Glenn comes through game cleanAfter a very abbreviated preseason thanks to a persistent foot ailment, combined with ankle rehab in the spring, Cordy Glenn's reps were carefully monitored in the season opener Sunday. Subbed out as early at the team's third offensive series, Glenn still played almost three quarters of the game getting 73 percent of the offensive snaps (56 total).
The best part of Glenn's performance according to head coach Sean McDermott was he came out of the game no worse for the wear.
"I thought Cordy did a good job and the important part is that he came out healthy," said McDermott. "By all reports from what we can tell that's where he is right now and it's now how we handle this week moving forward."
In an ideal world the plan is to steadily increase Glenn's reps until he's playing full games again, but they don't want to assume anything. That's why in conjunction with the medical and athletic training staff, they'll assess what is right to expect of Glenn in terms of playing time a week at a time.
"The acclimation process really continues as far as Cordy goes," McDermott said. "You know there's constant communication with Cordy and are training room, staff, in terms of how the plan adjust from day-to-day, from week-to-week."
Four minute offense at top of to-do listHolding a nine-point lead with just under 13 minutes remaining, the Bills stayed in attack mode, but once they got a Jordan Poyer interception with six and a half minutes left Buffalo wanted to kill the clock and seal the game.
The only problem was they couldn't do it even though they had more than one opportunity to do so. McDermott knows it has to be better if they're to close out games when they're ahead on the scoreboard late.
"At the top of my mind of the long list (of things to improve) is four-minute offense," McDermott said. "As well as we played at times offensively, I thought we could've finished the game off in a more commanding fashion. We didn't get that done."
Jordan Poyer's interception gave the offense the ball at their own 23-yard line, but they could manage only two net yards and went three and out and had to punt the ball away after killing just 1:35 of game clock.
Buffalo's defense stepped up again and forced the Jets three and out thanks in part to a New York holding penalty.
Again the offense with 3:51 remaining tried to employ their four-minute offense and kill the clock. The possession went six plays, but a penalty hurt the effort and though they were able to get the Jets to burn all their remaining timeouts, the Jets still had the ball back with 1:44 left.
"Obviously they stuffed the box and we've just got to make our plays," said offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. "If we have a chance where there's one extra guy in the box, we've go to do something to get that guy out of there or beat that guy one-on-one. We'll get that done and look at our structure and see how we do it. Some of that is on me. Let's design a better play and get a better structure going. We've got to do better than three-and-out. We've got to get a drive going and that's on me."
Fortunately the defense again had an answer as a determined pass rush forced a hurried throw and Micah Hyde sealed the game with an INT.
Marcell played wellAfter Sunday's win much was being made of Marcell Dareus' perceived lack of playing time. Among all the Bills defensive linemen, Dareus played the least logging just 34 of the team's 58 defensive snaps.
Buffalo does play a heavy defensive line rotation, but seeing Dareus getting subbed out as much as he was in the game was certainly something new for Bills fans to witness.
"I'll start off by saying that I thought Marcell played a good game," said McDermott. "Defensive tackle is probably the most unselfish position on the field because just by the nature of the position you're usually freeing someone else up to make a play."
McDermott pointed to Ramon Humber's fat stat line of 13 tackles, which led the team and attributed Humber's success in making plays to Dareus' dirty work up front tying up linemen.
"Every time Ramon Humber is free to the ball, something is happening in front of him that's allowing him to be free," McDermott said. "Marcell was doing some of that."
Both McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier said the heavy defensive line rotation will continue this week in Carolina, especially knowing the weather will be warmer in Charlotte than it was in Buffalo this past Sunday.
