What we learned from snap counts in Bills' Week 8 win, game ball and more

With starting tight end Dawson Knox out of the lineup because of a broken hand, Sweeney stepped into the lineup and played a big role in the 26-11 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Highmark Stadium. Sweeney played 82% – 60 of 73 – of the offensive snaps in place of Knox.

“I thought Tommy made some big-time plays for us in key moments of the game,” coach Sean McDermott said. “Fourth quarter specifically, so you give Tommy a chance, he's going to make the catch and he did in that situation so it was good to see.”

Sweeney finished with three catches for 30 yards, including two first-down catches of 13 and 11 yards, respectively, on the fourth-quarter drive that ended with Tyler Bass’ 39-yard field goal that made the score 20-11.

Here are four more takeaways from the Bills’ snap counts Sunday against Miami.

1 Cody Ford came in late. The third-year guard played four snaps at the end of the game in place of Jon Feliciano, who suffered a strained calf, McDermott said Monday.

2. Zack Moss nearly doubled Devin Singletary. Moss played 47 offensive snaps (64%), compared to just 25 (34%) for Singletary. Moss, however, ran for just 19 yards on eight carries, although he did add 39 yards on six catches.

3. Jake Kumerow and Isaiah McKenzie saw plenty of time. The Bills used both receivers on 13 offensive plays Sunday, which was tied for a season high for Kumerow and two snaps away from matching McKenzie’s season high. Neither of them was targeted in the passing game.

4. Mario Addison played a season-high 40 snaps. The veteran defensive end made his second sack of the season.

Quote of the game

“It's just we're fighting. That's all we're trying to do. We're not trying to be the best team in the league every Sunday, we're trying to be the best team on the field that we're on every Sunday. So we got to find a way, and we did.” – Quarterback Josh Allen

Game ball: Cole Beasley

The offense needed somebody to step up. Enter Beasley. The slot receiver finished with 10 catches for 110 yards, 89 of which came in the second half. Beasley converted third and 14 and third and 13 in the second half, helping the offense find its footing.

Stat of the game: 3-4

That’s what the Bills finished in the red zone, a big improvement from the 2-for-5 performance they had in the Week 6 loss to Tennessee. Finishing drives with touchdowns instead of field goals was a primary goal for the team coming out of the bye week. It’s just a one-game sample size, but so far, so good in that regard.

Coming attractions

The Bills make their second of three trips to the Sunshine State this season, visiting the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m. Sunday – their first trip there since the teams’ playoff game following the 2017 regular season. Here are three things to know about the Jaguars …

1. Urban Meyer’s first season is off to a rough start. Meyer embarrassed himself earlier this season when he didn’t return with his team after a Thursday night game in Ohio, and then was photographed in a, let’s call it compromising position, in a bar with a woman who is not his wife. It’s hard to see how any of Meyer’s players respect him, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him be one and done at the NFL level.

2. All the Jaguars’ hopes ride on Trevor Lawrence. The rookie quarterback from Clemson struggled Sunday, going 32 of 54 for 268 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a loss at Seattle. Growing pains along the way should be expected.

3. James Robinson might miss the game. One of the Jaguars’ lone bright spots this season has been Robinson, their second-year running back. Robinson, however, suffered a bruised heal in Sunday’s loss, leaving his availability for Week 9 in question. He is being listed as day to day.