up in the second quarter. And then in the third quarter, Kirk Cousins back to throw. Dorian Williams with his first career interception, giving the ball back to Buffalo's offense.
00:01:55
Speaker 2: In swing possession, Josh steps up and escapes pressure.
00:02:00
Speaker 3: Finds Keon Coleman in the end zone with a flip underhand pass. Josh Allen doing Josh Allen things. Bills making the score 23-13. Big play right there. Late for the fourth quarter. We're knotted up at 23. James Cook is pushed into the end zone by the entire offensive line. That's a team touchdown right there for the three-yard touchdown game.
00:02:21
Speaker 2: 30-23 Buffalo.
00:02:23
Speaker 1: Final score is 33-30. The Bills win this one 2-0 out on the West Coast. Josh Allen was on the podium after this game. Let's hear what QB1 had to say.
00:02:35
Speaker 4: For you, with DJ out of the lineup, Uh, he stepped up extremely. I mean, he big time, you know, um, he's a guy that just continues to work hard. He's putting himself in good spots and he's making the most of his opportunities, making plays when the ball's coming his way.
00:02:50
Speaker 3: You guys, uh, continually have to score 30 to win.
00:02:54
Speaker 5: Is that, I mean, it puts pressure on you a little bit, I guess.
00:02:58
Speaker 2: Would you rather have an easier day?
00:03:00
Speaker 4: Listen, it's, it's football. We, we play how we need to play. Um, if we, we just have to score one more point than they do, you know, um, that's just how it rolls sometimes. And we're not going to sit here and say, you know, we, we can be better as offense. We left a lot of points on the field. I don't think we were very good in the red zone tonight. So yeah, we'll learn from this. We'll clean it up. And you know, we, we offensively felt like we hurt ourselves. I saw him, I saw him, but once it comes out, you know, you kind of get hit and tumble around and, It's so hard in these away games, which feel like home games. Once you hear the crowd go crazy, you're like, I don't know if it's a touchdown. I don't know if it's an interception. So again, he finds himself in the right place at the right time and finds a way to get open. I mean, again, I was just trying to make a play. They played really good defense, kind of stepped up in the pocket, felt somebody coming from the left side there, stepped back and again, quick eyes, saw our guy open and gave me a chance.
00:04:03
Speaker 5: This was the game where the last one you had to, but it was there too.
00:04:06
Speaker 6: Was it not there today?
00:04:08
Speaker 2: Have you spied the whole game?
00:04:09
Speaker 4: Um, again, every game is different. Every game, every situation, um, calls for different things. Um, you know, they played a different style of defense, a little bit of cage rush to try to keep me in the pocket. Um, and that's where, you know, you got to throw the ball consistently and throw it well. And I thought we did that tonight. I felt like I was in a good rhythm. Um, ball was coming out really good and, um, Yeah.
00:04:32
Speaker 1: After you flipped.
00:04:33
Speaker 3: The ball to Keough, I touched it out about Bill's Mafia was changing MVP. Can you just talk about Bill's Mafia.
00:04:37
Speaker 5: Here in Las Vegas and the atmosphere?
00:04:39
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean, the last two weeks, the amount of fans that we've had in both stadiums, it's pretty remarkable, and it really does, it feeds us, and we play better when we can feel that energy and feel that juice, and that's what they bring to us.
00:04:56
Speaker 5: Do you plan to talk to CJ about the incident or do.
00:04:59
Speaker 6: You kind of just let that slide?
00:05:01
Speaker 4: I have no idea what happened. As captains, we'll see what happened and address it if it needs to be addressed. Getting James involved in the passing game was big, especially that touchdown.
00:05:14
Speaker 5: Was that, again, something you saw, or was it part of something.
00:05:17
Speaker 4: You wanted to try to do? Yeah, just taking what they were giving us early. I think that the last few weeks they had been bitten by some of the deep throws, and they were trying to make it a point of emphasis to keep everything in front. Guys Linebackers were dropping with some depth. So, again, quick little fake, token fake, and then get your eyes up and the ball might be coming to you rather quickly. And I think all running backs, it might have even been one drive had, I think, catches on that drive. I could be wrong, but that's what it felt like. So they did a great job of, you know, getting open in the passing game.
