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Bills OC Joe Brady explains trick play rationale; HC Sean McDermott provides injury updates heading into Week 5

Sep 30, 2024 at 05:57 PM

Alec White

Content Coordinator

Bills head coach Sean McDermott, along with the team's coordinators, addressed the media Monday afternoon following the team's 35-10 loss in Baltimore.

Here's what we learned from their press conferences:

Brady takes the blame for trick play: "It was a pretty bad play call."

Down 21-10 midway through the third quarter and the Bills moving the ball into Ravens territory, offensive coordinator Joe Brady called a trick play on 2nd and 7.

With QB Josh Allen lined up wide to the left, WR Curtis Samuel took a direct snap in the shotgun and Allen came running back over on a reverse for a potential deep throw to either Keon Coleman or Mack Hollins. But the play was blown up by the Ravens defensive line and resulted in a strip sack recovery by the Ravens.

Monday, Brady admitted that he never should've called for a trick play in that situation, regardless of whether or not the play worked out in the first place.

"It was a pretty bad play call. There's no way to sum that up — and not even as a bad play call just because of the result of the play. But I try to pride myself on the feel of the flow of the game and how things are going. And even if we were able to get that off, and even if we were able to do anything with it, it wasn't the right timing for the play," he said.

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Calling the play from the booth, Brady initially felt that the Bills could've made the trick play work given certain personnel that Ravens were using. But once LB Kyle Van Noy went back into the game, Brady admitted he should've had the offense check out of the play call.

The turnover was a gut punch to Buffalo's brief momentum in the second half. The Ravens took a commanding 28-10 lead six plays later.

"They're switching their D-line, as soon as I see that, I gotta get out of the play," Brady explained. "So even with all that, yeah bad, poor play call, and ultimately, kind of cost us a football game right there, because you had an opportunity right there to cut it to a one score game. We were kind of flowing a little bit, so I got to be better."

This is just the second regular season loss the Bills have had since Brady took over play-calling duties in the back half of the 2023 season and the first time Buffalo's offense has scored fewer than 20 points under Brady.

Brady shared that he's motivated this week to regroup and use the loss to get better as a play-caller.

"I have to do a better job at just putting our guys in better positions. I think it's always going to be about us and being able to adjust. I think it's one of those games that — I don't think we had a bad plan, I think the game was called bad," he said. "I got to do a better job and hold it to a standard."

Injury updates heading into Houston matchup

Head coach Sean McDermott gave a run down of injuries that occurred in Sunday night's loss, as well as an update on LB Terrel Bernard and CB Taron Johnson going into Week 5 at Houston.

As far as Sunday's game goes, safety Taylor Rapp left the game with a head injury and is in concussion protocol, McDermott said.

QB Josh Allen is "sore" but "should be fine", according to McDermott after the QB took a hit on the strip sack. Allen shared postgame during his press conference that it was his low back that hit the ground on the play and said he was "good."

WR Khalil Shakir left the game briefly and had his ankle taped up. Shakir returned to the game to lead the Bills with 62 yards receiving. McDermott said Monday that Shakir is "really sore" and the team will monitor him throughout the week.

"Khalil fought through it. It's one of those situations, we'll see how he does this week, taking it one day at a time. I'll let you know each day how he's trending," McDermott said.

LB Terrel Bernard has missed the last two full games with a pec injury but returned to the practice field in a limited capacity late last week. McDermott expects Bernard to again practice "at some point" this week, with his Week 5 playing status TBD.

CB Taron Johnson's status is also still unclear as he's been out since getting hurt in the opening week of the season with a forearm injury,

"TB (Bernard) is improving. Both are improving. TB probably more," McDermott said. "So at this point, we'll see how the week flows for both of them. I do expect TB to be practicing at some point during the week. Taron, a little bit more of a question mark at this point."

Buffalo will begin its Week 5 practice week starting Wednesday.