Following the Buffalo Bills’ 40-0 win against the Houston Texans in Week 4, here’s where some national media outlets put Buffalo in their latest power rankings:
USA TODAY
6. Bills (7): They’ve strung together an impressive three-game run, winning by a collective 118-21 with two shutouts … but against two severely underpowered teams (Miami, Houston). Sunday night date at Arrowhead will be far better indicator of whether Buffalo deserves to return to top five.
Touchdown Wire
1. Buffalo Bills (3-1)
Last week: 3
Who were those Bills playing in that Week 1 loss to the Steelers? Couldn’t be these guys, who’ve been smoking absolutely everyone in their path the past three weeks in essentially every phase of the game.
Their true test as our No. 1 ranked team will come in Week 5 against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
Sports Illustrated
7. Buffalo Bills (3–1)
Last week: Win vs. Houston, 40-0
Next week: at Kansas CityNext week’s Sunday Night Football meeting between the Bills and Chiefs will be an instructive measuring stick for both sides. The Bills have already opened up a two-game lead in the AFC East, but they’ve had a soft early schedule.
Sporting News
4. Buffalo Bills 3-1 (5)
The Bills’ defense has pitched two shutouts in four games. It’s finally living up to the expectations Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier have for every level. Josh Allen is back to taking care of the rest on offense.
Yahoo! Sports
1. Buffalo Bills (3-1, defeated Houston Texans)
The Bills did what the No. 1 team is supposed to do: demolished a bad Houston team. They face the Chiefs at Arrowhead next. Do not be surprised if they return to Western New York with a four-game winning streak. They look that strong. Next: at Kansas City
Bleacher Report
4. Buffalo Bills (3-1)
Last Week: 6
Week 4 Result: Won vs. Houston 40-0
The Buffalo Bills are rather on a roll.
Since falling to the Steelers in Week 1, Buffalo has peeled off three straight blowout wins. In all three games, the Bills have scored at least 35 points. In two of the three games (including Sunday’s dismantling of the overmatched Texans), the Bills haven’t allowed a point.
Granted, Sunday’s win carries a partial asterisk in that it came against maybe the most talent-deficient team in the league (especially on offense). The Bills also weren’t good in the red zone—three touchdowns in seven trips.
But Buffalo piled up 450 total yards of offense, allowed 109, forced five Houston turnovers and logged three sacks in about as thorough a thrashing as you’ll see at the NFL level.
The Bills are rolling, but next week’s matchup will ratchet up the difficulty just a tad.
In Week 5, the Bills head to Arrowhead for a Sunday night rematch of last year’s AFC Championship Game with the Chiefs.
At least one analyst expects them to win.
“With all due respect to the Cardinals, the Bills are the most dominant team in the NFL right now,” Gagnon said. “They’ve outscored the competition 118-21 the last three weeks, and Josh Allen hasn’t even hit his stride. They have a real good shot at beating the Chiefs.”
Pro Football Talk
1. Bills (3-1, last week No. 3): In a season of heightened parity, the Bills are currently the only dominant team.
NFL.com
Previous rank: No. 4
The Bills are absolutely humming on defense right now. This was extremely bad news for young Davis Mills, the third-round Texans rookie QB who threw four interceptions and led the Houston offense to just over 100 yards in a 40-0 Buffalo victory at Orchard Park. The Texans aren’t near the Bills’ weight class, but great teams flex their muscles against the league’s have-nots, which is exactly what we saw on Sunday. This coming Sunday, we’ll get a major, prime-time showdown with the Chiefs — a rematch of last season’s AFC Championship Game … and possibly a preview of this season’s AFC Championship Game. The Bills can only hope they’ll have star linebacker Matt Milano, who exited in the first half on Sunday with a hamstring injury.
ESPN
1. Buffalo Bills (3-1)
Previous ranking: 3
Biggest surprise: Defensive dominance
Why it’s a surprise: The fact that the Bills’ defense is playing well is not surprising, but it’s the numbers that the unit has put up that couldn’t have been expected. Buffalo has forced three or more turnovers in each of the past three games and has held two opponents scoreless in four games — including a 40-0 win against Houston on Sunday. No matter the opposing offenses — the team has faced three backup quarterbacks — that’s a big accomplishment in the NFL. That success has led to a plus-90 scoring margin. The Bills are the fifth team to be plus-80 or better through four games in the past 20 years.
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