Here's the Bills news of note for Nov. 23rd.
**1 - Is it all about Taylor's passer rating?
**There are some analytic statisticians who are not the biggest fan of NFL passer rating, a formula used by the NFL since 1973 in an attempt to put a measure on the effectiveness of a quarterback's performance. The four variables used are completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown percentage and interception percentage.
When it comes to Tyrod Taylor's passer rating and success for the Bills what's important is that his passer rating is higher than that of the quarterback Buffalo is facing. Taylor has an eye-popping 13-1 record when he finishes with a higher QB rating than the opposing quarterback. That includes an undefeated 7-0 mark at home.
Of course when his passer rating isn't superior to that of the opposing quarterback the lack of success is just as telling. When the opposing QB has a better passer rating than Taylor, the Bills are 0-10.
Right now Tyrod Taylor's passer rating for 2016 is at 86.2 to rank 22nd among starting quarterbacks.
2 - London game still providing motivation?The Jacksonville Jaguars are Buffalo's next opponent on Sunday, and head coach Rex Ryan calls them the most impressive two-win team he's ever seen. Jacksonville's defense ranks seventh in the NFL, five spots higher than Buffalo's defense. They also had a top five passing defense and have given up the sixth-fewest first downs to their opponents this season. This despite the fact that their offense gives the ball away more than almost any other team in football.
Overlooking the Jaguars isn't even an option for Buffalo, a team that needs to stack wins and go on a run just to stay in playoff contention in the AFC. If that wasn't motivation enough, there is that loss in London last year to the Jaguars that still sticks in the craw for some at One Bills Drive.
Without Sammy Watkins, Tyrod Taylor, John Miller, Aaron Williams and Kyle Williams in the lineup for last season's meeting, Buffalo got off to a horrific start as three turnovers led to three touchdowns for Jacksonville and a 27-3 lead.
E.J. Manuel was responsible for all three turnovers, but following that terrible stretch in the second quarter, he went 20-31 passing for 251 yards and a pair of touchdowns for a passer rating of 111.1.
Buffalo re-took the lead following a 44-yard interception return for a touchdown by Corey Graham with five minutes to play (31-27).
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The Bills defense appeared to have the stop they needed when Nickell Robey-Coleman running parallel with intended receiver Brian Walters, tried to make a play on the ball. The two players ran shoulder to shoulder toward the ball. The pass was wide, and appeared uncatchable.
Robey-Coleman still reached for the ball with his upfield arm (left), brushing against Walters' right shoulder. Walters dove to try to make a play on the wide pass, but it ultimately fell incomplete.
While Robey-Coleman kept his feet and ran out of bounds after the ball hit the turf. Walters fell to the turf on his diving attempt for the ball.
If there was contact it had no bearing on Walters' route to the ball.
Nevertheless pass interference was called giving the Jaguars a fresh set of downs at the Buffalo 36-yard line, instead of a 4th-and-15 at their own 47. The call left Robey-Coleman completely dumbfounded. Two plays later the Jaguars scored what proved to be the game-winning touchdown.
So when Rex Ryan was asked if there would be any lingering fuel from the disappointment of that loss to Jacksonville in London last season, Buffalo's head coach indicated there might still be some simmering frustration from that controversial defeat.
"Was it what (the Jaguars) did, or what the officials did? What? I don't remember. Third and 15… I don't know. Obviously we had our own issues then you know," said Ryan in reference to their three turnovers in the second quarter that led to 20 Jacksonville points. "But we'll see. We'll line up and play them. But now are we're going to be motivated because of something last year? I don't think so… maybe a little."
3 - Kathryn Smith, season oneKathryn Smith is now more than halfway through her first year as an NFL assistant coach. The Bills special teams quality control coach was recently interviewed by ESPNW for her thoughts on her first season. Here are a couple of more interesting excerpts from the interview.
espnW: What has been the most difficult part of being the first full-time female NFL coach?
*KS: Honestly, all of the added attention. It's odd, being an entry-level coach, because I'm just trying to get my work done -- not that it's been necessarily bad, but it's been something that other men in my position haven't had to deal with on a regular basis.
*
*When I step back and look at it, the reaction is understandable, but it's not what we expected. I think it was a bigger deal outside of the [Bills] organization because no one knew who I was. Here, it wasn't a big deal. I'd worked with [head coach] Rex [Ryan], and some of the other players and coaches before.
espnW: What advice would you give to a woman who's trying to break into NFL coaching?*
*KS: My advice would be: Get in where you can and do what you can to the best of your ability; work hard and be persistent, but also be patient because it's not going to happen overnight. I know I keep saying this, and it sounds cliché, but it's important: If you do the best job, that's what's going to help you advance. It's all about who's doing a better job, because ultimately teams just want to win.*
espnW: If you could be commissioner for a day, what would you do to give women more opportunities in coaching?
*KS: To me, it's important that it's an equal footing thing. I think women should get the same opportunities for doing the same amount of work to get there. You shouldn't not get a job because you are a woman, but at the same time you shouldn't just get a job because you are a woman.
*
I think I would do something at the entry-level side of things, like internships, to help women grow and develop the same way men get to. I think in the long run that would be the best way to do it because it would be a more organic way to progress.
