Tag: Bills broncos

Josh Allen: Bills offense wanted to their ‘best football’ vs. Broncos

Josh Allen: Bills offense wanted to their ‘best football’ vs. Broncos

The Buffalo Bills stampeded the Denver Broncos 31-7 in the NFL playoffs Wild Card round.

Buffalo won the day thanks to a defensive effort that prevented any more Broncos points after a mountain top long-ball touchdown by Denver minutes into the contest.

They also did so due to OC Joe Brady and QB Allen spreading the ball around for short gains and on long possessions, bringing a stingy Broncos defense down to Earth.

“I don’t think there was one certain thing over another. We just wanted to come out and execute well,” Allen said after the game. “At the end of the day, we just wanted to come out and play our best football, and I feel like we did that today.”

Going into the game, the Broncos were 31st in the NFL at defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) in defending passes to RBs. An area that Joe Brady and the Bills offense are active in.

Allen led an efficient and balanced offensive distribution of the football, going 20-for-26 for 272 yards with two touchdowns to go with 46 yards on eight carries rushing.

He was backed by RB James Cook who rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, as Buffalo would keep that momentum scoring 31 unanswered points in total.

While there was a lot of short-gain offense Allen completed a highlight reel 24-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to RB Ty Johnson who also made a highlight play, sliding to make the catch.

Allen then found receiver Keon Coleman for a two-point after-conversion to give the rookie the first postseason score of his career.

He also threw a 55-yard touchdown throw to Curtis Samuel which was the second-longest playoff TD toss of his postseason passing career (75-yard TDs to Gabe Davis vs. KC 2022).

The Bills QB surpassed legendary Hall of Fame signal-caller Jim Kelly for the most postseason passing TDs in Bills history.

“It’s great, it’s amazing,” said Bills receiver Khalil Shakir of Allen per Sky Sports. “We know we go as he goes, how special and what he’s able to do, we’re always in it no matter what.

“We just continue to work, you can never be too good, it is a league where everybody is constantly getting better.”

The Bills remain undefeated at 9-0 when leading at halftime remains intact this season, and became the first team since at least 1960 to not lose the turnover battle through the first 18 games of a season (incl. playoffs)

The game also yielded some interesting notes per NFL Next Gen Stats that point out that Buffalo used six-plus offensive linemen on 22.2% of offensive plays against Denver, which was their 3rd-highest rate in a game this season.

Meanwhile, Allen generated 20+ EPA for the 3rd time in his postseason career and completed all four of his deep passes for 139 yards & 2 TDs to now lead all QBs with 23 completions and 791 yards on passes of 20+ air yards in the postseason since entering the league in 2018. His 55-yard touchdown throw to Samuel was also the first deep completion allowed by Surtain as the nearest defender in coverage this season.

Allen did take a hit late in the game from Denver outside linebacker Nik Bonitto on his right hand where he then took a seat on the bench and was looked at by Bills’ training staff. He was replaced by backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky for the final possession.

The television broadcast showed a close-up of his thumb bleeding as a Bills’ trainer put an adhesive on it.

“It’s good,” Allen noted postgame. “I just got a little blood there. It’s fine. We’re fine.”

“We’ll follow that nail all week,” CBS analyst Tomy Romo mused.

Bills’ Sean McDermott, Josh Allen give early preview of Ravens matchup

Bills’ Sean McDermott, Josh Allen give early preview of Ravens matchup

The Bills beat the Broncos 31-7 on Sunday at home in Orchard Park and advanced back to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs for a rematch with the Baltimore Ravens.

Buffalo lost a head-to-head matchup in Baltimore 35-10 in NFL Week 4 this season, which was the third-worst margin of loss in quarterback Josh Allen’s career.

Both outcomes he’ll look to change this time around when it will matter most.

Allen was asked about the Bills game next week against the Ravens during an on-field postgame interview with CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson

“They got after us earlier this year so we have a lot of film to watch,” he said. “It’s a great team who has a great quarterback with Lamar doing what he is able to do. He is one of the most dynamic, if not the most dynamic quarterback in the league, he is so fun to watch, but I’ll be watching their defense this week. That is our focus.”

While a victory during the regular season would have bolstered Buffalo’s chances for the No. 1 AFC playoff seed and a first-round bye, the division-round matchup will ultimately determine the two teams’ postseason fates.

