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Bills need more than a Quarterback change to beat the Chargers

By James Dudko

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 09: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) warms up on the sideline during a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens on September 9, 2018, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD. The Ravens defeated the Bills, 47-3. (Photo by Icon Sportswire)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 09: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) warms up on the sideline during a game between the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens on September 9, 2018, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD. The Ravens defeated the Bills, 47-3. (Photo by Icon Sportswire) /
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Josh Allen taking over at quarterback won’t be enough for the Buffalo Bills to beat the Los Angeles Chargers.

Josh Allen starting ahead of Nathan Peterman won’t be enough for the Buffalo Bills to get their first win in Week 2. The Bills need more than a quarterback change to beat the Los Angeles Chargers at New Era Field.

Like the Bills, the Chargers were losers in Week 1. However, L.A. has enough talent on both sides of the ball to bounce back from coming up short in a shootout against the capable Kansas City Chiefs.

By contrast, the Bills can’t only blame shoddy quarterback play for their season-opening loss. The Baltimore Ravens hammered Buffalo 47-3 by victimizing a suspect secondary.

Joe Flacco shredded the group by targeting new receivers Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead and John Brown. Flacco was barely annoyed by an anaemic pass rush as he connected with Crabtree for three scores.

This isn’t supposed to happen to a defense directed by Sean McDermott. Buffalo’s head coach should be worried about what Chargers QB Philip Rivers and receivers Keenan Allen, Mike Williams and Antonio Gates will do against his D’.

Rivers threw a costly pick late on against the Chiefs, but he also piled up 424 yards and three touchdowns. Allen, one of the best route-runners in the game, hauled in eight of Rivers’ passes for 108 yards and a score.

A Buffalo front seven lacking a standout edge-rusher needs to come up with subtle ways to disrupt Rivers.

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McDermott will also need a plan for dual-threat running back Melvin Gordon. He accounted for 166 total yards against KC, including 102 on nine receptions.

The Chargers have the weapons to force Allen into a shootout, exactly what McDermott will want the seventh-overall pick in this year’s draft to avoid.

Allen won’t want to drop back too often against a Chargers pass rush capable of leaving him black and blue, even without Joey Bosa:

Bosa’s absence didn’t stop the Chargers from coming up with ways to pressure the pocket in Week 1:

Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley used top pick Derwin James creatively on the blitz. The versatile safety got his first pro sack. Meanwhile, Melvin Ingram remains a force off the edge.

The Chargers’ ability to turn up the heat is bad news for a Bills O-line overwhelmed in Baltimore. Six sacks and a ton of hits were surrendered in Week 1, so Allen should buckle his chinstrap extra tight.

Establishing the run would help, bit it won’t be easy against a Chargers defensive that allowed 3.9 yards per rush against the Chiefs. LeSean McCoy and Chris Ivory shouldn’t expect to find much joy against Bradley’s stacked four-man front.

Not being able to lean on the run will force Allen to chance his arm against a secondary featuring not only James, but also Casey Hayward and Jahleel Addae. If ever the phrase “recipe for disaster” applied.

The Bills don’t have enough game-changing talent at key positions to prop up a rookie quarterback. It’s why making a change under center won’t magically translate into a first win.

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