The team that was supposed to take a step back, or even two, after saying goodbye to several key players during the offseason, has gradually gotten stronger.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Here are my five takeaways from the Buffalo Bills’ 35-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night at Highmark Stadium:
1. By winning a fifth straight AFC East championship during a constant lake-effect snowstorm, the Bills put the rest of the NFL on notice. They are preparing for a deep playoff run.
The team that was supposed to take a step back, or even two, after saying goodbye to several key players during the offseason, has gradually gotten stronger. Not only has it not regressed, but it has progressed perhaps more significantly than any year since becoming a Super Bowl contender.
The Bills found great chemistry on offense, especially in a receiving corps that lost its two best players, Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. The backs of a defense that split after two games, Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer, more than held their own.
The fact that the Bills have won seven games in a row is pretty impressive. The fact that they’ve done it since suffering back-to-back losses and scoring at least 30 points in six of them and nine of their 10 wins is astounding.
As a better and healthier team, the Bills seemed to dominate this game. They played accordingly.
With the Niners missing some of their best defensive players, including tight end Nick Bosa, the Bills moved the ball pretty much at will down the field and Josh Allen was effective in his passing. Buffalo’s defense allowed a few long runs, but then put the clamps on a 49er offense missing the starting left side of its line and without running back Christian McCaffrey for most of the game due to injury knee injury that could end the season.
Name a best team in the AFC? There isn’t one. Name a best team in the NFL? If the bills are not clearly the best, they are very present in the discussions.
2. Josh Allen had a primetime performance for the ages.
His stats were far from spectacular. He threw just 17 passes, completing 13 for 148 yards and two touchdowns. He only ran three times for 18 yards, but once for an eight-yard touchdown.
If Allen did nothing else, his production would be considered typically strong. But there was more. Much more. There was this play that created a statistical anomaly that prompted many of us in the press box, including the official statistics team, to discuss how it should be recorded. And the result was this: Allen threw a touchdown pass and was credited with a TD reception…on the SAME play.
The stunning sequence occurred with 5:58 left in the third quarter and gave the Bills a 28-3 lead. It started with Allen throwing a short pass to Amari Cooper, who made a one-handed catch and, as he was about to be tackled two yards behind the line of scrimmage, turned sideways toward Allen, who then ran nine yards, dove and extended the ball with his right hand over the pylon. Allen became the first quarterback in league history to record passing passes, receptions and rushing touchdowns in the same game.
“The DBs were on the bench and we couldn’t believe our eyes,” said Taylor Rapp, still stunned. “Obviously he’s taken over this game, he’s taking charge every game. But this room was incredible. I’ve never seen anything like this.
“I kind of threw a bad ball, so I was just chasing it,” Allen said. “We made eye contact, he threw it, and I had to go play. It was great.
Voting for the Associated Press NFL MVP Award will not take place until after the regular season. It is an honor based on the work of a complete regular season, not a single game. Still, it will be hard for voters (I’m one of them) to ignore Allen’s incredible presence of mind and heroics on Sunday night…or his incredible 26-yard run on fourth-and-2 against Kansas City in from the previous game… or all that it singularly meant for the success of the Bills.
3. Thank the Bills, players and coaches, for doing an exceptional job preparing for and handling the slippery field conditions created by the snow that fell throughout the game.
Sean McDermott and his team emphasized the possibility of a severe weather impact during the week. The team’s equipment staff did a superb job ensuring certain players had the correct cleats that would provide the best possible traction.
The Bills showed good positioning, especially in the running game. James Cook had an astonishing performance gaining 107 yards on 14 carries. Sixty-five yards were covered on one touchdown run, during which he reached a top speed of nearly 22 mph, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
The Bills finished with 220 total rushing yards and an average of 5.8 yards per carry. This also speaks to their offensive line’s ability to build a solid foundation. The same goes for the Bills’ receivers, who ran incredibly precise routes, and their defenders, who mostly put themselves in position to make plays, including three fumble recoveries.
4. Matt Milano has been given a surprisingly heavy workload.
Considering the linebacker was playing for the first time since suffering a leg injury early in the 2023 season – an absence extended by a biceps injury suffered in training camp – there was reason to believing he would be about to count the pitches.
Instead, Milano ended up with 37 snaps, or 77 percent of the Bills’ defensive plays. He showed some understandable rustiness, especially when it came to defending against the 49ers’ rushing attack, which caused some problems for Buffalo’s defense.
However, Milan showed their usual high instincts and awareness, which helped put other defenders in the right position. He was credited with five tackles, including three initial hits.
One of the most emotional moments of Sunday night was the crowd giving Milan a standing ovation when it was his turn to be introduced during the defensive unit’s pre-match presentations.
“I don’t usually pay a lot of attention specifically to the guys that are announced before the game,” Sean McDermott said. “It happened the week the defense was up and hearing the crowd go crazy when Matt was announced, I don’t want to speak for the fans, but they appreciate how tough he must have been over the last match two years and its journey.
5. Now that they’ve secured a playoff spot, the Bills can operate with a bit of the relaxed attitude that comes with taking the first step toward achieving the ultimate goal of being a Super Bowl champion.
“It’s a good feeling,” Allen said. “This one looks a little different.” So early in the season; We still have five games left. The cool thing is we can go in there and play for free, with no repercussions for what we do.
“It’s going to be fun to go and play freely, relax and play freely. This can be a dangerous thing.
The Bills’ next big step is securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. They trail the Kansas City Chiefs for this title, but have the advantage against them and a realistic chance to overtake them. The Chiefs have barely managed to win games, relying as much on incredible luck as anything else.
The top seed ensures the Bills would be at home during the playoffs and would also deliver a first-round bye. The Bills have shown that they can lose at home, just as easily as on the road, and need to prove, once and for all, that they can beat the Chiefs in the playoffs.
“The most important thing is where do we go from here? » said McDermott. “How do we reset?” Of course, enjoy. Like I told the team, being 50 and over 20 years in this league, I tried to enjoy the moments. It’s a moment, right?
“And then, after that, tomorrow, move on and turn the page because it’s a week-to-week league and you have to bring your A game. And for us, it’s about continuing to develop and grow in the areas that we need to develop and grow in and taking the necessary steps.
