WEEK 2 of the season, the Bills take on the Panthers in Charlotte. This game is a major test for the Bills, not only of the team and how much of a team they are but of the coaching staff too because it will be up to the coaches to make sure the team stays focused on being a team for the duration of the game. Buffalo can win this game if they want to.....
Bills Today: Tolbert not holding back against former team
Posted 4 hours ago
Jadon CeravoloContributing CorrespondentBills on Facebook Bills on TwitterBills fullback Mike Tolbert plans to give it his all during Buffalo's Week 2 game against the Panthers.
Here’s the Bills news of note for Sept. 17th.
1 - Tolbert not holding back against former team
When head coach Sean McDermott made the move from Carolina to Buffalo he brought some of his former players with him. Those players include:Kaelin Clay
, Leonard Johnson , Mike Tolbert , and Joe Webb . Tolbert, the eldest of that group, gave his n: ew teammates some tips throughout the week to help prepare against his former team.
When head coach Sean McDermott made the move from Carolina to Buffalo he brought some of his former players with him. Those players include:
“There’s a rule out there that snitches get stitches, but I’m gonna get a lot of stitches this week,” Tolbert said.
The three-time Pro Bowl selection is more than familiar with the Carolina’s. Before his NFL playing days he attended Coastal Carolina University, he later went undrafted in 2008. Tolbert had the longest stint with the Panthers of any Bills player; he suited up with them for five seasons. Despite his familiarity with the area, Tolbert has one goal for today.
“It’s not about a big return home, it’s about going out on Sunday at one o’clock and getting a win,” Tolbert said.
In his first game with the Bills Tolbert had an encouraging outing serving as the backup running back. He had the teams only rushing touchdown last Sunday, and added 42-yards on 12 carries. He’ll look to be just as productive in his return to Bank of America Stadium.
2 - Weapons on both sides of the ball for Carolina
From top to bottom the Carolina Panthers have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. The core of the team has stuck together for several years. They’re to thank for a remarkable 15-1 season in 2015 and a trip to the Super Bowl. In all phases of the game, the Panthers present a bunch of challenges.
From top to bottom the Carolina Panthers have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. The core of the team has stuck together for several years. They’re to thank for a remarkable 15-1 season in 2015 and a trip to the Super Bowl. In all phases of the game, the Panthers present a bunch of challenges.
If anyone’s familiar with this group, it’s Bills head coach Sean McDermott. Serving as their defensive coordinator for six-years, McDermott had the opportunity to coach that Pro Bowl core of players.
“They’re a tough group to prepare for because they’re so athletic. Luke [Kuechly] is so aware of things, and they do a great job of communication on their end as well. You just have to be aware of where he is, and they do a great job of communicating on their end as well,” McDermott said. “That was a big part of their formula last week, and I’m sure one of their big goals this week against us will be to take the ball away.
“We have to be very aware of that and do our part in terms of respecting the football. They thrive off of taking the ball away and setting their offense up with short fields.”
That ruthless defense is anchored by arguably the best linebacker in the NFL, Luke Kuechly. His ball-hawking abilities cause nightmares for opposing quarterbacks, and as McDermott noted, sets up their talented offense with a short field.
“Extremely talented, you’ve heard me say this before, football team overall. Now they’ve added McCaffrey to a backfield that was already talented with Jonathan Stewart and Fozzy Whittaker, and then Cam’s running ability. They’re a hard group to stop, we’ve got to be aware of situational football, and being aware all the time of how we line up and make sure we communicate,” McDermott said.
This Week Two matchup should tell us a lot about the 2017 Buffalo Bills. With a win they’ll stay at the top of the AFC East.
3 - Poyer building off of solid Week One
With a sack and interception in his Bills debut,Jordan Poyer is just as focused in Week Two to ensure a repeat performance. The 6-0, 191-pound safety is making the most of his resources. He understands they’re playing the Carolina Panthers, and he understands some of their former players are now on his team.
With a sack and interception in his Bills debut,
“You have a lot of guys on this team that came from Carolina… its huge man. We’re using them to our advantage. Guys like [Joe] Webb, coming in and giving us tips on the quarterback,” Poyer said.
Joe Webb played with the Panthers for four seasons, serving as the third-string to Cam Newton. Poyer utilized Webb’s familiarity with his former team all week, the two were reviewing film on an Ipad together after a practice. Poyer’s looking to improve after an already stellar opening week performance.
“You always want to build off of the good, but you also have to understand that we did make some mistakes that game. They have to be corrected,” Poyer said.
Since coming over from Cleveland, Poyer seems completely bought into Sean McDermott’s system. We’ll see if he can be just as much as an x-factor in the team’s first road game of the season.
SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE DAY
As the Bills get ready for their first road game of the season, they have support from Bills fans all over Charlotte.
What they're saying: Bills-Panthers game predictions
National media predict the outcome of the Bills first road trip of the season.
This is a really interesting matchup. The Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers are somewhat mirror images of each other, and of course, this is Sean McDermott's return to Carolina.
McDermott should have a good feel for what Carolina wants to do on offense. He should also be able to help offensive coordinator Rick Dennison prepare to poke holes in the Panthers defense since he knows the personnel so well.
Having said all that, this is still the Panthers and Cam Newton playing at home. Carolina is the more talented team as a whole. The Carolina defense is strong in the front seven and a little weak in the secondary. However, Buffalo's passing offense might not be good enough to fully take advantage of that.
With weapons like Cam, Kelvin Benjamin and Christian McCaffrey, the Panthers offense should be able to do enough against Buffalo to win.
Prediction: Panthers 20, Bills 17
MDS’s take: Cam Newton doesn’t look quite right, but the Bills’ offense is going to have trouble moving the ball against the Panthers’ defense. Carolina takes a low-scoring game. MDS’s pick: Panthers 16, Bills 13.
Florio’s take: Sean McDermott returns to Carolina, with thorough knowledge of the personnel on both sides of the ball. He may not have the talent at this point to put his inside information to its best possible use, however. Florio’s pick: Panthers 20, Bills 14.
The Bills (1-0) got a win to start the season, and apparently that counts in the standings even though they played the Jets. Against the Panthers (1-0), a team of quality N.F.L. players, the going might be considerably tougher. If Sean McDermott learned of any deep flaws of the Panthers during his time there as defensive coordinator, now would be a good time for the Redskins coach to share the information with his players. Pick: Panthers
It's a quick homecoming for Buffalo's new coach and GM duo, Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane. They will put some of their knowledge of Cam Newton and the Panthers' personnel to work to their advantage, but they still have offensive and defensive limitations vs. a deeper, more versatile opponent. It's a real wake-up call after facing the Jets, as the Panthers ground and pound out a close victory in the fourth quarter. Panthers win 24-20.
The Panthers face former defensive coordinator Sean McDermott in this one. The Bills looked solid in beating the Jets last week, but this is a big step up in competition, and it's on the road. That's not good. Carolina gets to 2-0. Panthers 31, Bills 17.
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