Buffalo is the 2 seed and Baltimore is the 3 seed, meaning the Bills will host the Ravens in Orchard Park with a chance to “defend their dirt”. The team has been a perfect 9-0 in their 2024 campaign including the first round Wild Card win.

There are plenty of storylines leading into the contest as well.

Allen and Jackson’s teams meet with a matchup of the two clubs with the most points per game in the NFL after the Detroit Lions (who Buffalo beat in NFL Week 15) and the Bills (30.9) and Ravens (30.5) averaged 30 points per game during the regular season

Both quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, with Allen going 7th overall to Buffalo and Jackson going 32nd overall in the final pick of the first round to Baltimore.

Both clubs traded up to select their respective signal caller.

Both Allen and Jackson are this season’s front-runners for MVP. Jackson’s won the award twice. Notably over Allen last season as he had fewer turnovers and his team had a better record, despite Allen having better overall quarterback stats.

The Ravens added RB Derrick Henry in free agency which bolstered their offense, meanwhile, the Bills re-booted their roster and payroll, with media analysts writing them off to a rebuilding season with many predicting the Dolphins or Jets would win the division.

Instead, Allen’s turned in an MVP-caliber performance and the Bills have had one of their best seasons with him under center and Sean McDermott as head coach, winning the AFC East for the fifth straight year and locking in the 2 seed and home field advantage through at least the first two rounds.

Henry and Bills RB James Cook each had a league-high 16 rushing TDs during the regular season, with Henry being selected to the Pro Bowl along with eight other Ravens (the most selections in the NFL.) Buffalo only had two, Allen and offensive lineman Dion Dawkins, with Cook a clear snub.

The Ravens also had five All-Pro first-team selections with the Bills having none.

“This is what everyone’s been waiting for, right?” coach Sean McDermott said in his postgame press conference after Sunday’s win. “So it’ll be a nice week and everyone will be looking forward to it, and they’re a great football team. I mean they handled us pretty good the first go around and they’re certainly playing well.”

Jackson and Allen’s teams have played each other only once in the playoffs with both players under center in the 202 divisional round when Buffalo beat Baltimore 17-3. Buffalo opens as a slight favorite this time around as well.

With a win against the Broncos and the Ravens up next, the Bills are embracing the moment.

“I’ma enjoy the win first, but I love playing good on good football,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “We have a lot of competitors on our team, and when juggernauts come into town or when we go to their spot, the intensity is up. And I love it. I love when the intensity is high, but we’ll see ’em in a week. They’re a good team and we look forward to it.”

Buffalo has lost in the division round each of the last two seasons and is looking to get over that hump to return to the AFC Championship game for the first time since 2022 for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.

10 potential replacements for Joe Brady as Bills QB coach

10 potential replacements for Joe Brady as #Bills QB coach:

Following a 24-22 loss to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, Bills head coach responded differently than he did a week prior and fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, albeit to mixed responses.

The Bills’ offensive struggles they’d experienced in execution, consistency, and rhythm in Dorsey’s tenure as offensive coordinator continued.

So did their propensity to turn the ball over.

The Bills are facing what perhaps is the most critical run of McDermott’s head coaching tenure, and he felt a change was in order.

Previously viewed as a Super Bowl contender ahead of their past several seasons, the club is currently on the outside looking as far as the postseason mid-way through their 2023 campaign.

Buffalo is 5-5 overall and 2-5 in AFC matchups this season and has gone 1-3 in road games. They will face the second-toughest remaining strength of schedule in the second half of the season including road games against the Eagles, Chiefs, Chargers, and Dolphins. That is in addition to home games against the Cowboys, Patriots, and the Jets who they’ll welcome to New York for a matchup on Sunday.

Shaking things up to right the ship is a change of pace for McDermott, and it raises the question of who might become the Bills’ new QB coach. There could be a lot of options given the appeal of working with Josh Allen, from younger coaches to former OC’s like Brady himself.

With that, here are 10 Potential Joe Brady replacements as the Bills quarterbacks coach…

Bills’ Josh Allen on loss to Broncos: ‘Lot of bad football’

#Bills’ Josh Allen on loss to Broncos: ‘Lot of bad football’

The Buffalo Bills lost a Monday Night Football matchup to the Denver Broncos 24-22 in a game riddled with costly turnovers and penalties.

In fact, the Broncos’ field goal in the final seconds missed giving the Bills the win- Until they were flagged for having too many men on the field (12), allowing Denver a second chance kick that netted the victory.

