1. Two Bills land on this general manager names to watch list
PFF writer Brad Spielberger came out with his list of names to watch when it comes to future general manager candidates. Two of the Bills player personnel staff members were on Spielberger's shortlist and they are Malik Boyd and Terrance Gray. Both men were hired by Brandon Beane and have assisted in building up this Bills team that has won at least nine games in three of the last four seasons.
Malik Boyd is the director of pro personnel and joined the team in 2017. The former NFL defensive back began his scouting career with the Colts from 2003-2004, then spent 11 years with the Arizona Cardinals. In 2014, Boyd got promoted to assistant director of pro scouting, and at the NFL combine he was named the NFC Scout of the Year by the Fritz Pollard Alliance.
Terrance Gray, who also joined the Bills in 2017, is the director of college scouting. He started his scouting career with the Chiefs from 2003-2005, and also worked as the team's Player Development Coordinator. He then spent 11 seasons with the Vikings as a college scout and was responsible for the Southeast Region of the US. Now with the Bills, he oversees the team's college scouting staff, manages preparations for the NFL Draft, and is responsible for evaluating the top college prospects throughout the country.
2. Tre'Davious White earns recognition for his technique
ESPN staff writer, and former NFL safety Matt Bowen released his Shutdown Index for the fifth straight year. He has picked out the best defensive backs and placed them in 23 different categories. Bowen had Tre'Davious White as the defensive back with the best coverage technique. White has been playing outstanding as of late with three interceptions, and four passes defensed in three of the last four games.
Best coverage technique - Tre'Davious White, Buffalo Bills
White is the Tim Duncan of the NFL in regard to the technique he puts on tape every week. Just watch his patient feet in his backpedal. There's no panic there. Look at the square shoulders. He is aggressive and disciplined in press-man too. And the short-area burst pops when White transitions from his break to drive on the ball. Click and close. This season, White has three picks and five pass breakups. And while you might not see that as upper-tier production, the tape tells us that he has the best technique in the league. This is clinic-level stuff. And really, it's the best technique I've seen in years from anyone.
3. Best NFL game in Week 14?
When the Bills play the Steelers on Sunday Night it will be the fifth game in Bills history, in the 13th game or later, in which both Buffalo and its opponent had .750 or better winning percentages. The last occasion was on Dec. 23, 1990 when the Bills (12-2) hosted Miami (11-3). NFL.com editor Gregg Rosenthal picked this matchup as one of the key games throughout the last four weeks of the season and explained why.
Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1) at Buffalo Bills (9-3)
I've done the math, and the Week 14 slate is the best one for the rest of the season. The prime-time trio of games is the best all season. This game will tell us a lot about how the top of the AFC shapes up the rest of the way. If Buffalo wins, the path to a Dolphins AFC East title looks awfully slim. Another Steelers loss would also open the door for the 11-1 Chiefs to secure a bye in the playoffs, and for the 9-3 Browns to get right back into the AFC North race. A Steelers win would steady The Good Ship Tomlin.Pittsburgh has played lately like a team carrying the weight of a long season. Thanks to Monday's loss to Washington, the burden of staying undefeated is now gone, and they could potentially get center Maurkice Pouncey, running back James Conner and cornerback Steven Nelson back on the field. The Steelers' running game has gone from bad to one of the league's worst. The Bills, meanwhile, have played two of their most complete games all season since their Week 11 bye. Their defense finally looks comparable to the Bills defenses of 2017-19. Another loss by Pittsburgh would hardly end the Steelers' title hopes -- we've seen December slumps by great teams before. But it would vault the Bills into a different stratosphere.
