Tag: AFC

Bills could climb to second in AFC with win vs. Dolphins

Bills could climb to second in AFC with win vs. Dolphins

It’s typically bad for the Buffalo Bills when the divisional-foe New York Jets win a football game.

Thursday night in Week 9 is the exception.

With the Jets’ win over the Houston Texans in primetime, the Bills leapfrogged up past the Texans and currently sit in third place in the American Football Conference standings. The Texans dropped to fourth.

First place in the AFC belongs to the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. For the Bills to catch up to them they would need a few weeks and some things to go in their favor.

Sitting between the Chiefs and Bills are the Pittsburgh Steelers in second place. Given that the Steelers have a bye this week, the Bills could overtake their spot at number two in the AFC by the end of the weekend.

All it would take is a win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

With the Bills favored to win their home game against Miami, there’s a good chance they can move up to second in the conference by just Week 9 of the season. That’s not too shabby for a team that was supposed to be in a “rebuild year.”

Read our three keys for a Bills win on Sunday that would propel them up in the standings.

Quinnen Williams was the dark cloud over C.J. Stroud, Jets defeat Texans 21-13

Quinnen Williams was the dark cloud over C.J. Stroud, Jets defeat Texans 21-13

New York Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams had his imprints written all over his team’s victory on Thursday night. With the Houston Texans frequently in plus territory, Williams and Jets defense unleashed everything they had in the tank to keep quarterback C.J Stroud out of he end-zone.

Stroud had a dismal night trying to attack the No. 2 pass defense in the NFL. Through 30 attempts, Stroud completed just 11 passes for 191 passing yards, and he was sacked eight tines.

With muddy looks for Stroud, Williams did his diligence in the pass rush, tallying 1.5 of those eight sacks on the night. Williams’ pressure and strip sack stopped a promising Texans scoring drive in the first half, setting the tone for relentlessness on defense the entire evening.

While the Jets did allowed running back Joe Mixon to get off, their ability to stall the Texans drives turned out to be a crucial component needed to help them stop their losing streak in front of their home crowd.

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Contenders or pretenders: the upcoming Steelers’ two weeks of doom

While the Pittsburgh Steelers are 6-2 on the season, their extremely difficult matchups in both Weeks 10 and 11 are their proving grounds.

While fans of the 6-2 Pittsburgh Steelers are understandably on cloud nine after the recent success of the team, they may need to temper their expectations, at least until Week 12.

The Steelers face the 6-2 Washington Commanders on the road in Week 10 and the 5-3 Baltimore Ravens at home in Week 11. These two games, coming off the Week 9 bye, could set the stage for an impressive playoff run or could highlight the Steelers as potential pretenders.

While momentum is leaning toward the Steelers being closer to Super Bowl caliber than most other AFC teams, the lack of competitive teams Pittsburgh has faced through the first eight weeks cannot be ignored. Their opponents thus far have a underwhelming combined record of 27 wins and 35 losses.

If the Steelers can defeat the Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens in Weeks 10 and 11, confidence in their postseason aspirations will be completely justified. Similar to the Ravens, Pittsburgh should attempt to make a strong push for additional talent at the wide receiver position at the trade deadline, especially if the team hopes to stay competitive in the latter half of the season.

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Bills back kicker Tyler Bass with latest roster move

Bills back kicker Tyler Bass with latest roster move

The Buffalo Bills showed they still have faith in kicker Tyler Bass.

The team announced on Thursday that they have released kicker Lucas Havrisik from the practice squad. Havrisik was brought in to compete with Bass in practice just two weeks ago. It turns out there wasn’t much of a competition.

In nine career games in the NFL (all in 2023), Havrisik is a 75% percent kicker, having connected on 15-of-20 field goal attempts. He is also 19-of-22 on extra points. Not ideal numbers to start his career.

So, for now at least, Bass remains the guy for the Bills.

So far in 2024, Bass has made 12-of-15 field goals (80%) which is good for 30th in the NFL. He is 26-of-28 on extra points (92.9%) which ranks 32nd.

With the open spot on the practice squad after the release of Havrisik, the team brought back wide receiver Deon Cain.

Cain rejoins the Bills after being released from the team this preseason. He appeared in 15 games across 2019 and 2020 and has just nine career catches.

