Buffalo fell to Atlanta on Monday, 24-14, making it the second consecutive loss for the Bills after losing to New England in Week 5. They are now 4-2 on the season and are looking to use their upcoming bye week as a chance to regroup, reset and reclaim their spot in the win column.
"Stay who you are, go back, watch the film," left tackle Dion Dawkins said. "We got bye week. Rewatch the film, learn from it, come back ready … We got guys that went down, we got guys that stepped up, and we'll keep pushing forward."
Buffalo's offense started off on the right foot against the Falcons. In response to Atlanta's opening touchdown, quarterback Josh Allen started off strong with a 45-yard completion to wide receiver Joshua Palmer that put the Bills in Falcons territory. On third-and-13, Allen dropped back and connected with tight end Dawson Knox. The 19-yard reception was good for a touchdown and tied the score, 7-7.
The offense couldn't develop consistency, though, as success was halted until the start of the second half. While Allen and company struggled to stay on the field, the defense struggled to keep Atlanta's offense off. The Falcons went up 21-7 at halftime.
Once the defense developed a feel for the game, Buffalo's offense struggled again to find answers. After running back Ray Davis' touchdown that opened the second half, the offense lost its rhythm again and could not complement its defense's progress.
By the end of the night, the Falcons accumulated 443 net yards rooted in running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London's consistency from the first drive of the game. On the other hand, the Bills were two for nine on third down conversions and gained 291 net yards.
"A lot of stuff to clean up," Allen said. "We'll put our focus to our next opponent and go from there."
Running back James Cook, who recorded three consecutive 100-plus yard games before New England, only got going in the second half. He had 17 carries for 87 yards. In the pass game, Allen couldn't develop a connection equivalent to quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s success with Robinson and London. Palmer tallied 60 yards on two receptions, leading Buffalo's receivers. As for London and Robinson, they totaled 158 and 68 yards, respectively.
On top of first half struggles, the Bills lost the turnover battle for the second game in a row. Penix Jr. had zero interceptions and the Falcons' only fumble came on the first play of the game which was negated by an offsides penalty on Buffalo.
"We'll figure out things on offense, defense and special teams," head coach Sean McDermott said. "We've got to start over and start from ground zero and figure this thing out and work our tails off to do it."
The bye week will also give players a chance to recover.
During Monday night's game, Palmer, cornerback Christian Benford, and linebacker Terrel Bernard were injured mid-game. Palmer sustained an ankle injury in the first half, and he was eventually ruled out for the remainder of the game. Benford returned after aggravating his Achilles. Bernard hurt his ankle and was ruled questionable. However, the defensive captain did not return to the game.
Center Connor McGovern and safety Cole Bishop also sustained injuries during the game. McGovern quickly returned while Bishop (cramping) was deemed questionable.
The Bills were also missing tight end Dalton Kincaid (oblique), wide receiver Curtis Samuel (neck/ribs), and defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (calf).
"I thought the guys played hard, in particular the second half, fought through some injuries, guys stepping up," McDermott said. "Injuries are not an excuse, there is no such thing as moral victories, but I did think that they battled down to the end right there, which I appreciate."
Buffalo will face the Carolina Panthers on the road after its second bye week of the season. Having that extra week to reset, the Bills hope to reconnect and put the pieces back together in all three phases of the game. Kickoff on Sunday, Oct. 26 is slated for 1 p.m. ET.
"I think we were 3-2 last year, sitting at 4-2 going into a bye week. At any point you can have a winning season almost halfway through the year," Allen said. "I know we're not quite halfway, but I think you'll take those odds."