“Shouldn’t have been in that position in the first place,” Bills QB Josh Allen said at the beginning of his postgame press conference alongside center Mitch Morse. “Lot of bad football. A lot of bad Football.”

Buffalo turned the ball over on their two opening drives of the game. Allen is leading the NFL in total touchdowns but he is also leading the league in turnovers (13) and interceptions (11), throwing two and adding a fumble in the loss to Denver. The Bills now lead the league with eight first-half turnovers since NFL Week 5.

Allen finished the day with one of his worst outings of the season, going 15-of-26 passing with 177 yards despite having a season-low of only 19% pressures on his dropbacks.

“I’m still confident, but it’s no secret the clock’s ticking. Got to have some urgency now,” he added about the team’s playoff hopes.

When asked why he was confident despite how things have been going, the sixth-year pro knew where to draw hope from.

“Because we’ve done it before.”

He’s not wrong. In past seasons with Allen under center, the team has turned things around midway through the season and gone on a run. It’s worth noting those runs typically involved Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator and Leslie Frazier as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

Allen’s struggled with turnovers for much of his NFL career, and will often remark how he will “learn” from those mistakes and “get better” from that. 

The question is when will that happen?

Daboll successor Ken Dorsey has shared responsibility in his tenure for questionable playcalling, though there’s been a messy slide this season in discipline and execution in Allen’s game. That has raised questions about the root of the problem and how to fix it.

The issues in his execution and gameplay decision-making could raise valid questions about whether a new position coach could help him get back to form and develop in the right direction, and whether a change is in order from QB coach Joe Brady to improve.

Whether a change off the field takes place, a change on the field is needed.

The Bills are second in the AFC East behind the Dolphins and ESPN analytics gives Buffalo a 33% chance of making the playoffs.

In the past, they’ve played best at times when they’ve been viewed as underdogs or had their backs against the wall, and with a less talented roster than they have now.

Can they do it again?

These questions will be answered in their next seven games.

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Bills’ Sean McDermott on any change to offense play-calling duties: ‘No’

#Bills’ Sean McDermott on any change to offense play-calling duties: “No”

The Bills struggle with offensive consistency this season has raised questions about whether there will be a change made at the coordinator position or playcalling on offense.

Head coach Sean McDermott was to the point responding to just that line of questioning after Sunday’s 24-18 loss to the Bengals.

“No,” the coach said to the press. “Well, I get it. I understand everyone’s frustration, I absolutely do, and we’re working extremely hard to make the adjustments we have to make. And Ken is doing the same. So I remain confident in Ken and our offensive staff, and we continue to work hard at improving and getting the results we need.”

Dorsey responded to questions about Sunday’s performance as well, citing field position as part of the reason for a lack of tempo.

“We were in some backed-up situations so we couldn’t quite get into the tempo stuff at times there,” he said. “We definitely started off in it this past game. We realized it was effective for us, but at times the crowd noise became a factor with the communication in some of those backed-up situations.

It’s something we want to continue to utilize, we just have to make sure we’re effective in what we do and stay on the field. The big thing for us is when we start racking plays together, then you start getting into that rhythm. We need to find a way to get into that groove, however it is.”

Between the numbers, there’s been a different start for Dorsey than his predecessor, Brian Daboll.

Daboll had several stints as a coordinator for college and pro-level offenses before calling the Bills offense. He had a creative touch, tailored scheming, and a balanced approach that first-time OC Dorsey has, at times, lacked.

He acknowledged after the game it was important they “Make sure we’re balanced in our approach. The big thing for us is not to become one-dimensional and predictable. We’ve got to be able to do that to keep the defense off balance and we have to do that in a way that’s efficient for us while still being able to generate some explosive chunk plays. We’ve got to find ways to do that.”

Doing so successfully on the field and not merely in press conferences or in hindsight is what will matter.

No public indication has been given by the Bills front office or coaching staff that a change is imminent. Though since the offensive roster has gotten more talented players success will be expected.

One of the most successful coordinators in the NFL, Josh McDaniels, is available due to a recent exit from the Raiders. Some may start to draw attention to that or a need for change should Dorsey’s struggles continue.

Time will tell, beginning next Monday night against the Denver Broncos.

