Buffalo Bills: Top takeaways midway through the 2020 season

Tight end play

Due to the COVID-19 contact tracing rules implemented by the NFL, the Buffalo Bills have had to scramble at the tight end position. This has resulted in some players having to rise to the challenge and others failing to do so.

It is hard to discuss the tight end position without bringing up Dawson Knox. Now in his second year with the Buffalo Bills, things have not gone as well as he and the team would have hoped. Coming out of Ole Miss, Knox was not seen as a huge pass catcher. Though at the position the Bills drafted him at, they were going to hope that he would turn into one. Fast forward two seasons and Knox very may well be second on the depth chart to Tyler Kroft. This is due largely in part to the major consistency and major inconsistency in his game.

For the consistency: Knox draws flags. In a blanket statement that would sound like a good thing. Not when Knox is the person committing the foul. On more than a handful of occasions, Knox has cost the Buffalo Bills yards and momentum in big moments. Most notably the block-in-the-back foul against the Cardinals that would have gotten them into good field position.

For the inconsistency: Knox has yet to develop into a pass catcher. Now in his defense, Knox never claimed to be a “Travis Kelce like” tight end. On the flip side, Knox has not improved his catching ability at all in his second year. Still, a 50/50 chance everything Knox is thrown the ball, the Bills are hoping for some solid play at the position coming off the bye week.

Facing a string of beatable opponents, Tyler Kroft may be looked at as the number one going forward unless Knox finds some hidden gear not yet seen by Brian Daboll and Sean McDermott.