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Following the Bills’ 23-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, here’s where some national media outlets put Buffalo in their latest power rankings:
USA TODAY
10. Bills (5): The offensive line allowed QB Josh Allen to get hit eight times, sacked three and was flagged for six holding penalties against Pittsburgh. Otherwise, it was stellar.
Touchdown Wire
6. Buffalo Bills (0-1)
Last week: 3
The Bills were beaten up by the Steelers and lost… but did actually keep it close for most of the game. Their defense deserves credit for that and their offense should be better going forward as long as they are not facing the Steelers’ front-four going forward. *checks notes* They are not.
Sports Illustrated
7. Buffalo Bills (0–1)
Sense the pattern here? Losing on opening weekend doesn’t mean the Bills are not one of the obvious Super Bowl favorites out of the AFC. While falling to Pittsburgh was a bit of a surprise, the Steelers have the infrastructure to muddy the best of what Josh Allen does. This was always going to be a coin-toss game for Buffalo.
Sporting News
8. Buffalo Bills 0-1 (3)
Perhaps Josh Allen put too much pressure on himself right away after the big contract. Or there were nerves playing in front of a packed house with such high expectations. Chalk it up most to facing that nasty Steelers’ passing defense. The Bills must make some adjustments to get Allen back on his elite track, but at the same time, their defense looks improved and more complete.
Yahoo! Sports
9. Buffalo Bills, 0-1
Week 1 reality check or just a letdown for the Bills? They shouldn’t have been heavy favorites against the Steelers, but they still should have won the game.
Bleacher Report
5. Buffalo Bills (0-1)
Last Week: 5
The Buffalo Bills surprisingly made running back Zack Moss a healthy scratch ahead of their Week 1 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It wouldn’t be their last surprise of the day.
After controlling the first half of their season opener against the Steelers, the Bills fell asleep after halftime, managing only six points over the final 30 minutes. They were penalized eight times and converted only eight of their 18 third-down attempts.
As Davenport pointed out, things aren’t going to get any easier for the Bills.
“One game is hardly cause for panic,” Davenport said. “But the coma that the Bills offense slipped into in the second half is concerning, especially given their upcoming schedule. The Bills play at Miami in Week 2 and home against Washington in Week 3. Neither of those teams are exactly defensive pushovers, either. Miami was sixth in scoring defense in 2020, while Washington was fourth.
Pro Football Talk
6. Bills (0-1, No. 3): They need to shrug Week One off quickly; a dangerous Miami trip is looming.
5. Buffalo Bills (0-1)
Preseason ranking: 3Top rookie: DE Greg Rousseau
Rousseau is really the only choice here with DE Boogie Basham inactive in Week 1 and OT Spencer Brown and S Damar Hamlin — the only other active rookies on the game-day roster — largely contributing to a mixed special teams performance. Rousseau, the 30th overall pick, played 52% of the defensive snaps — behind only veteran Jerry Hughes for the most by a Bills DE — and had two tackles in the loss. Despite not registering a sack, Rousseau made his presence felt, especially early in the game. The Bills’ pass rush, one of the team’s biggest issues last season, remains a work in progress.
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