1 – Brandon Beane assesses where the offense can improve
NFL rosters are never truly set in stone - they're malleable and can be altered at any time.
Entering Week 10, Buffalo general manager Brandon Beane noticed a lack of speed on his roster, something that he felt was holding the offense back. The second-year executive added more explosiveness to the roster ahead of the team's matchup with the Jets, signing Robert Foster from the practice squad and claiming Isaiah McKenzie off waivers.
The moves paid immediate dividends. Foster served as the deep threat that Buffalo had been lacking all year in the 41-10 win, reeling in three passes for 105 yards. McKenzie made an impact on offense and special teams, finishing the game with 121 yards on nine total touches.
Beane was pleased to see that the mid-season roster moves helped the team in a positive way.
"We've not been happy," Beane said. "I think more of our moves have been on the offense. We've not been happy as a group. We tried to inject some different players with some different skill sets. I think you saw the Jets game, we went with more of a speed package, just to try and see if that could get us going. And it did for that game."
Beane has continued to add speed to the roster since the Week 10 win, re-signing veteran wideout Deonte Thompson during the bye week. The executive is eager to see how the addition of the speed will affect the offense over the final six games of the campaign.
"That's one game," Beane said. "Doesn't prove anything more than one game, but hopefully those guys will continue to show their abilities the more they play."
2 - Marrone: Shady is the NFL's best RB
Jacksonville head coach Doug Marrone knows just how difficult it is to coach in front of the raucous New Era Field crowd. He's also aware of the challenge that comes with game planning against LeSean McCoy, the running back who totaled 119 yards from scrimmage when the Bills and Jaguars met in the playoffs last year.
This Sunday, Marrone will be tasked with containing the six-time 1,000-yard rusher in front of 70,000 screaming Buffalo fans.
Marrone, who coached the Bills from 2013-2014, will return to Orchard Park for the first time as an opposing head coach this weekend. The Bills enter the Week 12 matchup with momentum on their side, as the team put up 41 points on the Jets in their final contest before the bye. McCoy made an impact in the 451-net yard explosion, rushing for 113 yards and two scores.
Stopping a talented and confident Buffalo offense will be a challenge for the Jaguars this week. Marrone knows that stopping McCoy and company will be a difficult task.
"Offensively, coming off probably their best performance," Marrone said. "I mean, 450 yards of offense. Brian [Daboll] is doing a great job as the offensive coordinator, really mixing things up and really making it challenging. And then obviously we know Shady is one of the best running backs, if not the best running back in the league. It's going to be a big challenge for us defensively and it's going to be a tough task."
3 - Aaron Maybin making an impact off the field
The impact that a professional athlete can have on a community is often forgotten in stat sheets and analytics. A player's on-field performance often overshadows their off-field efforts, or what they're doing to make the world they live in a better place for all.
Former Bills' linebacker Aaron Maybin is doing everything he can to help the children who call the neighborhood in which he grew up in home.
Maybin, a defender whom Buffalo selected in the first round of the 2009 draft, was the focus of a CBS Sports feature that aired on Thanksgiving Day. The powerful piece follows Maybin as he fights to provide heat for the students of Baltimore's Matthew A. Henson Elementary School.
Since retiring from the game of football, Maybin has become an artist, activist, and teacher in the city of Baltimore, his hometown. Maybin finished his four-year NFL career with 36 tackles and six sacks.
You can watch the emotional feature here:
