After a two-game losing streak, the Bills are fresh off a 32-6 win over the New York Jets as they prepare to travel to Philadelphia to face the 9-1 Eagles Sunday.
With Joe Brady taking over offensive play-calling responsibilities, the Bills scored the most points since their Week 4 win over the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback Josh Allen threw just one interception and three passing touchdowns as the Bills offense scored on seven of their 11 drives (excluding the final clock-chewing drive.)
As Buffalo looks to climb back into the playoff conversation, perhaps the toughest three-game sequence of their schedule awaits them. Facing the Eagles, Chiefs and Cowboys over the next four weeks, the Bills will have their hands full with some of the best teams in the league, sporting a combined 23-7 record.
Here’s what some of the top NFL analysts and columnists are saying about the Bills’ big win and what is to follow.
With several starters on the defense missing significant time and an offense that had not played to its high potential over the last five or six weeks, The Athletic’s Robert Mays said that the Bills showed Sunday night that they can play up to the lofty expectations placed upon them ahead of the season.
The Bills are eighth in the AFC currently, with four of their six remaining games against current playoff teams.
“If the defense rises to an average unit and the offense plays like this, this team is a real contender. They’re a real force in the AFC and it’s not like their playoff hopes are dashed, they’re 6-5. … This is very much in sight, this is very much a realistic possibility for them to get in and seriously scare some people if they do.”
In Joe Brady’s first game calling the offense in Buffalo, Josh Allen and the Bills had their best performance since Week 4 against the Miami Dolphins. Allen’s lone interception came on a Hail Mary attempt to end the first half and the Bills were in the lead for all but the first 90 seconds of the game. NFL Network’s Peter Schrager named Joe Brady his Coach of the Week for his dominant debut.
“How about a 275-yard, three touchdown day from Josh Allen? How about a run game that was slicing up the Jets with not only James Cook but also Ty Johnson running in for a long touchdown? … He is going to be the guy for the Bills to try to salvage their season. If one game is a sample, things are looking pretty good.”
Running back Ty Johnson had his best game of the season, seeing a significant uptick in snap percentage from 2 percent last week to 21 percent against his former team. Johnson looked explosive out of the backfield and showed great body control as he navigated his way down the sideline for a 28-yard touchdown. With Cook also adding a touchdown catch, NBC’s Jason Garrett was impressed with the extra dimension the Bills running backs added on Sunday.
“I like how they took pressure off of Josh Allen. They got the running backs involved in the passing game. He didn’t feel like he had to do everything … running backs are your best friend (as a quarterback).”
