The Buffalo Bills have certainly seen their share of struggles this season, mainly due to the inconsistencies at quarterback. As EJ Manuel spent most of the year going in and out of the lineup thanks to a reoccurring knee sprain, the offense has failed to establish any sort of rhythm. Now with the rookie back under center, certain wide receivers are benefiting while others are dropping off.
Robert Woods has clearly developed a strong connection with Manuel that could really help the futures of both players. Against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the chemistry between the two was on full display. The quarterback targeted Woods six times while the receiver hauled in five of them for 82 yards and a touchdown. It was a career-high day for the rookie who credited the poise of Manuel as the reason.
"I thought he was fine," Woods said via the Buffalo News. "I didn't say anything to him. Throughout the game he remained calm and was able to play his game. The ball was there when I came out of my breaks. I was able to make some plays. It's what we practiced. We knew it was going to be there and it was."
This is not the first time the two have appeared to be more than on the same page. Between Week Two to Week Five, Woods put up 15 catches for 247 yards and touchdown. However, Manuel was knocked out with a knee sprain, hurting the stats of the receiver. Now with the quarterback under center again, Woods is thriving and so are fantasy owners.
"I thought Robert played well. You didn't see accuracy by the quarterback at times, where he really put it there," head coach Doug Marrone said. "You saw Robert and some of the receivers ... those guys did a nice job with their catch radius."
Woods' rise comes as leading receiver Stevie Johnson is struggling. The No. 1 receiver has said he has struggled in the offense due to the constant changes at quarterback. Johnson has failed to develop any chemistry with any of the quarterbacks used by the Bills this season and his numbers are low as a result. Coming off a contract extension signed in 2012, the slow season could hurt Johnson's future ahead.
"I started off with a goal here, and I want to complete it," Johnson said. "If I was to be out of here before I complete that goal, I'd be [ticked] off, man, at myself because I let myself down, I let the fans down and ultimately my family because they settled in here."
Marrone has told Johnson he needs to step up since Manuel is so inexperienced. So far that has not happened, allowing Woods to take the spotlight.