Learn more about Cain below: 

Ravens’ fans want less King Crab and more King HB Derrick Henry

Baltimore Ravens fans are losing their appetite watching OC Todd Monken neglect running back Derrick Henry from the game plan.

Baltimore Ravens fans are losing their appetite watching offensive coordinator Todd Monken conjure ways to neglect running back Derrick Henry from the game plan.

If fans could toss Monken’s playsheet into the inner harbor next to the king crabs, they wouldn’t hesitate because Monken seems to have Henry’s name sequenced far too little.

Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen told us he didn’t really like seafood, and even if Henry does, I’m sure he’d rather starve from a lack of crab than be starved of rushing carries in the Ravens’ offense. 

Henry ignited the Ravens’ five-game winning streak in week 3, finishing with two touchdowns, 25 carries, and 151 rushing yards. Since then, Henry has posted games with 169 yards, 199 yards, 132 yards, and 92 yards versus the Cincinnati Bengals in week 5. His usage decreased because the Ravens trailed big and needed to pass.

With the Cleveland Browns ranked No. 19 in opponent rush yards per game,  “Why in the blue crab” was Derrick Henry limited to just 11 carries?  It’s becoming senseless.

It’s unlikely for Henry to turn crabby about the team’s shortcomings versus the Browns, but thanks to Monken’s run-game negligence, the Steelers have slipped ahead of the Ravens in the AFC North and will enjoy their bye unbothered in week 9. 

Steelers’ K Chris Boswell named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month

Steelers’ K Chris Boswell has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for his elite play in October.

The ‘Wizard of Boz’ strikes again!  Pittsburgh Steelers’ kicker Chris Boswell has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month in back-to-back months for his excellent performance and contribution to his team’s 6-2 record. The NFL announced Boswell’s accomplishment on Thursday morning, and this award is well-deserved.

This is now the third time Boswell has earned the illustrious AFC Special Teams Play of the Month award, with his first selection dating all the way back in December/January of the 2015 season, and his second selection being last month in September of the 2024 season. Boswell has kicked with an impressive 89.0% accuracy on his field goal attempts, hitting on 254 out of 289.

Steelers fans, including myself, are truly lucky to be able to witness arguably one of the greatest kickers of all-time tearing it up for the Pittsburgh Steelers on any given Sunday.  Can Boswell do the unthinkable and earn three consecutive AFC Special Teams Player of the Month awards?

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Steelers’ WR named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

Calvin Austin’s Week 8 breakout game put the NFL on notice, resulting in being named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Ladies and gentlemen, Calvin Austin III has arrived and is being recognized for his elite play in Week 8. Austin has been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after his dynamic 73-yard punt return for a touchdown. 

With the score tied 9-9 in the third quarter, Austin knew he needed to make a splash play—and that is exactly what he did. After helping his team take the lead with his dynamic punt return, Austin continued to make his presence felt in the receiving game, hauling in 54 yards and two total touchdowns on the night. 

Can Austin keep the momentum rolling, not only contributing to the Steelers’ top spot in the AFC North, but also locking up Pittsburgh’s WR2 spot indefinitely? Only time will tell, but Austin’s fantastic performance seemingly leads to one simple conclusion—this is only the first of many awards Austin will earn during his time in the Steel City.

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AFC East roundup: What happened in the division in Week 8

AFC East roundup: What happened in the division in Week 8

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8 by a score of 31-10. With the win, the Bills remain atop the AFC East with a record of 6-2.

Like Buffalo, the rest of the AFC East was in action. How did each fare last week, and how does the division stack up right now?

Here is a quick recap of what went down in Week 8 with the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and New England Patriots:

Miami Dolphins

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The good news for the Dolphins is that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned to action in Week 8. The bad news is that it wasn’t enough to fend off a streaky Arizona Cardinals team. The Dolphins lost a heartbreaker at home, 28-27.

Tagovailoa had been out since Week 2 when he suffered his latest concussion. He looked pretty good in his return and Miami looked like a competitive ball club again. They scored 27 points after they went the previous four games without scoring more than 15 points.

The Dolphins are now 2-5 on the year and have to travel to Buffalo in Week 9.

New York Jets

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The Jets lost to the Patriots on the road in Week 8, 25-22. It’s been a rough stretch of football for the Jets. They have now lost five in a row after starting the year 2-1.

