The 2016 NFL regular season has reached the halfway point for most NFL teams. As such, it’s an appropriate time to analyze which players have put together a Pro Bowl worthy campaign. For this series, the three most deserving on each team will be considered. Obviously, some teams will have more than three players selected. But for simplicity’s sake, only the top three candidates will be discussed.
With that in mind, here are the three frontrunners to make the 2016 Pro Bowl from the Buffalo Bills.
Top Midseason Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl Candidates
LeSean McCoy
A primary culprit in the Bills woeful start to the 2016 season was the inability to generate any sort of rhythm in the run game. It showed in LeSean McCoy‘s stats through the first two games. Against the Ravens and Jets, McCoy had a total of just 117 yards at 3.78 yards per carry. And a unit that led the league with 152 rushing yards per game in 2015 was suddenly averaging 75.5 after Week Two.
Bills head coach Rex Ryan laid the blame at the feet of offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who was fired the day after Buffalo’s loss to the Jets. In his place came Anthony Lynn, a long-time assistant under Ryan who had been the Bills running backs coach. He also held that same position with the Jets for the entirety of Ryan’s tenure there.
Almost immediately there was a sea change in Buffalo’s rushing attack. Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week Three, McCoy toted the rock 17 times for 110 yards in a 33-18 win. Compare that to two weeks earlier in Baltimore when he had one less carry but 52 fewer yards.
The Bills would win their next three games to move to 4-2. In that span, McCoy averaged 6.46 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns (five rushing, one receiving). Combined with improved play-calling, better run blocking up front and McCoy simply settling into a groove, everything seemed to be clicking.
But a hamstring injury has limited McCoy over the last two games, both losses. He had eight carries for 11 yards against Miami and was inactive against New England. Ryan expects him to play Monday night against Seattle but he remains listed as questionable.
McCoy is one of just three running backs in the NFL to have at least two games with 130 or more rushing yards. The other two are Jay Ajayi and Ezekiel Elliott, two young studs who’ve taken the league by storm this year. If the Bills are to get back into playoff contention, their bell cow back in McCoy will have to play a prominent role.
Cordy Glenn
The Bills cap situation limited them in free agency. But they were able to keep the left side of their offensive line intact, re-signing both guard Richie Incognito (three years, $15 million) and tackle Cordy Glenn (five years, $65 million). Both have continued their consistent play, but Glenn’s is particularly noteworthy halfway through the season.
Though a lingering ankle injury from the preseason sidelined him in weeks two and three, Glenn has been quite effective at the point of attack when healthy. He’s currently graded as the 11th best tackle in the league by Pro Football Focus. And the site also rated him seventh best in pass blocking situations. This despite a significantly banged up receiving corps.
Those limitations in the passing game have appeared to affect Tyrod Taylor‘s efficiency. His completion percentage is down five percent from last year while his quarterback rating has fallen over 12 points (99.4 to 87.2). Getting Taylor’s primary targets back (namely Sammy Watkins) should help to maximize Glenn’s ability at giving him time to throw the ball.
Lorenzo Alexander
Perhaps the most unlikely success story of the 2016 NFL season on the defensive side of the football is that of Lorenzo Alexander. The now ten-year veteran was signed to a one-year, $885,000 contract by the Bills in April. He was expected to contribute mostly on special teams but has become a pleasant surprise on defense.
Prior to this year, Alexander tallied nine sacks over his entire NFL career and never had more than 2.5 in a season. He’s already equalled that total through eight games and is currently tied for second in the league with Kansas City’s Dee Ford. His stellar play as an edge defender has helped revive the reputation of the Bills’ defense as a thorn in the side of opposing quarterbacks. The team’s 26 sacks so far is bested only by the Denver Broncos.
The undrafted free agent out of Cal made his only Pro Bowl in 2012 as a designated special teams performer. That all should change this season with Alexander poised to make the trip to Orlando as one of 2016’s most dynamic defensive standouts.
