PLAYER NOTES
–LB Matt Milano played every defensive snap in Houston and it’s clear that the coaching staff has come to see his value. He was in on seven tackles and he had a huge pass breakup late in the game that prevented a go-ahead Texans touchdown.
–WR Kelvin Benjamin played only 71 percent of the offensive snaps and made just two catches for 43 yards, though one went for 39 yards.
–WR Robert Foster was active, but he has had a difficult time adapting to the NFL game and he played only two snaps on offense.
–CB Tre’Davious White had another excellent game. He did get nailed for a pair of holding penalties, but otherwise, he shut down DeAndre Hopkins, holding him to two catches for 23 yards when he was in coverage. One of those catches, though, was a brilliant TD reception by Hopkins despite blanket coverage.
–P Corey Bojorquez averaged 48.6 yards on the five punts he got off, but he did have one blocked, the first against the Bills since 2011.
–SS Micah Hyde had to be used as the punt returner after rookie Ray Ray McCloud lost an early fumble that set up a Texans touchdown.
–RB Chris Ivory had a tough day as he gained only five yards on six carries and on one run, he was tackled by his dreadlocks.
–QB Josh Allen did not practice, and his injured elbow was in a brace. He is expected to be out at least a month.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: LB Matt Milano. The second-year linebacker, a fifth-round pick out of Boston College, was being counted on to be an every-down linebacker going back to the start of the offseason program, but he struggled at times during training camp and the preseason, and the coaching staff took him off the field for portions of the first four games. That has stopped, however, as Milano has really come on the last couple weeks. He has proven to be an instinctive player who is always around the ball, and against the Texans, he made a tremendous pass breakup at the goal line that saved what would have been a go-ahead touchdown. He has played all but one snap in the last two games as Ramon Humber is no longer part of the rotation and Milano is thriving.
GAME PLAN: With Derek Anderson stepping into the starting quarterback role, it will be interesting to see how the Bills attack the Colts. They have struggled to run because every defense has stacked the box with no fear that the Bills could attack downfield through the air. That may change with Anderson, a veteran who understands how to read defenses and should pose a bigger threat throwing. The issue, of course, remains the weak wide receiving corps and whether it can get separation, but if they do, Anderson will be better positioned to take advantage.
On defense, the Bills have been menacing up front and last week they sacked Deshaun Watson seven times, forced him to fumble three times (he lost one) and baited him into two interceptions. Andrew Luck probably won’t be as easy a mark, but he also has lesser weapons to work with than Watson, so if the Bills can continue to bring the heat, Luck could struggle to move the ball downfield. One issue the Colts have is running the ball, and if the Bills don’t have to worry about the ground attack, they can get creative in their coverages and pressures.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Bills OL vs. Colts front seven. Anderson is going to need all the help he can get in his first start since 2016, and it’s twofold. The line has to create gaps for LeSean McCoy and Chris Ivory in the running game because the Bills need to be able to extend drives and keep Andrew Luck off the field. Furthermore, they need to be much better in pass protection than the four sacks allowed per game they have averaged. Anderson is no longer mobile, and he will need time in the pocket to stand and deliver.
–Bills LBs Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds vs. Colts QB Andrew Luck. Luck is playing very well in his return after missing all of 2017, and one of the keys has been his ability to execute a short passing game and that is reflected in his abnormally low 6.22 yards per attempt. However, he has completed a league-high 186 passes, has thrown 16 TDs, and the Colts rank No. 1 in third-down conversions. Edmunds and Milano have been good in pass coverage, and they’ll need to be sharp to stunt the Colts’ short passing game.