Trading for wide receiver Davante Adams and firing head coach Robert Saleh was New York’s best attempt at turning things around. It hasn’t worked yet. With the new faces, they’ve lost their last two.

The Jets are now 2-6 and are backed up to the ledge of their 2024 season. They need to go on a historic run to not fall off the cliff. They will host the 6-2 Houston Texans in Week 9.

New England Patriots

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The Patriots had a great day at Gillette Stadium in Week 8. They beat the Jets on a rushing touchdown from Rhamondre Stevenson with just 22 seconds left.

Unfortunately, rookie quarterback Drake Maye was forced to leave the game due to a concussion. Veteran Jacoby Brissett took over early in the second quarter and led the offense to victory.

With the win, the Patriots improve to 2-6. Maye’s health will be something to monitor as he navigates through concussion protocol this week. His status is up in the air for Week 9 when the Patriots will head to Tennessee to face the 1-6 Titans.

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Pittsburgh ranks fourth-best in point differential through 8 weeks

The 2024 Pittsburgh Steelers are looking like one of the best teams in the NFL, boasting the fourth-best point differential through 8 weeks.

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ red-hot start continues to pick up steam. Not only does the AFC North currently run through the Steel City, but the team is also competing with the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs for the top spot in the AFC conference. 

While the 6-2 Steelers are tied with the 6-2 Bills, and just one and a half games behind Kansas City, Pittsburgh actually holds the second-best point differential in the AFC and the fourth-best among all 32 NFL teams. 

So far in 2024, through eight weeks of football, the Steelers have scored 187 points while allowing only 119 points against them. This point differential of 68 trails only the NFC’s Washington Commanders with 69, the AFC’s Buffalo Bills with 84, and the NFC’s Detroit Lions with a staggering 100-point differential. 

Pittsburgh’s differential shows the NFL world that their balanced strength on both sides of the ball is not to be underestimated. With the trade deadline approaching, the Steelers would be wise to strengthen their roster further and prepare for a potentially deep playoff run. 

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Josh Allen calls Bills’ win over Seahawks best of 2024: ‘It’s up there’

Josh Allen calls Bills’ win over Seahawks best of 2024: ‘It’s up there’

The Bills traveled from Buffalo in the North East to Seattle in the North West to ground the Seahawks on their home turf by a final score of 31-10.

For quarterback Josh Allen, it also was one of his best overall games of the 2024 NFL Season.

“It’s up there,” The Bills QB said to the media after the game. “I think you look at it from all three phases, I think everybody went out there, knew their job, and executed at a high level — offense, defense, and special teams.”

With over half the offensive plays in motion, Allen is keeping it simple and seeing strong results.

“I wouldn’t say we’re too overcomplicated in what we’re doing,” he added. “I know we have some motions and shifts, but again, it takes guys learning it and understanding it but going out there and executing at a high level, everybody knows their spots, and when you got that, you got a dangerous team.”

He would finish the game 24 of 34 throwing for 283 yards with two passing touchdowns. The Buffalo offense was 8-of-15 on third downs and 4-of-6 in the red zone, scoring touchdowns in every quarter of the game.

Allen’s streak of passes without an interception did come to an end during a rainy and slippery day on the field, which also saw him fumble and recover the ball twice.

But that didn’t stop the most successful quarterback in NFL history from paying him some compliments.

“He has really lit the league on fire since he’s been in it,” said player-turned-analyst Tom Brady. “Sometimes, he played like a spaz. Like a grade-schooler on a sugar high. But now, he’s controlled the chaos. He’s like a storm coming into town. And you don’t want that storm coming into this town.”

The former AFC East foe and long-time UGG enthusiast awarded his “Player of the Game” to the Bills signal caller.

Playing against the Seahawks at home is famously a noisy affair due to their “12th Fan” base, though Allen pointed both to the impact that having a couple of 90-yard scoring drives in the first half as well as a big presence by the members of Bills Mafia in attendance made during the game.

“I think it takes the crowd out of it,” he said of the scores. “You stay out of third-and-longs like we did and be able to convert as well as we did. It quiets them down quite a bit which helps with communication. Helps really with just the whole vibe and momentum of the game. Crowds can be such a big part of it. I do want to shout out Bills Mafia. That was a crazy scene walking off the field to the thousands of fans still here. Appreciate them coming out. Hopefully, they enjoyed the game today.”