00:05:51
Speaker 6: Also, at Dalton, you had said that Joe said you needed to get him involved. Now, it wasn't big yards, but you did target him. It was eight.
00:05:58
Speaker 5: Yeah.
00:05:58
Speaker 3: 100%.
00:06:02
Speaker 4: The more touches that we get him, the better. Even just the focus that the defense has to put on him. Sometimes it's going to be the underneath stuff that allows other guys to get open behind him. Sometimes he's going to be running the deep stuff to allow other stuff to get underneath him. Again, that's just the flow of the game, but made it a point of emphasis to get him involved today, and we've got to continue to do that.
00:06:23
Speaker 5: Josh, you've played Max Crosby in college and pros.
00:06:26
Speaker 4: A player of his caliber.
00:06:27
Speaker 2: And his competitive edge, how does that make you a better.
00:06:29
Speaker 4: Player of Well, you've got to know where he's at at all times. It's no secret our protection plan was to get some hands on him and slide his way and not let him impact the game in a major way. He's going to make plays. He made a lot of plays in the run game. That's going to happen. He's a fantastic football player. But our goal was to not let him wreck the game, and I think we did that tonight.
00:06:52
Speaker 6: First time in a month with no turnovers.
00:06:54
Speaker 4: I know that's always an emphasis, but what were you guys.
00:06:56
Speaker 6: Kind of doing this week to instill a little.
00:06:58
Speaker 5: Bit more strong?
00:07:00
Speaker 4: Again, just a little bit more emphasis in practice of ball security. I still think there was a throw or two that could have been wishy-washy in terms of the decisions. So, again, something to clean up, but we'll take no turnovers.
00:07:14
Speaker 7: Josh, going off the question about Dalton, was there also a more concerted effort just overall to take more of.
00:07:19
Speaker 2: The underneath throws in this game?
00:07:20
Speaker 4: Yeah, like I said earlier, you know, what the defense was trying to do and, you know, they're playing pretty far off and kind of allowing some of that stuff and, really just daring me to take some of that stuff and continue to take it. So that's all I try to do.
00:07:38
Speaker 2: Any thoughts on tying Jim Kelly at 258?
00:07:40
Speaker 4: Say it again?
00:07:41
Speaker 2: Any thoughts on tying Jim Kelly's touchdowns?
00:07:45
Speaker 4: I mean, Hall of Famer. Got a good relationship with Jim. He's a fantastic person. It's pretty cool.
00:07:52
Speaker 2: Josh, go to and on this West Coast trip, now 5-1. Just where do you think the team has overall went into this 5-1?
00:07:58
Speaker 4: I mean, five and ones, it's really good. You know, it's no secret. And that's our goal is to come out and be one and oh each week. You know, we feel like there's games that could have gone the other way. We feel like there's, you know, on both sides. So we got to continue to get better. I think that having this bye week where it is now, get away for a little bit, let guys kind of catch their breath and relax. But when we come back, we got to play our best football. You know, I think. I think we're going into it fairly healthy. Bi-weeks are always great for that, getting guys back. So yeah, but we got to continue to grow. Not sure yet. Just hanging out.
00:08:42
Speaker 1: Josh Allen magic in this game, George. A third and eight play. Josh Allen gets out of the pocket, shakes a defender. and does a sidearm shovel pass 12 yards down the field to Keon Coleman for a touchdown. Josh Allen, part quarterback, part magician, one of one.
00:09:03
Speaker 3: Yeah, hey, right here, this is Josh Allen doing Josh Allen things. It's unorthodox. It's non-traditional. But at the end of the day, when it works, we love it. And that's the beauty of the game. You have to take what the defense give you, and sometimes they put you in some some compromising situations where you have to do something that's not planned for.
00:09:21
Speaker 2: But that's backyard football. That's what Josh does best.
00:09:24
Speaker 3: And Keyon finds himself in position to make another play for this team.
00:09:29
Speaker 1: Josh Allen says he thought he got into a good rhythm in this game against the Raiders. He said the Raiders were cage-rushing him and also baiting him into trying to do things Allen shouldn't do. He finishes 23 of 33 for 255 passing yards, two touchdowns. What was most impressive about his play tonight?
