Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
The Buffalo Bills‘ 37-3 beatdown of the Washington Commanders on September 24 was expected to at least be competitive, given that the Commanders’ defense includes four former first-round picks: Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen. Instead, Washington looked like a team that didn’t even belong on the same field as the Bills.
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera actually credited Bills quarterback Josh Allen for their defensive struggles during a September 25 press conference.
“I think Josh Allen got into our guys’ head a little bit after that first couple series,” Rivera said. “I mean, tucking the ball and running because basically, first of all, coverage was good. But they’d gotten to him and forced him out of the pocket. And a guy with that kind of ability can stretch a play, get outside.”
Allen completed 20-of-32 passes for 218 yards with a touchdown, an interception and three carries for 46 rushing yards and a score. And he wasn’t sacked once.
“There’s a frustration that comes with it too when you feel like you should be making a sack, you should be making a play,” Rivera said. “It gets to guys. It does.”
Commanders fans blasted Rivera’s comments as an excuse.
“What does that say about your 4 first rounders and the supposed ‘strength’ of the team?” one fan post on X, formerly Twitter.
“This is nonsensical,” another fan wrote. “They’ve been talking about racing each other to get there first all week. Just like two years ago. And we know what happened with this defense two years ago.” The last time the Commanders played the Bills — in Buffalo on September 26, 2021 — Washington lost by 22 points
Overall, Rivera said he hoped the team learns from their embarrassing loss. “I hate to lose. F***, I hate losing,” he said. “The truth of the matter is, the only good thing out of losing is that you can learn from it.”
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera on the loss to Buffalo
“I hate to lose. F***, I hate losing. The truth of the matter is…the only good thing out of losing is that you can learn from it.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Is Focused on Week 4 vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 4. Dolphins-Bills. Appointment television.
While the Commanders take a long, hard look in the mirror, Allen is looking toward the Bills’ upcoming matchup against the Miami Dolphins, a team that put up 726 offensive yards in their 70-20 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 3.
Following Sunday’s Bills win, ESPN Jeff Darlington told Allen about the Dolphins’ historic offensive performance and the Bills superstar “didn’t flinch,” the analyst posted.
“It’s going to be a dogfight,” Allen said. “But I don’t focus on what they’re doing on that side of the ball.” The 27-year-old will leave that to the Bills defense. Allen will focus on continuing to play smart football, making his disastrous Week 1 performance a mere distant memory.
WROC-TV’s Thad Brown posted, “DraftKings has the #Bills installed as a 2.5 point favorite at home for the showdown with the #Dolphins next week. That’s essentially what home field is worth these days. Vegas sees the two teams as equals.”
Sean McDermott Called the Dolphins’ Offense ‘Almost Revolutionary’
GettyBills Head coach Sean McDermott at Highmark Stadium on September 17, 2023.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who also serves as the team’s defensive coordinator, knows playing the Dolphins will be an entirely different beast than the Commanders. While there’s typically a 24-hour window to enjoy a win before focusing on the next opponent, McDermott couldn’t help but discuss the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
“It gets shorter and shorter or smaller and smaller, that window, right?” McDermott told reporters on Monday. “And in particular, when you got a team that put up 70 points, I don’t think I’ve seen that in my NFL career the entire time. So they’re very explosive,” McDermott said.
“Tua [Tagovailoa] is throwing the ball extremely well. And their schematics are almost revolutionary in what they do. Coach [Mike] McDaniel is very creative and does a lot of things to get you out of position on defense.”
As for how they plan to stop Miami’s offense, it’ll be a combination of solid preparation and strong discipline. “We’ll start with the fundamentals. We need to get better with some of our fundamentals. I think that’s got to be a point of emphasis.”