The worst name in all of sports, the Washington Football Team, should be quickly renamed, the “Washington Football Players” because it was not a team or team effort. A few individual guys made a few isolated plays. If it wasn’t for a fetish for pylons, they might not have scored.
The Buffalo Bills, however, are not a team of rivals as much as a team of besties – and looked it.
Quarterback Josh Allen was as efficient, accurate and productive as he has ever been. For 20 years, Bills quarterbacks and fans, faced with third-and-7 or more virtually had little to no chance or hope of picking up the first down. On the Bills' first drive, on third-and-15, we are legitimately thinking, “Oh, Josh will pick this up,” and he did, with a 20-yard strike to Gabe Davis. Confidence is a powerful drug.
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Allen was never sacked and barely touched, accounting for five TDs and zero turnovers. Allen avoided Washington pass rushers like Washington politicians avoid responsibility.
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Emmanuel Sanders is already worth the money and a valuable cog; often getting open deep and making diving and fingertip catches. Cole Beasley and the Chainmovers were rockin’ all day.
Emerging tight end Dawson Knox’s touchdown catch was terrific on five different levels: the timing, the leap, the hands, the staying inbounds through possession, and even the savvy little push-off. Not to mention a great touch pass from Allen. Knox has become … reliable? He has seven touchdowns and no drops since the middle of last season.
Zack Moss was both a battering ram running the ball, and silky smooth catching it. Moss and Singletary are more of a 1-2 jab than punch, but the Bills' ground game, which ground to a halt last year, has been effective so far – and likely what we need it to be.
The offensive line was serviceable in both run and pass blocking. Jon Feliciano and Cody Ford held their own and not their opponents. Daryl Williams and Dion Dawkins returned to formula. Raw rookie giant Spencer Brown got in some snaps and mauled a couple of Washington Football Persons.
As fans, we are so spoiled by Allen being able to just ignore the first pass-rusher in his face that the OL looks better than it grades out. But that is all they have to do with Allen behind them when he does the cowboy two-step to instantly avoid sacks. Seeing a 6-5 guy jitterbug is a treat to watch, and he does it with ease.
The Buffalo defense frustrated, tormented and often terrorized upstart quarterback Taylor Heinicke, who was making his first start in enemy territory. The D-Line wasn’t as dominant as last week but controlled the line of scrimmage and therefore, the game.
The Bills didn’t blitz much but were coached brilliantly for the second-straight week by Leslie Frazier. Star Lotulelei has been dominant tying up blockers like gift packages for the back seven, and got the only sack.
Hazmat Milano has been one of the best linebackers in the NFL through three weeks, on the stat page, in the analytics graphs, and under the eye test, which is no small feat. Oft-maligned by Bills fans for not becoming a stud by 23 years old, Tremaine Edmunds had several timely stops and a solid overall performance.
The secondary as a unit was on point all day. Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde are so good, complementary, and interchangeable, that on Hyde’s interception, if Hyde didn’t make it, Poyer would have. Tre’Davious is Tre’Mendous – he shadowed Terry McLaurin all afternoon, held him in check, and sucker-punched the ball out of Logan Thomas’ hands causing an early turnover. Taron Johnson has played at an elite level for almost a full season now. The weak link is Levi Wallace, who also played well. The secondary is second to none.
This year’s model Bills defense doesn’t appear to have a glaring weakness; and all three units are playing well individually – and more importantly – collectively. A top five or top 10 defense, combined with this offense, FG kicker and coaching is a confluence that few teams in the NFL can match, and why the Bills are creeping up toward the top of most power ratings.
The team was ready for the March on Washington from the national anthem. Frazier had a completely different game plan but almost as effective. Brian Daboll (with our deepest sympathies for his grandmother) didn’t try to get too cute more than a couple of times, designed a superb game plan and his offense executed.
Since becoming head coach Sean McDermott has had the same meteoric rise in game day coaching as Allen has in game day quarterbacking. This has culminated in the HC trying to score points with 26 seconds left on his team’s own 20 yard-line.
The Bills’ singular drives were emblematic of this ascension. The aforementioned end of the first half drive for three points was as unexpected as infallible. The 17-play, 8-minute, 93-yard drive – all game planning, outthinking and outplaying the opposition. The first Sanders' TD drive was characteristic of the McBeane team building – extraordinary individual talent combined with putting the right guys in the right position to make the right play. The Moss TD catch drive was symbolic of Allen maturity as he likely would have run before, but calmly tossed a short touchdown pass. The Allen running TD drive was just icing on the cakewalk.
The 2021 Bills team is in great hands and shape for the short term and long haul. This week is on the road against the Chiefs. Yes, as fans, we can look past Houston. The team cannot, but we can.
The AFC West is playing out fantastic for the Bills as the Broncos and Raiders are 3-0 and the Bolts beat the Chiefs. If those teams can beat each other up the whole season, it is extremely fortuitous for the Bills. The single-biggest obstacle between the Bills and a Super Bowl appearance in Los Angeles is an away AFC Championship Game in Kansas City again.
The Bills will quickly dispose of the Houston Texans, led by rookie QB Davis Mills, who might as well be Davis Webb, and rookie head coach David Culley. McDermott is not like us, and will not let his team look past them. Like he didn’t last week.
Last Sunday, on "Meet the Press," the Bills proved to the national media and Washington Football Players that the Bills were back, on top of their game, and on top of the league.
Pete Rosen is a screenwriter in Los Angeles, lifetime Buffalo fan, and may be found blathering daily at twobillsdrive.com.