00:09:47
Speaker 3: Just being poised, understanding what the defense was trying to do to him, trying to manipulate him into thinking that there are opportunities downfield. Josh understood how they were rushing him, trying to contain him and as a result, he was very smart when he scrambled tonight, even slid to protect his body. But just understanding what the defense is trying to do to you and taking advantage of that. Delivering the strikes of 23 completions to eight different targets. Running backs got fed tonight. Tight end, Dalton Kincaid, that was a concerted effort. by Joe Brady to be able to get Kincaid involved early and often, and Keyon to continue to step up to make big plays. Josh Palmer, another big one on the scramble drill. And so that just makes every defense have to guard every blade of grass when you have a guy like Josh Allen, that quarterback that's going to spread the ball out and throw the ball where you are not.
00:10:38
Speaker 2: As a defender.
00:10:39
Speaker 1: After two fumbles last week, James Cook made a concerted effort to protect the football tonight against the Raiders. Cook did a great job of, when he went into traffic, holding the football with a second arm and guarding it with his body. He finishes with 95 rushing yards. Why does protecting the football like that make such a big difference, George?
00:10:59
Speaker 3: Because everybody's going after the ball. It's a trend, you see. They call it the peanut punch of the peanut tillman. Everybody's punching the ball. You see it in practice. You see it in the game, and it's showing up. So James Cook heard all the chatter this week coming out of last week's game, putting the ball on the ground, four fumbles coming into today's game. But at the end of the day, he's a pro. He's last year's NFL rushing leader. Today he came out and showed, hey, to my teammates, to my coaches, to all of Bills Mafia, hey, I can get the job done.
00:11:31
Speaker 2: I can protect the football.
00:11:32
Speaker 3: And he not only was productive on the ground, he was also productive in the passing game. Because we were able to establish the run game, he was even more effective in the play-action pass game along with the other guys. Three catches for 58 yards to help move those chains and stay on schedule as well for James.
00:11:50
Speaker 1: Yeah, and you look at the Bills establishing the run game. They finished with only 103 rushing yards tonight against the Raiders, which is under their average, but it's enough to get the passing game going. It's enough to get a tight end like Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman in the game. Why was it just a little bit from the run game to really open things up for the Bills overall?
00:12:12
Speaker 2: Because you have to keep the defense balanced.
00:12:14
Speaker 3: Over the past couple of games, you kind of get away from the run game, being a little bit more pass happy, but today we were a balanced attack, being able to run the ball effectively enough to keep those defensive linebackers honest. And when we play action, there were guys running wide open in the flat, receivers coming open in the middle of the field in between those hashes, and that's because of the play action fake. Got those linebackers stepping up to the line of scrimmage, creating those windows right behind that underneath coverage.
00:12:42
Speaker 1: All three running backs finish with a catch against the Raiders. You see them involved in the run game. They're also involved in the passing game as well. Ty Johnson has two catches for over 20 yards, and Ray Davis has a catch himself. Bill's head coach, Joe Brady, on the podium after this win against the Raiders. Let's hear what the head coach had to say. It seemed that CJ kind of spitted towards Raider players.
00:13:06
Speaker 7: Just your thoughts on that. Yeah, you know, I haven't seen the actual clip yet. You know, I was just talking to the ref. They said it took it to New York, and, you know, it was clear as day. So, you know, I'm sure I'm going to see it probably shortly after here. But at the end of the day, if it shows up, like, that can't happen. That's the discipline I'm talking about right now. And, you know, it's no different than all the penalties that are showing up. Like, it's uncalled for. It can't happen. It's going to be addressed. And, you know, the team is way more important.
00:13:34
Speaker 2: Are you running out of things to say about Josh Allen.
00:13:37
Speaker 6: After he makes that one point in the scramble play?
00:13:42
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:13:43
Speaker 7: I thought it was a great play call.
00:13:45
Speaker 2: No, it's, it's, yeah.
