The Buffalo Bills helped to exorcise some of their postseason demons after mounting a comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs and then seeing their defense get a key stop to cement a 24-20 victory.
The offense seemed out of sorts early in the game, flummoxed by the Kansas City pressure, but the defense kept them in it long enough for Josh Allen and company to find their rhythm and start putting points on the board en route to a huge win that has Buffalo alone atop the AFC.
So every Tuesday we’ll go back over the game film and give each position group a game for their Sunday performance alone. While not an exact science, it does help us begin to see where the strengths and weaknesses of the team lay.
So what were the grades for Week 6?
Quarterback: A
Sure, you could downgrade Josh Allen because of how he looked early in the game, frazzled by the Chiefs’ pressure and unsure in the pocket. However, that would discredit the way that he responded to that pressure and how he and the Bills’ offense adapted.
On the final drive of the first half, Allen began a string of 13 straight completions which stretched until the fourth quarter. He started pushing the ball deep against the Chiefs and finished the day 27-for-40 for 329 yards and three touchdowns. He’s now thrown for 300 yards and 3+ touchdowns with zero interceptions in his last three games against the Chiefs, two of them resulting in wins.
Running backs: B
This was the best the Bills’ running game has looked all season. Point blank. Zack Moss was a healthy inactive before the game, and the Bills essentially rode with Devin Singletary as a bell-cow back. He carried the ball a season-high 17 times, finishing with a season-high 85 rushing yards. He also added four receptions for 22 receiving yards.
However, the running game continues to struggle in short-yardage situations, relying almost entirely on the size of Josh Allen. That’s going to need to change as the season rolls on.
Wide Receivers/ Tight Ends: B+
If I was just grading Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, this grade might be higher. Diggs finished with 10 catches for 148 yards and a touchdown, while Davis had three catches for 74 yards and a touchdown. Even Dawson Knox had a solid game with three catches for 37 yards and the game-winning touchdown.
But Isaiah McKenzie really struggled in this game. I covered it in my Studs and Duds column but McKenzie dropped a lateral from Josh Allen on the first drive and then was unable to secure it even though it was between his feet. He then tripped over his own feet in the end zone on a 4th-down play that would have been a touchdown and then dropped another pass at the end of the first half.
That’s enough to downgrade this unit a little bit.
Offensive Line: A-
Hard to fault the offensive line for much here other than the short-yardage rushing issues I mentioned above, which has to be factored in. Aside from that, Josh Allen was sacked once on an obvious tripping penalty against Chris Jones that wasn’t called. David Quessenberry filled in admirably once Spencer Brown left with a sprained ankle, and the change to more of a stretch running scheme outside the tackles seemed to really work. Overall, a pretty solid day.
Defensive Line: A
This defensive line has been a strength for the Bills all season and it continued on Sunday. They were getting consistent pressure on Patrick Mahomes all game and would have finished with way more than the three sacks they did have if they were facing somebody who was less elusive in the pocket.
Still, Von Miller had two sacks, Shaq Lawson had one, and the relentless pursuit of this line forced Mahomes out of the pocket multiple times and into bad throws, like the final play of the game for the Chiefs’ offense that Taron Johnson stepped in front of for an interception.
Bills Linebackers: A-
Matt Milano was tremendous for the Bills yet again. He made a few clutches tackles sideline-to-sideline that prevented big plays for the Chiefs, and he was in Mahomes’ face numerous times, including the final play linked above. Tremaine Edmunds also played a really solid game, including in his capacity as the defensive playcaller, audibling to match the Chiefs’ calls at the line, which Dan Orlovsky pointed out really well in this breakdown.
The @BuffaloBills defense was the most prepared unit in all of football Sunday! @BuffRumblings @SalSports pic.twitter.com/1ZQGBiXVyN
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) October 18, 2022
Yet, we also have to acknowledge some of the breakdowns in the zone that allowed Travis Kelce to get open over the middle as often as he did. It’s hard to stop Kelce, but a few times the Bills’ linebackers lost him, which drops the grade a bit.
Secondary: B+
The Bills were able to intercept Mahomes twice, including once in the end zone by Kaiir Elam, which certainly helped turn the tide of the game. However, Taron Johnson was also beaten a few times by Travis Kelce, and we have to acknowledge the poor tackling at times when the safeties came up to stop the short passing game, including the Juju Smith-Schuster play where three Bills’ players failed to bring him down, and he rumbled 42 yards for a touchdown.
Special Teams: A
Tyler Bass hit all of his extra point attempts and his only field goal while Sam Martin only punted twice but averaged 54 yards with the Chiefs averaging just eight yards per return. So while not a lot was asked of them, they delivered when called upon.
Week 4 Team Grade: A
Some minor hiccups along the way, but how do you not give an A grade to a team that goes on the road against arguably the best team in the AFC over the last three years and pulls off the comeback win?
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