After all of the hype surrounding the matchup, the Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots turned out to be much of nothing as Tom Brady had no problems easing his team to a win in Week 2. After looking strong in their season opener, the Bills' offense made more mistakes as Tyrod Taylor tossed three interceptions while getting sacked eight times. There were positive signs as Sammy Watkins made his first impact of the year while a running back controversy could be emerging for the team.
The Bills acquired LeSean McCoy to be the workhorse running back and while he is doing just that, he is not scoring. McCoy was doubtful for Week 2 following hamstring issues in practice. The running back did end up playing while finishing with 89 yards off 15 carries, but it was Karlos Williams that stole the show with a touchdown on the ground with six carries. McCoy is the starter and the leading rusher, but when the Bills get down to the redzone it is clear they favor Williams along with Taylor carrying the ball across the endzone, frustrating fantasy owners. Moving forward, Taylor might turn out to be the fantasy favorite as he tossed for 242 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 43 yards and score in the loss.
The biggest get for the Bills was an improved Watkins who is quickly gaining chemistry with Taylor. The wide receiver had eight targets for 60 yards and a touchdown after not getting a single catch in Week 1. Watkins downplayed the issue heading into the first week of play as he and the Bills do not expect another catchless performance this season. Robert Woods and Charles Clay also recorded scores, leaving Percy Harvin without a touchdown this time around.
Despite the loss, there are positives to take away for the Bills. Taylor is looking every bit like the quarterback that could carry the team throughout the season. The versatility of Taylor is working in the Bills favor as he remains another dynamic piece of the offense. As Taylor gains more experience he will be an interesting prospect to keep an eye on for the future.
"When you can throw the football as well as he can throw the football and when you can run as well as he can, improvising and creating plays with your legs, it makes it tough," former defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman said via ESPN.com. "Because usually in pro football, you don't really plan on having to stop the quarterback. But [what] he forces you to do is play more 11-on-11 football, which can be difficult at times."