00:13:46
Speaker 7: I mean, he, you know, it's, it's, it's who he is. I thought he was outstanding today. And look, that was, that was, I give that, I give their coach staff a lot of credit. That was nothing. There was nowhere, anything like the defense we prepared for. And the, the calm, the Josh being able to handle that and be able to, Hey, make adjustments and us figure out, Hey, how are they handling it? What are they doing? And us be able to, kind of respond to all of our guys and Josh not get, I mean, it's kind of who he is, but not get flustered and be like, all right, cool, I got it. Let's see, what are we going to do now? It kind of speaks to who he is. And I thought he was outstanding today. Yeah, I mean, it's kind of who he's been, you know, if I'm being honest, it's kind of who Keon's been the whole time. Keon's never, his play has never been his issue, you know, and he hasn't, and right now there's not issues off the field. You know, he's where he needs to be. He's handling everything like a pro. And there's so much trust we have for him as the player, the development. And, you know, he continues to just make plays. You know, game was on the line. You know, we threw him the double cross. Obviously, he's, you know, he's upset about the one that he had the opportunity to go finish the game on the, you know, on the naked. You know, but that's the trust that we have in him. And he just needs to continue to just every day just try to treat it the same. And, you know, his best is still ahead.
00:15:06
Speaker 5: Joe, a hard-fought game today. What does this win say about this game?
00:15:10
Speaker 7: Yeah, you know, I hope bigger and our best football is still ahead, you know, but when we left Buffalo coming off of a loss, you know, in a long week and, you know, we said we're going out west and we got to grow as a football team both on the field and off the field and we want to come back with two wins and um, for them to be able to handle last week leading into a Monday night game, a long Monday night game, staying out here, uh, the way that they handled themselves all week, the trust that I had for them and the responsibility and the way that they handled it all. And then just to come out here and, um, you know, find the way to win. Um, you know, it's, it speaks to the character and who we have. Um, and I love that the guys know that we haven't played our best football. And so they're not, they're not pleased with that. And, but, uh, we're winning football games and I'm so proud.
00:16:02
Speaker 4: Of them for.
00:16:12
Speaker 6: That.
00:16:14
Speaker 7: It's going to be a key part of offense. Like this is an opportunity for us to grow. You know, we asked our players to grow last week, you know, together. And now it's an opportunity for us as a staff to, see what we're putting on tape, how can we continue to evolve both offense, defense, and special teams. It's all three phases, you know, but everything, you know, our offense is going to get evaluated just as much as our defense is right now, and, you know, in order for us to get to where we need to be, we have to improve in all phases.
00:16:45
Speaker 5: Can you continue to live like.
00:16:48
Speaker 2: That in the NFL?
00:16:51
Speaker 7: No, I mean, all I care about is finding the way to win, and whatever we have to do and do, you know, look, I'd love for every game to be a shutout, but as long as we just keep putting the ball down and us finding ways to win football games and the guys have a lot of trust in one another and continue to compete and even if it's not pretty, we have each other's back and that speaks louder to me. Our defense is going to continue to clean it up, right? But there's a lot of plays out there that our offense is a product of them being able to score points, right? And, you know, so there's so much that kind of goes together, but we're going to stay together, we're going to continue to grow, and it'll be an important week for us coaches.
00:17:28
Speaker 6: James Cook really made the effort to secure the ball.
00:17:30
Speaker 4: How important is that for his confidence going forward?
00:17:32
Speaker 7: Yeah, I mean, look, he was, you know, besides the four-minute situation, which that's not a besides, that's a critical play. I mean, he was outstanding. And, like, they asked me in the production last night, like, hey, what are you going to do with James Cook? I was like, I'm going to hand him the football. Like, I didn't get to standing right here without James. And it's the confidence I have in him and not making it anything bigger than it needs to be and trust that he's going to correct it and clean it up. And, you know, he was again, he was outstanding today. Obviously, you stay in balance right there. And, you know, that game doesn't get to that point. But it's the confidence that I have in him, the trust that I have in him, the trust that the team has in him, that no one no one makes it bigger than he knows when he holds that football, that he holds the whole organization. And, you know, I love that guy and I love to see him respond today.
00:18:18
Speaker 3: Like IGB was making plays on the ball throughout the game just what have you seen.
00:18:22
Speaker 7: From him what do you think he provides yeah I thought I thought you know we were a little matchier today in coverage and you know the stickiness kind of showed and that's what IGB kind of does and what I love about IGB is he just keeps playing you know and you know they might take a shot he's going to go right back at it you know with the same mindset he has you know he has a short memory and so And, you know, he's continuing to grow game in, game out, and us getting a feel of what's best for him. But one thing I know is he competes every damn play, and, you know, that's exactly what we're looking for. Joe, it's pretty clear you were trying to get done for the match with Bowers.
