The Buffalo Bills are shaking things up at offensive line.
After starting guard Jon Feliciano was lost to a practice mishap, the team shuffled around the starting lineup and sent a controversial high draft pick to the bench. The moves come as the Bills have found their groove on offense, winning the last two weeks in blowout fashion.
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Cody Ford Hits the Bench
As Nick Wojton of USA Today’s Bills Wire noted, the starting lineup for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans came with something of a surprise — Cody Ford, who started all seven games he appeared in last season and the first three games of this year — was relegated to the bench. Daryl Williams was moved over from right tackle to right guard, and Spencer Brown took Williams’ normal place on the right. Ike Boettger filled in for Feliciano at left guard after he was ruled out with a concussion suffered in practice on September 29.
Ford had been a second-round pick in 2019, but has had a tumultuous tenure as a starter. Back in July, Bleacher Report’s Chris Roling said drafting Ford was the franchise’s biggest mistake over the last five years, noting that he has been graded poorly last season.
“Projected as a tackle, Ford made it in all 16 games as a rookie and got called for eight penalties and allowed seven sacks, earning a 52.4 Pro Football Focus grade (a replaceable grade, the lowest mark on the grading scale),” Roling wrote.
“Buffalo kicked Ford inside as a sophomore and over seven appearances, he graded at a 53.8, albeit with no sacks allowed. It’s the sort of poor early drafting a team like Buffalo can’t afford when trying to build around a player like Josh Allen.”
The changes at offensive line could last at least a while longer for the Bills. There is no indication how long Feliciano could be out after being injured this week, but he will be required to go through the league-mandated concussion protocol that includes hitting a number of milestones before he can return to practice and games.
Bills Rolling on Offense
The shakeup comes as the Bills offense has gotten back on track after a shaky start in the season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bills then blew out the Miami Dolphins 35-0 and the Washington Football Team 43-21.
In the win over Washington, the Bills dedicated the win to offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who had lost his grandmother earlier in the week.
“You know, I got a ton of respect for those guys in the locker room,” Daboll said after the game. “Not just them, the assistant coaches that I work with, being there for them, for their families, their children. And it goes both ways. I think that’s special if you can create that. But it’s got to be real and authentic. That’s certainly how I felt.”
He makes it look too easy. 😎
@JoshAllenQB is the AFC Offensive Player of the Week: t.co/987K75jYnn
The Bills kept the momentum rolling against the Texans, racking up 224 first-half yards and jumping out to a 16-0 lead despite heavy rains that made for difficult playing conditions.
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Bills Bench Tackle Cody Ford in Offensive Line Shakeup