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The Buffalo Bills fought their way to a key win over the Los Angeles Rams on December 23, even though star wide receiver Stefon Diggs had little to do with it.
Though he was targeted a team-high eight times, the 30-year-old receiver had five receptions for just 29 yards in the 24-22 win. Diggs has seen a steady drop in production in recent weeks, but one insider points out an even more “curious” trend for the Pro Bowl receiver in recent games.
As Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News noted, the Bills had a lower snap count for Diggs against the Chargers, keeping him off the field for longer than in past games.
“Diggs played just 33 of 55 offensive snaps for the Bills during Saturday’s 24-22 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. That was 60% of the offensive total – the same amount as receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. played,” Skurski wrote.
It was the second straight game with a lower snap count for Diggs, which led Skurski to question the team’s rationale for his decreased role in the offense.
Stefon Diggs Hurt Early
As Skurski noted, Diggs appeared to be shaken up on the first play of the game, a wide receiver screen that was stopped for no gain. He went to the sidelines and was evaluated by the team’s medical staff, but ultimately returned.
Skurski questioned if a potential injury could explain the lower snap count for Diggs, though head coach Sean McDermott said after the game that he did not believe the injury scare factored into his playing time.
“Not that I’m aware of,” McDermott said when asked if Diggs’ injury affected his snap count. “I haven’t discussed that with (head athletic trainer) Nate (Breske). Not that I’m aware of, but I understand that he was in and out maybe more than normal.”
The decision to pull back on Diggs was also odd given the stakes of the game, with the Bills in need of a win to stay in the playoff hunt.
“Against the Chargers, the result wasn’t decided until the last play, so Diggs’ snap total is certainly curious,” Skurski wrote.
Stefon Diggs Shared Frustation
Diggs has spoken out about his late-season slump, telling reporters that it is frustrating but not the result of any kind of personal drop-off in play.
“It’s rough, man,” Diggs told reporters on December 14, via Tim Graham of The Athletic. “Even earlier in the year, I saw a lot of the doubles, but they’ve been doing a great job, especially when you put those first seven to eight games on tape of what you like to do. They’ve been doing a good job.
“For me, personally, I’ve been trying, bro. I promise you I’ve been trying. It’s not because of me.”
Diggs has just 23 catches for 245 yards with two touchdowns in the last five games, though the Bills have found other players to step up. In the team’s 31-10 win over the Dallas Cowboys on December 17, second-year running back James Cook had a career-high 25 carries for 179 yards with two total touchdowns. In Saturday’s win over the Chargers, receiver Gabe Davis had four catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.