00:18:58
Speaker 3: You went over the situation, presented itself, and it looked like, I mean, he caught a.
00:19:02
Speaker 7: Few, but I think Christian played pretty well.
00:19:04
Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. That guy has been killing everybody.
00:19:06
Speaker 7: Since the start of that match. Yeah, I mean, I said it the other day, right?
00:19:09
Speaker 2: Like, you know, watched.
00:19:11
Speaker 7: You know, you watched Denver last year when we were getting ready to play them and Sertan was on them, right? And it speaks to the confidence that we have in Christian and, you know, and he's going inside, right? Like Christian's playing outside most of the time. And to have the confidence to say, hey, I'm going to go inside and I'm going to get matchy. And, you know, you know he's going to give up. You know, he's going to get his, right? That's part of football. But just continuing to contest it and continue to keep going. And he was up for the challenge and, you know, I thought he rose to it.
00:19:38
Speaker 6: Yeah, I didn't know anything other than there was a commotion.
00:19:50
Speaker 7: Threw a flag you know i'm thinking it's a 15 yard penalty right so i'm already taking you know uh i'm already putting a another db in in that situation because we got to be more disciplined than that you know and then they just let me know that hey they're they're reviewing it from new york and um you know that they were kind of moving on from you know ejecting them from the game and so I haven't had an opportunity to see the clip or to see what's happened, but the discipline of our football team has to improve, and that sure as hell can't happen. The team is bigger than that. The situation is bigger than that. Everything is bigger, and it can't happen, and it definitely has to be addressed.
00:20:22
Speaker 2: What did you say to CJ?
00:20:26
Speaker 7: Yeah, I'm going to keep that private.
00:20:28
Speaker 5: Awesome.
00:20:30
Speaker 2: Thank you, guys.
00:20:31
Speaker 1: That's Bills head coach Joe Brady addressing the media after beating the Raiders 33-30. Brady was asked about safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson's disqualification in this game due to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and Brady said, we have to be more disciplined as a football team. I will address it. Josh Allen also was asked about C.J. Gardner-Johnson being ejected from the game, and Allen said, us captains are going to get together. And if we feel like we need to address it, we will address it as players. George, C.J. Gardner-Johnson is in his eighth season, a veteran in this league. As a veteran playing on a defense with a ton of young players, you need to be lifting your team up, not beating it down. And Gardner-Johnson took it down a notch tonight by being ejected from the game when, as a vet, you know better.
00:21:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, you never want to see that, especially from one of your veteran guys, one of your leaders on the youngest defense in the NFL. So when CJ goes out of the lineup, it forces a guy like Kilgore, who hasn't gotten many reps this season, to be forced into action. But from a leadership standpoint, I loved hearing Josh saying, hey, the team captains are going to address this. And when I first saw it, I said to myself, that's something the players need to address and not leave it up to Joe Brady. As a leader in the locker room, as a leader of men, you can't have moments like that. Spitting at a player, another player is disrespectful.
00:22:00
Speaker 2: It's selfish. It's undisciplined.
00:22:01
Speaker 3: And at the time that it took place, it was at the end of the first half. The Raiders are driving in a two-minute situation. That penalty puts them inside of the red zone.
00:22:11
Speaker 2: It's selfish.
00:22:12
Speaker 3: It's a poor time for that to take place. And it should never happen. That has no place in football. And CJ has some ownership that he needs to take. and some apologies that he needs to extend to Brock and the Raiders, but also to his teammates for putting the team in that type of situation.
00:22:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, you saw the Bills after that unsportsmanlike conduct penalty escape with just a field goal, which was great by Buffalo's defense to get out of there. Matt Gay tied the game up at that point, 13-13, heading into the halftime. Now, with the defense overall, George, you saw Buffalo's defense have some nice series in spurts tonight. You saw the defense work together. You saw the defense be physical. In the fourth quarter, there was a chance for the Raiders to tie it. You see Greg Rousseau bat a ball down, and you see Jalen Kilgore come up with a pass breakup. Then in the third quarter, you see back-to-back drives where Buffalo's defense forces a three and out, and then Dorian Williams grabs an interception. How can the defense be more consistent?
