Here is how the Buffalo Bills fared in national power rankings polls heading into Week 13 following their 31-6 win over the New Orleans Saints:
USA TODAY
Sporting News
8. Buffalo Bills 7-4 (11)
The Bills came out and didn’t waste time dominating the Saints on Thanksgiving with Josh Allen sticking with his familiar passing game hits of Dawson Knox and Stefon Diggs. The defense also went back to necessary flexing against run and pass, taking advantage of a shorthanded team.
Bleacher Report
6. Buffalo Bills (7-4)
Last Week: 8
Week 12 Result: Won at New Orleans 31-6
The Buffalo Bills entered Week 12 with one mission: to wash off the stink from a blowout loss at home to the Indianapolis Colts the week before that sent them tumbling from first place in the AFC East all the way to the seventh seed in the AFC.
In most respects, the Bills accomplished that mission. Facing a New Orleans Saints team that has been decimated by injuries, Buffalo dominated on both sides of the ball on the way to a blowout victory.
However, that victory may have been somewhat Pyrrhic.
Star cornerback Tre’Davious White tore his ACL in the second quarter of the game and will miss the rest of the season. Quarterback Josh Allen told reporters that losing White is a major blow.
“I know all the guys in the locker room are praying for him and hurting with him,” Allen said. “You can’t say a single bad thing about that man. He comes in and busts his ass every day.”
“Every team in the league has to deal with injuries,” Davenport said. “But there are injuries, and then there are season-killers. Losing the heart and soul of the AFC’s best pass defense may well be the latter.”
NFL.com
6. Buffalo Bills (7-4)
Previous rank: No. 7
The Bills went to New Orleans on Thanksgiving night and overwhelmed an injury-decimated Saints team, an important bounce-back win for a team on the edge of crisis after a blowout loss to the Colts four days earlier. The news wasn’t all good, however: one-time All-Pro cornerback Tre’Davious White went down with a non-contact left knee injury later diagnosed as a season-ending ACL tear. This Bills season will be defined, in part, by how Sean McDermott can pivot and adapt without his most important player on defense. You can imagine Bill Belichick is already scheming ways to attack the White-free Buffalo D with a huge divisional showdown up next.
CBS Sports
6. Bills (7-4)
Previous rank: 11
What we saw against the Saints was the offense getting back on track, in large part because they were patient. That was a smart decision by Josh Allen.
Pro Football Talk
9. Bills (7-4, No. 11): If the Bills are going to win the division, they’re going to have to earn it with a couple of games coming up against the Patriots.
ESPN
Previous ranking: 12
Week 6 confidence rating: 7.8
How it’s going now: 7.9Well, the rating hasn’t changed that much because the Bills haven’t defeated a big-time opponent, outside of a Week 5 win versus the Chiefs. Since the Week 6 loss to the Titans, the Bills have been up and down, losing to the Jaguars and Colts (in blowout fashion) while beating the Dolphins, Jets and Saints.
Buffalo has not been able to stack wins since the beginning of October. The offense needs to establish more of its identity and show that it can be effective game after game. Two upcoming matchups against the Patriots and a contest in Tampa will be telling.
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