Will the real Buffalo Bills starting running back please stand up?
Through three weeks of the 2021 NFL regular season, the Bills appear to be in a full-blown two-man running back committee for the second consecutive year. Again, the main players are third-year back Devin Singletary and second-year pro Zack Moss.
It wasn’t this way from opening week against the Pittsburgh Steelers though, as Moss was curiously inactive for the season-opener – with Matt Breida earning the backup gig to Singletary – but over the past couple of games it’s been the Singletary and Moss show.
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The shared job between the pair of Florida natives hasn’t been a product of injuries, and both backs have shown flashes of brilliance in the early portion of the fall, but right now, the pendulum is in full swing and the momentum is with Moss.
Singletary ‘Hasn’t Taken Advantage’ of Offensive Line Production
GettyBuffalo Bills running back Devin Singletary during the team’s game against the Washington Football Team on September 26, 2021.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott spoke candidly on Wednesday about not taking an inferior opponent like the Houston Texans – who the team will play in week four – lightly. The upcoming contest has all the makings of a Buffalo blowout though and hopefully, a matchup that sees both Moss and Singletary get plenty of touches and production.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay recently provided a breakdown of “1 Player Every NFL Team Must Bench Immediately” and while the article doesn’t exactly say Singletary should be permanently banished to the sideline, the 24-year-old hasn’t stepped up enough according to the author.
“(Singletary) hasn’t taken advantage of what the offensive line is providing the way backfield mate Zack Moss has. That disparity was most notable in Week 3, when Moss posted 91 total yards and Buffalo’s offense exploded for 43 points against a hapless Washington defense,” Kay wrote. “Even though the team put up 481 yards, Singletary couldn’t get much going with his 11 totes. He gained just 26 yards on the ground and failed to gain a yard on his lone catch.”
Aside from the more basic statistics like rushing attempts and scrimmage yards, Kay notes that the advanced numbers, as provided by Pro Football Focus, favored Moss as well.
“With Moss earning a 69.5 PFF grade compared to Singletary’s 45.0, it’s apparent which running back Buffalo should feature,” Kay wrote.
Devin Singletary vs. Zack Moss: By the Numbers
GettyBuffalo Bills running back Zack Moss during the team’s game against the Washington Football Team on September 26, 2021.
Because of Moss’ healthy scratch against the Steelers, when comparing the pair of running back’s numbers so far this season, it’s only fair to look at the last two games.
During the week two 35-0 rout of the Miami Dolphins, Singletary carried the rock 13 times for 82 rushing yards and a touchdown, while catching two of his three targets for nine yards. Of note, his touchdown came on a 46-yard scamper, meaning that his other 12 carries totaled a more underwhelming 36 yards, or a 3.0 yards per carry average.
Moss meanwhile got eight rushing attempts for 26 yards (3.25 YPC) and had two scores on the ground, while adding two receptions on two targets for eight yards. Moss also lost a fumble during the contest.
In week three against the Washington Football Team, Moss earned more touches, recording 13 carries for 60 yards (4.62 YPC) and three receptions on three targets for 31 yards and a receiving touchdown. Singletary was a virtual no-show against Washington, plodding along for 26 rushing yards on 11 carries (2.36 YPC), while catching one of his two targets for 0 yards.
In his two games, Moss has averaged a reasonable 4.1 yards per carry to go with his three all-purpose touchdowns and has snagged all five of his targets at 7.2 yards per reception. For Singletary, his yards per carry over the last two contests is 4.5, but if you take out his touchdown against the Dolphins, the figure plummets to a measly 2.69.
Additionally, Moss has been more a factor in the passing game, as Singletary’s three catches across the last couple of weeks have gone for a total of nine yards.
While Moss certainly has the momentum heading into the bout against the Texans, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the pendulum swings at least a couple of more times this season.
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