00:23:14
Speaker 3: And that's the key. We have to be consistent. We're six games in. At the end of the day, we are who we are to some degree, but you have to continue to grind and get better. Yes, there are some windows that are still open in our zone coverage. That can get sure it up going into the bye week. Now you don't have to spend a week game planning. You can do some self-scouting, look at yourself critically, and figure out where you can make the most strides so that you're playing your best football going.
00:23:42
Speaker 2: Into the later part of the year.
00:23:44
Speaker 3: And hopefully clinching a playoff berth to get a ticket to the big dance.
00:23:48
Speaker 1: Speaking of that zone defense, Kirk Cousins and his playmakers ate up the open space on the field often in this matchup. How can Buffalo do a better job of playing tighter when they're in zone?
00:24:01
Speaker 3: Just understanding how the offense is trying to manipulate you in those zone coverages. For the explosive play, for instance, for the explosive play late there in the fourth quarter, We were in the strike zone, what's usually right in that 25 to 35-yard mark on the field. That's typical for where offense wants to take a shot at the end zone. They caught us right there in the quarters coverage, ran the post route right there in between the corner and the safety. But understanding those situations and understanding that this is going to happen when you're playing this coverage or we're at this point in the game or this spot on the field, but it's just going to continue to take reps.
00:24:40
Speaker 2: With that zone coverage, it's going to get better.
00:24:43
Speaker 3: You expect it to get better, but it gets better only with time and more reps. And as we get a consistent lineup in the game, those guys will start to build more of a rapport with one another.
00:24:54
Speaker 1: From zone to man, you saw Buffalo's defense play some man defense as well. You had to going up against a tight end in Brock Bowers, who is a physical, almost like a wide receiver out there. He can grab anything and going into this game, Bowers had at least 85 receiving yards in three straight games. So you saw Christian Benford take that assignment. And in the first half, Bowers was shut down. He did not have a target in the first half. Now, in the second half, Bowers made some hay, getting some catches of his own to finish with 70 receiving yards. How was Buffalo successful in the first half in that man coverage?
00:25:28
Speaker 3: It looked like in the early downs, they were going to place more zone in those first and second down situations. And when it's third and short, or maybe even third and long in some instances, going man to be able to get some hands on Bowers.
00:25:41
Speaker 2: And as a result, Kirk Cousins.
00:25:43
Speaker 3: And Mayer and Tucker took advantage of it and got some extra opportunities and made some hay getting the ball to some other guys. But you eliminated their main target. Their offense runs through Bowers. You have to eliminate him and force somebody else to beat you. And Mayer and Tucker stepped up and made some meaningful plays for the Raiders to give them some points and first downs. But in those big moments, you have to play man. You have to have confidence. in your technique as a player, and your coaches have to believe that you can go out there and compete and get the job done.
00:26:14
Speaker 2: Yeah.
00:26:15
Speaker 1: Mayor Ann Tucker finished with over 95 receiving yards in this game. Christian Benford did a nice job of shutting down Brock Bowers in the first half with zero targets. We're now going to go into the broadcast booth and hear from Chris Brown and Eric Wood, who have more on this matchup.
00:26:34
Speaker 5: All right, Eric, the last two offensive drives by the Bills. Josh pulls a rabbit out of a hat, and then they lean on James Cook. Not only in the run game, they got him involved in the pass game as well.
00:26:45
Speaker 6: Yeah, James Cook extremely productive through the air today. Three catches for 58 yards. Also, it's 95 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Josh Allen makes the incredible play to Keon Coleman, and then they get that next drive back. And James Cook, heavily involved in the run game, also has the long catch down the sideline. which ultimately ended up setting up his three-yard touchdown run.
00:27:06
Speaker 5: And I know the defense gave up 30 points again, but they got some key red zone stops and forced the Raiders to settle for field goals. It's not going to look good on the stat sheet, but it's going to look good in the win column winning by three.
00:27:20
Speaker 6: Yeah, absolutely. And you do whatever it takes to get the win. No, you're not happy about giving up 313 yards through the air. You give up that late touchdown over the top to make this game a little bit more interesting than it maybe needed to be at the end. but you come out of here with a W and you're happy about it.
00:27:35
Speaker 5: So the Bills complete their two-game West Coast swing with two big victories and head into the bye at 5-1. We'll send it back to you guys in the studio.
