ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The table is already set for 13, but leave room for at least one more, because the Buffalo Bills weren’t kidding about their so-called “everybody eats” approach to offense this season.
With practice squad call-up Tyrell Shavers scoring on his first career catch in a mop-up role of a 40-14 win over the New York Jets last week, the Bills became the ninth team in league history with 13 players with at least one touchdown catch in a season.
So why not go for the record with Buffalo (13-3) — already locked into the AFC’s No. 2 seed entering the playoffs — preparing to rest many starters in its season finale at New England (3-13) on Sunday.
“Absolutely, I’ve thought about it,” fullback Reggie Gilliam said following practice on Wednesday. “I was telling Jalen Virgil that we’re the last ones.”
Well, not exactly.
Gilliam is the only Bills player at a skill position on the active roster not to have caught a touchdown pass this season. And Virgil is the only practice squad receiver not to have done so.
Other candidates remain, including two practice squad players, running back Frank Gore Jr. and tight end Zach Davidson. And don’t forget about backup offensive tackle Alec Anderson, an eligible receiver in being often used as a sixth lineman in running and passing situations.
“That would be awesome,” Anderson said. “I’m not going to be sitting here crying for it. But if my opportunity arises, I think I’ll take advantage of it.”
Should Buffalo break the record, it won’t matter who scores in the big picture because of the selfless approach the team has adopted since coordinator Joe Brady introduced the “everybody eats” mantra in May.
The phrase was prompted out of necessity, with the offense facing major questions over who was going to replace the production in the wake of Buffalo trading top option Stefon Diggs to Houston and losing No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis to free agency. The pair accounted for more than a third of Josh Allen’s 385 completions, nearly half of his 4,306 yards passing, and combined to catch 15 of his 29 touchdown passes last season.
The concerns have been long forgotten in a season the Bills have leaned on a more balanced approach to set single-season records with 509 points and 63 touchdowns. And they’ve done so without a player yet topping 1,000 yards receiving or rushing.
“Put the ball down and play. We got a lot of guys that can make the plays, so when given opportunities, they make them,” rookie receiver Keon Coleman said. “It says a lot about the unselfishness in the guys that we have here.”
Four players have four or more TD catches, led by Mack Hollins with five. Allen is on the list, having been credited with touchdown catch after scoring on a lateral off a pass he completed to Amari Cooper. And every Bills player who’s caught a pass this season has scored a TD with the exception of Davidson and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who was released in October.
“Everybody eats has such a deeper meaning as far as the guys got to care for one another,’” receiver Khalil Shakir said.
“You might only have 10 yards this game, but Keon has 100, but I’m going to go and make sure to block for him,” he added. “And when you’ve got a team playing for each other like that, I don’t think there’s anything that beats it.”
Buffalo is the only team to have 13 players catch at least a TD in a season twice, having also done it in 2020. Of the eight previous teams on the list, only two missed the playoffs, and five reached the conference championship game, including the 2016 Falcons and 2019 49ers, who went on to lose in the Super Bowl.
“The team is bigger than any one person, and we want everybody to have success” Brady said.
“We were putting an offense together that was going to be able to find different ways to win football games,” he added. “And when you’ve got the best player in football at quarterback, he makes it all go. And when you got a lot of selfless guys around, you’re able to do those things ... you know, the everybody eats mindset.”
Shavers felt the love Sunday. His 69-yard touchdown off a screen pass from backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky sparked an enthusiastic celebration in which he was mobbed by teammates in the end zone and then again on the sideline.
“It shows that there’s no selfish people on this team. Everybody just wants to win,” Shavers said, before asked who might become the 14th Bills player to catch a touchdown pass.
“Ain’t no telling,” Shavers said. “It could be anybody really.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
John Wawrow, The Associated Press
