It is no secret that the Buffalo Bills' passing game has left a lot to be desired over the past month, with Josh Allen and Co. Struggling to throw the ball down the field.
Often, short and intermediate passes have seen the Bills stutter and splutter. But why? Is it game plan, scheme, or something else?
Well, it might be something else, and more pointedly, a missing player -- Joshua Palmer.
And offensive coordinator Joe Brady knows it.
"Josh did a really good job in the Atlanta game, until he got injured," Brady said. "I think he was coming along and finding different ways to use him. He was an important signing to us, and in that room. When he's ready to go, he's going to be an asset that's going to help us continue to get this pass game where it needs to be."
More: Bills' Joe Brady offers incredible message on Josh Allen relationship dynamic
Palmer key to unlocking Bills' passing game?
As odd as it sounds, Palmer might be.
But let me explain.
The one thing the Bills are missing right now is a deep threat. Palmer provided that before he got injured against the Atlanta Falcons. He had a 43-yard reception on the first drive of the game before he got injured.
Joshua is also averaging a whopping 16.7 yards per reception and in four of his six games, has had a reception of at least 23 yards, which means he is moving the chains with big chunk plays.
The Bills have sorely missed that element that Palmer brings to the offense. The next best is Dalton Kincaid with 15.4 yards per reception, but the next best is Elijah Moore with 14. 4 yards per catch, but he only has eight receptions.
Khalil Shakir (10.2) and Keon Coleman (10.3) are lower and are Allen's best weapons, but they don't offer a deep threat, with most yards coming after the catch.
So maybe, just maybe, the fix to Buffalo's poor passing game is a simple one -- get Palmer on the field.
More Bills news:
- How Bills loss to Dolphins, Patriots win impacts division race
- 4 reasons why Bills' disastrous loss to Dolphins matters in pursuit of a Super Bowl
- Why Bills pulled Josh Allen from QB to play Mitchell Trubisky
- Why Bills' RB Ray Davis was kicker on onside kick, not Matt Prater