00:27:47
Speaker 1: Thank you, Chris and Eric. Yeah, there were a few times where the Bills' defense forced the Raiders to have to attempt a field goal. The Raiders were just 2 of 5 in the red zone today. That's good for 40%, which is under their average of 56%, hanging around 20th.
00:28:02
Speaker 2: In the league.
00:28:03
Speaker 1: How did Buffalo's defense tighten up in the red zone areas?
00:28:06
Speaker 3: In those red zones, as you get closer to the end zone, you don't play so high on top of the offensive player. You play a little bit more underneath so you can get your hands on the ball and have vision on the football. They tightened up those windows, they won those reps, they won those battles, and they were able to keep the Raiders from scoring touchdowns on three of those five trips into the red zone.
00:28:28
Speaker 1: We saw... Davis and Igbenosin grow up in this matchup. He's a rookie cornerback, so you got some growing pains. You saw Igbenosin get a DPI. And then next series, you see him force an incompletion. You see him get a holding penalty. But then later on in the game, you see him force an incompletion on a big third and 10 play. So you have some good and you have some bad. But where did Igbenosin grow up most in this matchup, George?
00:28:56
Speaker 2: Competing.
00:28:57
Speaker 3: No matter what the outcome of the previous play, he competed the next play. He made some plays. He gave up some plays as far as penalties go. And that's what you want to see as a coach, as a player, as a teammate. You want to see the guy go out there and compete and work for those opportunities. He made some big plays to build his confidence. He learned in some moments, hey, I've got good size. I can match up against Bowers, but Bowers is a big boy. He got matched up with him in the end zone. They got tangled up, got a pass interference call right there. But just starting to understand how he can use his size, use his God-given abilities to be able to take advantage of those one-on-one opportunities when his number is called.
00:29:39
Speaker 1: Yeah, Igben Osen is a taller, longer corner at over six feet. He's got some physicality to his build, too, and to the way that he plays a stronger player. And so to see him start to figure out how to use his hands for good and not being flagged quite a bit, I think shows signs of the rookie cornerback starting to put it together. I wanted to talk about one more thing that Joe Brady said during his press conference. I thought it was super interesting. Brady said the Raiders defense played way different than how they had prepared to play, than how they had prepared to to see the Raiders on the field, I should say. Josh Allen, Brady said he was fantastic in this matchup. He took what the defense gave him. He didn't put the ball in harm's way. What does that say about an offense's ability to see something completely different than what they had prepared for, but still find a way to score 33 points?
00:30:34
Speaker 3: That's the connection that Joe Brady and Josh Allen have.
00:30:38
Speaker 2: And that comes through experience.
00:30:40
Speaker 3: Playing together, them understanding how all the different defenses that they've seen try to manipulate them and try to dictate what they want to do as an offense. But you have that maturity and that experience to say, hey, they've changed some things up. What we saw on tape is a little different than what they're doing right now. And that's probably because of those 121 rushing yards that Josh had on the ground last week. Traditionally, the Raiders as an organization has been known to be a man-dominant coverage in their secondary, no matter who's at head coach. So after seeing Josh move the chains and gain so many yards on the ground last week, I expect they probably came in on Tuesday morning and said, hey, guys, we need to throw this game plan out and let's figure something else out. Let's not let this guy beat us from outside the pocket. Let's force him to beat us in the pocket where you can limit his impact on the game to just his arm and not his legs as well.
00:31:39
Speaker 1: Josh Allen finishes with just five rushing attempts for one rushing yard in this game against the Raiders after going off for more than 100 rushing yards in the game against the Rams. But that's the Josh Allen experience that we all have. Some games he'll go off for $ 1. 20, and then in some games... We just see one rushing yard because he does enough through the air. We have to talk about this playmaker. Keon Coleman again shows that he is a proven playmaker. Without DJ Moore in the lineup due to a shoulder injury, Coleman steps up once again. He's targeted. Six different times, four catches for 59 receiving yards and a touchdown. Coleman did a fantastic job of showing that physicality at times in the game and just his confidence as a receiver. George, as you've watched this young receiver through the first part of the season, what has impressed you the most?
00:32:34
Speaker 2: His professionalism.
