Dec 21, 2019; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Cole Beasley (10) runs against the New England Patriots during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
The Buffalo Bills started the 2022 NFL season scorching hot, and their offense was nearly unstoppable. Since then, the train has started to fall off the tracks, and it’s easy to spot the offenses struggles at times. It is worth noting that star quarterback, Josh Allen, is dealing with an elbow injury which could be limiting him some the past few weeks. Putting that aside though, it seems like the Bills are struggling to scheme receivers open and it’s forcing Allen to try and force throws, and play what has been coined as, “hero ball.” A large part of it has been the failure to establish a threat out of the slot.
In the offseason, the Bills parted ways with veteran slot man, Cole Beasley. He played three seasons in Buffalo and was one of Josh Allen’s favorite targets. In those three seasons, Beasley totaled 231 receptions, for 2,438 yards, 11 touchdowns, 127 first downs, and a 71.1% catch percentage. Beasley was very outspoken against the Covid-19 vaccine, which made him a target for extreme criticism and backlash. Through all the noise, Cole Beasley brought his lunch pale and hardhat and went to work every single game. Beasley’s presence as a football player was essentially pushed aside, as he became public enemy number one in the eyes of the media. It’s clear to see this caused a rift between him and the Bills management, which led to release of him.
Now here we are, ahead of the Bills week 13 matchup with the New England Patriots; discussing the absence of someone who was one of the best slot receivers in the league the past few years. The Bills tried to replace Beasley with Isaiah McKenzie and Jamison Crowder. Granted, Crowder has been a great slot receiver in his career but has been out since the end of September. McKenzie has also just not been able to consistently be that safety valve for Allen. While new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey has been facing some backlash of his own for the Bills’ struggles, the production from his players simply has not been there. Yes, somethings about Dorsey’s offense can be criticized, but besides superstar Stefon Diggs, all pass catchers on the Bills are struggling.
Teams are taking their best cornerback and putting them on number two receiver, Gabe Davis, who unfortunately has been struggling adjusting to playing against the opposing teams best. On the other side, Stefon Diggs is getting bracketed. He is still somehow still getting open a lot which is an emphasis on how special of a talent he truly is. Dorsey also seems to not care to involve tight end Dawson Knox, who the Bills just gave a big extension to. With Diggs getting bracketed, and Davis struggling to adjust, that is when you need your slot man to take over games. Beasley had done that so many times in his Buffalo career and the Bills are really missing that this year.
Forget stats, Beasley made clutch catch after clutch catch, was not afraid to go over the middle and take a hit and always performed when his team needed him. Allen loved Beasley as his safety valve, especially when teams went into a two-high shell look to take away deep plays; which is what teams are still doing, but there is no underneath presence to punish them like in years past. Beasley was a warrior, playing through injuries like a broken fibula to make sure he was there for his team. Unfortunately, his view on the vaccine was a key contributor in him getting run out of town and the offense is facing the repercussions of it. A big piece in getting back on track for the offense is to establish a threat out of the slot. Whether that is McKenzie stepping up, or actually playing rookie receiver Khalil Shakir who has looked promising, the Bills need to figure it out in the final stretch of the season and before playoffs. It is worth mentioning that Crowder could still return this year.
