Miami Gardens, Fla. — The Buffalo Bills offensive line took a lot of heat last week after a Week 1 loss at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Left tackle Dion Dawkins, who’s still getting his conditioning up to 100% after a bout with Covid-19 at the start of training camp, said the unit takes it personally when they struggle badly as a group. Things were better this week after a 35-point shutout by the Bills in Miami. But Dawkins said there’s more work to do.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen answered a question about Tua Tagovailoa ― who left the game in the first quarter with bruised ribs ― and quickly pivoted after he finished to stick up for his guys up front.
“We changed stuff yesterday in our run game, put in new plays, and our guys rolled with it and figured out a way to go out there and apply it,” Allen revealed after the game. “Being an O-lineman’s not easy by any means. There are so many different bullets flying at you. They get the blame sometimes when they really shouldn’t. People don’t know our blocking schemes or our run schemes and where our fits are supposed to be and stuff like that. So again, those are my guys.”
Allen was sacked three times last week by the Steelers but only once this week against Miami. The Bills got their run game going, as Allen handed it off to Devin Singletary and Zack Moss 21 times in the game. The two backs combined for three touchdowns.
The game plan tends to evolve over the course of the week as teams prepare for their opponent. Especially with a division opponent, where the two teams involved are so familiar with each other, the game plan could change during the game itself. Allen said the coaching staff saw some different things on Saturday and decided to make the necessary changes.
“Just new stuff in the game plan, coaches see different things,” he said. “Again, we don’t really have much say what goes in. I think I have the most say, but I still don’t have much say. Whatever they put in, we got to run it. It’s our job to go out and execute.”
Dawkins said this past week that his body went through a “dramatic tragedy” when he felt like he might not make it during the most difficult days of Covid symptoms. He had to spend the worst ones in the hospital and when he got back to the field he could barely go up and down stairs without getting out of breath.
He had three holding penalties last week but had just one this week against the Dolphins ― and that one wasn’t enforced because of a Miami penalty on the same play.
Dawkins said when plays go in as late as Saturday it makes it tough, but the Bills have professionals on their offensive line, he said.
“We learn how to deal with it and we have a great quarterback and great guys on the offense that make it easier for us,” he said. “They’re up there and they – well, I think the quarterbacks are the most smartest guys in the building. When they can just put little hints like ‘All right guys, this is what we’re doing,’ that’s cool. And that’s exactly what Josh did to keep us all with that right foot forward. So, hats off to Josh.”
The Bills now sit at 1-1 and have a division win in their pocket. Allen threw a pair of touchdowns, but completed just 51.5% of his passes for 179 yards. He said the offense as a whole is still trying to find plays that they like.
“Our receivers are comfortable with some of the stuff that we were running in the second half. I know I was,” Allen said. Three of the Bills drives in the second half ended in touchdowns. “Not saying that I wasn’t early on, but we had some more game plan stuff, trying to put in.
“Hats off to (the Dolphins),” he continued. “They’ve got some really good players over there and they made some really good plays today. But there’s some things that we need to do better communication-wise and it starts with me. There’s going to be a lot of stuff to learn form on this tape. Again, winning the way we did, it feels good.”
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