00:32:35
Speaker 3: I mean, the way he's responded to being called out, to being challenged. Obviously, his teammates love him, respect him, and the same goes for the coaches. Just him being a pro, taking advantage of the opportunities that he's getting, but also being ready and expecting those opportunities to come. And the thing that I love what Joe Brady said about him in the press conference is they trust him. They truly trust him, not just on the field, but off the field. You don't have the same issues that were going on before. And he just seems like he's having so much fun making these plays and earning the trust and respect of the men in that locker room.
00:33:15
Speaker 1: I think it's one of the coolest stories on this Bill's roster this season to watch the way that Keon Coleman has matured this year and shown that when his number is called, he can step up and be a playmaker for this offense. Another great story so far this season has been kicker Tyler Bass and his ability to be a proven point scorer for Buffalo's offense. Bass goes four of four tonight. He's made 18 straight field goals. That is the most by a Bill's kicker since 2007-2008. Bass not part of the lineup last year due to a sports hernia, and this year he's 100% in terms of field goal attempts.
00:33:52
Speaker 3: That's what you love to see. It's a three-phase game, special teams, offense, defense. He's pulling his weight. He's doing his part and putting points on the board, and he's getting some big kicks through those uprights and some big moments. Being able to give the Bills as a team a sigh of relief going up two scores with less than four minutes left in the game gives you that confidence to say, hey, All we have to do is keep it close, put it in Tyler's hand, and then Tyler we trust. Just like he performed and came through last week in overtime, he came through to give us a two-score lead to seal this game here today.
00:34:27
Speaker 1: Being a kicker in the NFL, it is such a mental game. And hearing from Bass this season when he's spoken to media, he seems so confident in his process and who he is as a player. It's been awesome to see his start to the season. George, the Bills are 5-1 through the first six weeks of the season. They've got a bye week in week seven. What are we learning about this team for your Senator's statement?
00:34:53
Speaker 3: Senator's statement, hey, six weeks in, you've put a lot on tape. For the most part, at this point, you are who you are. So as we go into our bye week, who are we? Who are the Buffalo Bills? On offense, we can run the ball against anybody.
00:35:09
Speaker 2: When we're healthy... We can have a lot of explosive plays.
00:35:12
Speaker 3: So it's important coming out of this bye week that we have a healthy DJ Moore to add some more vertical threat to the offensive side of the ball. On defense, oh, excuse me, before I move on. Also, we need to protect the football. When we don't protect the football, we're a middle of the pack team. We don't really impact the game as much as we'd like to and dictate the time of possession. So we must protect the football, continue to establish the run, and be able to get that vertical threat back to the offensive side of the ball as we go into the rest of the season. Defensively, we can stop the run with the best of them. They're not allowed a single 100-yard rush in these first six games. We can also get to the passer. We can get to the quarterback. We can hit them. We can disturb them, move them off their spot. So that's something that the Bills defensive front is doing consistently. But the glaring thing that everybody has continued to be concerned about is the vulnerabilities on the back end. But those are going to get better. Again, we got some young guys, some new guys playing together. As the season continues to progress on, those windows will get tighter and tighter. Guys will get more and more confidence. IGB won't be the same guy in December as he was in September. So we have to continue to give them the time and the space to be able to learn, compete, and fight for these opportunities. And the beautiful thing about the NFL– Just because you show them one time doesn't mean that they're going to believe you. They're going to come back and they're going to test you next play, test you next series, test you next game. So as a result, going into this bye week, it's important to get healthy and to get locked in for this stretch to finish out this regular season, clinch the division and a playoff berth.
00:36:53
Speaker 1: The Bills are the hottest offense in the NFL through six weeks. averaging about 28 points per game. I should really say 33 because that's what they got tonight. Their average is 32.8 points per game through the first six weeks, and they've shown you can win in the air and you can win on the ground. James Cook has been such a difference maker for this offense this season and did a fantastic job of taking care of the football tonight against the Raiders.
00:37:22
Speaker 2: Bills 5-1.
00:37:22
Speaker 1: They head to the bye week. with a great record. And Joe Brady is the first head coach, first-time head coach, to start his career 5-1 since 2022. That's going to do it for us for Bill's postgame live. For George Wilson, I'm Maddie Glab. We'll see you all after the bye. Thank you.
