The Buffalo Bills seem to enjoy the national stage.
For the second consecutive week, the Bills sent a statement by winning in convincing fashion in front of a nationwide audience, this time besting the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-15, on Sunday Night Football.
The defenses were on display in the first half. Pittsburgh’s plan was to apply intense pressure through the interior of the Bills offensive line. Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward was a thorn in the side of Buffalo’s O-line, constantly finding a way into the Bills’ backfield. This knocked the offense out of rhythm, as Buffalo’s offense could only muster three points in the first half.
But the Bills defense would not be outshined, as they limited the Steelers (11-2) to one score in the first half. Pittsburgh scored on a 19-yard pass to James Washington, where they inherited a short field after a fumble. While the Bills (10-3) offense could only get in position for a field goal, the defense found a way to help out.
Slot cornerback Taron Johnson picked off Roethlisberger late in the half, giving the Bills a 9-7 lead heading into the halftime break. It was the type of opening half of football Bills fan haven’t seen often, if at all, in 2020. Then the team had another thing in store for the fans in the third quarter: Good football.
Buffalo made some big adjustments entering the second half. To neutralize the Steelers pass rush, the Bills double-teamed Hewyard and limited his effectiveness. The Bills moved Allen out of the pocket more often in the second half, and the line did a good job at matching up with the remainder of the Steelers’ front-seven. Furthermore, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll called more time passes, which allowed Allen to get the ball out of his hands quicker. All of this led to Buffalo scoring on their first two drives of the second half. Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis were on the receiving end of Allen touchdown passes after the Bills turned the ball over twice in the first half.
Diggs was dominant in the game, running wild against the Pittsburgh defense. The wideout caught 10 passes for 130 yards and he had an impressive run-after-the-catch for a touchdown. Diggs now has 100 receptions on the season, tying Eric Moulds’ team-record that was set during the 2002 season.
Along with the overall team improvements, Allen was impressive as the game progressed. After a challenging first half, the signal-caller was decisive with his passes. His score to Gabriel Davis was a high-point for the night, as Allen looked off the safety, gave a quick shoulder fake, and fired a pass to the side of the end zone.
Buffalo’s defense kept everything in check in the second half. They denied Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger any chance at hitting a big play, as Big Ben was forced to look underneath for most of the game. Once he dared to go deep, cornerback Levi Wallace intercepted Roethlisberger late in the fourth quarter, giving the ball to Allen. The Bills offense milked the remainder of the clock, moving Buffalo to 10-3 on the season.
Pittsburgh could only put up 224 total years on the game. Roethlisberger was picked off twice and went 21-of-37 for 187 passing yards. The Steelers leading rusher, James Conner, only gained 18 yards on 10 carries. He had 17 rushing yards at halftime.
Safety Jordan Poyer led the way with nine tackles on the night. Matt Milano returned from injury and recorded the only sack of the game for the Bills.
It was an impressive win for the Bills, as now they are part of the conversation for moving into the top spots in the AFC playoff race. They are third in the conference, two games behind the Chiefs and one game back of Pittsburgh. They are knocking on the door of their first divisional crown in 25 years, as they have a two-game lead on the Dolphins in the AFC East.
What makes all of this most exciting might be this Bills team trending upward, in a big way, at the perfect time of the season.
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