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4 Bills that are underutilized in seven games of the 2024 NFL season
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4 Bills that are underutilized in seven games of the 2024 NFL season

Having roster depth and therefore underutilized players is a good problem to have.

That’s the problem the Buffalo Bills currently find themselves in as they sit with a 5-2 record heading into a Week 8 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks. The team is getting healthier and has reloaded with wide receiver Amari Cooper who was traded to the Bills last week. Buffalo will continue to look for others to step up when their names are called with the argument that more playing time is needed for them.

Here’s a look at some players who should see an increased workload on the Bills.

Ty Johnson

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Many people would think that of all the running backs, it should be rookie Ray Davis getting more playing time, but Buffalo may be missing something with Ty Johnson. Davis has played 23 percent of the snaps on offense, while Johnson has 26 percent of the snaps.

What separates the two is what Pro Football Reference calls punt success rate, which includes gaining at least 40% of the yards needed on first down, 60% on second down and 100% on third or fourth down down. Davis has a success rate of 43.1% on runs and 55.6% on catches. Johnson out-performs Davis in both categories, 50% rushing and 57.1% receiving.

Johnson has just 19 total touches on offense for 141 yards and three touchdowns, which averages 7.4 yards per touch. Primarily a third-down quarterback, Buffalo misses opportunities to use Johnson as a way to better move the football downfield early in the period.

Related: Bills vs. Seahawks: 5 storylines to watch in Week 8 NFL

Khalil Shaki

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While there is an increase in how much Khalil Shakir is playing, he is still only on the court for 56% of the offensive snaps (although he did miss one game with an ankle injury). Rookie second-round pick Keon Coleman is getting more snaps than Shakir at 66 percent, despite Shakir having more experience on offense.

Shakir was almost an automatic ball catcher as he dropped 27 of his 28 targets for 314 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged more yards per game (52.3) than Coleman (46.6).

Amari Cooper complicates mattersas he and Coleman will start taking targets from Shakir. Josh Allen has the tough task of spreading the ball around, but he shouldn’t forget about Shakir, who is the team’s most reliable target in the passing game.

Like Levi

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It’s already been a career season for Cam Lewis as he earned significant playing time when Taron Johnson missed multiple games due to injury. Lewis has played between 72-100 percent of the snaps in each of the first five games before Johnson returned; Lewis has been reduced to 5% and 31% in the last two games.

Lewis racked up 40 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass deflection in seven games, four of which were starts. It’s easy to see why Lewis might see the field less with Johnson back in the picture, and while it’s nice to have him as a depth piece, he’s been impactful enough in spot duty that he should have some role even when the defense is (relatively) healthy. Buffalo needs to find a rotation to make sure Lewis gets on the field more often.

Related: Bills WR Keon Coleman earns national honor for Week 7 breakout

Dawuan Smoo

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On the defensive end, it all starts with Greg Rousseau and AJ Epenesa on the sidelines, with Von Miller also in the picture when he was done with the suspension. This gave Dawuane Smoot more time on the court as he played 49% of the defensive snaps, including 59% in Week 5 and 68% in Week 6.

Smoot piled up 11 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble in five games. The former Jacksonville Jaguar may not possess the same traits that Rousseau and Epenesa do, but he has a nice combination of run-stopping and quarterback pressure that warrants more than 50% of the playing time.

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