Here’s what we’re asking ourselves after the Buffalo Bills’ victory over the New England on Sunday:
Allen was simply sublime from start to finish in throwing for 314 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover or getting sacked.
What was the most impressive aspect of the Bills’ win?
The discipline of Josh Allen.
The Bills’ quarterback carved up an outstanding New England defense in a way that would have made Tom Brady proud.
It was a Brady-like performance – only better, because Brady never could have run for 64 yards like Allen or converted the critical fourth-and-1 play with a naked bootleg.
The Bills moved back into first place in the AFC East based on a tiebreaker (division record) and have the inside track to repeat as division champions after a 33-21 win in New England.
I'd call it Allen's second or third finest performance, considering the quality of the opposition, the fact that his offensive line was in a state of flux and that he was missing two top receivers. That’s behind the Superman impersonation in the playoff victory against Indianapolis in January and maybe behind a 415-yard, four-TD, 44-point game against Seattle last season. But that was a mediocre Seahawks defense. Let’s call it No. 2 in the Josh Allen Experience catalog.
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One reason Sunday’s game was so impressive was the way he surgically attacked the Pats’ defense, hitting his checkdowns quickly so they could maximize their yards after catch. Allen knew where to go with the ball, and he was patient in the pocket. He didn’t run himself into any sacks. Allen played like a 10-year veteran.
We found out again late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game at Gillette Stadium exactly how much confidence Brian Daboll has in Josh Allen.
How did Sean McDermott fare in his litmus test against the greatest coach of all time?
We put the onus on the Bills’ head coach to make amends for his team's loss to the Patriots three weeks ago, so it’s time to give credit where it’s due.
McDermott and his staff overcame hardships this week with the sidelining of eight players and two assistant coaches due to Covid-19. (Dion Dawkins came back from Covid-19 for the game.) Credit to offensive line coach Bobby Johnson for getting his unit to perform cohesively without giving up a sack. And McDermott got his team ready to meet the physical style of the Bills’ arch-rivals without making many self-inflicted mistakes. The Bills were assessed only five penalties in the game.
Another sign of the Bills’ good coaching: A slew of backups stepped in. The defensive secondary has been performing without star Tre’Davious White and haven't made glaring coverage busts. It was McDermott's third win against Bill Belichick.
Don't miss Katherine Fitzgerald's quarter-by-quarter analysis of the Buffalo Bills' 33-21 victory over the New England Patriots.
How do the post-season odds look now?
The New York Times’ playoff machine now calculates the Bills’ odds of making the playoffs at 97%, and the odds of winning the AFC East at 77%. Buffalo is the strong favorite to earn the No. 3 seed in the AFC at 51%. Kansas City and Tennessee are favored for the top two seeds. The Titans (10-5) close with games against Miami and Houston, but they have the tiebreaker edge on the Bills. The No. 3 seed faces the No. 6 seed in the first round. New England, at 44%, is the strong favorite for the sixth seed.
Bills fans can start worrying now about how much wind there might be in Orchard Park for a playoff game against the Pats.