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Bills’ Ken Dorsey: ‘Got a lot of faith in who we are’

#Bills’ Ken Dorsey: ‘Got a lot of faith in who we are’

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott’s message remained steadfast mid-week ahead of their next game against the Denver Broncos.

At a 5-4 record trailing the AFC East-leading Dolphins, with one more loss than their 2022 season total, and on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, he believes in his team’s ability to rise to the challenge ahead.

“I feel like these guys know what’s ahead of us, but they also know we got to take it one game at a time,” McDermott said. “I think they’re ready for the challenge. I know they’re ready for the challenge. And, you know, that’s what the Buffalo Bills do.”

In fact, in one word he expressed just how he feels about the team he has.

“Confident,” he said to the press. “Confident in our team. Confident in our coaches. Confident in our players. Confident in our staff. It doesn’t mean we don’t have work to do. It doesn’t mean we don’t have a gap to close.

“And there’s different things that make up that gap,” McDermott added. “And so we’ve got to continue to drill down on those areas and play better as an overall team, complementary-wise, and reset some things that we need to reset. You go back and re-teach certain things or re-establish certain things this time of year when you’re going through things. Even when you’re not going through things, it’s the right thing to do. But my confidence remains high in our group.”

Lack of execution and consistency across all three phases, along with some costly turnovers culminated in a loss last Sunday night to the Bengals.

Shoddy officiating and injuries didn’t help, but the coach has made no excuses, and instead taken responsibility for what he says they can correct.

“I think it starts with our level of execution, our level of complementary football,” McDermott said. “As I mentioned (Sunday) evening, it’s hard to win when you turn the ball over twice and you lose the field position battle by 12 yards approximately. There’s a formula here we’ve used for winning and we’ve got to execute that.”

While Allen and McDermott sounded like they may have felt unhappy with some of the offensive gameplan and overall inconsistency after the loss, McDermott has continued to throw support and place confidence behind coordinator Ken Dorsey.

Standing by personnel is nothing new for Buffalo’s head coach.

He did so early in his Buffalo tenure for both former Bills starting Quarterback Nathan Peterman as well as former assistant head coach and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier when questions arose about their performance.

Dorsey is confident in their team moving forward as well.

“I think they’ve got a lot of faith in who we are and what we’re about,” he said. “We’ve got a mentally tough group, a group of guys who have been through things together, been through some ups and downs and good and bad. We’re able to come together for one common goal and that’s win a football game.”

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Broncos’ Michael Ojemudia fined for punch vs. Bills

Buffalo Bills CB Michael Ojemudia fined for punching Buffalo Bills WR Gabriel Davis.

One Denver Broncos rookie was ejected against the Bills for punching one of Buffalo’s rookies. Now that player has been fined as well.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Broncos cornerback Michael Ojemudia was fined $5,082 for his punch. Ojemudia swung and hit Bills rookie Gabriel Davis.

The play took place near the goal line. Here’s a replay of it below:

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Bills QB Josh Allen wins 4th AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen is AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 15 vs. the Denver Broncos.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has won his sixth AFC Player of the Week Award in his career, and his fourth of 2020, following his efforts against the Denver Broncos.

In Week 15, Allen earned the honor after scoring four two total touchdowns, two on the ground and two passing. Allen had 359 total passing yards on 29-for-40 passing.

Allen, 24, became just the fifth player in NFL history to have over 350 passing yards, two rushing and two throwing scoring in a single game. Aaron Rodgers has done the feat twice, along with Russell Wilson, Drew Brees and Steve Young.

Most recently, Allen won the honor in Week 13 after facing the 49ers. Allen also won it in Weeks 2 (Dolphins) and 9 (Seahawks).

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Bills’ Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs closing in on more franchise records

Buffalo Bills team record updates for Stefon Diggs, Josh Allen.

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It’s been a historical year for the Buffalo Bills, who’ve regularly silenced critics and won new fans alike all while setting franchise marks in several categories. At 11-3 with two games to go, might more benchmarks be broken?

Bills quarterback Josh Allen and wideout Stefon Diggs will likely do just that as the team has two games remaining. Both players have been gaining attention for their accolades on the field and are two of five Buffalo players heading to the Pro Bowl.

In the Bills’ final two contests, Allen is closing in on Jim Kelly’s record for touchdown passes. Currently at 30, Allen needs four more over the next two outings to break Jim Kelly’s record (33) from 1991. 

The other single-season milestone on the horizon is passing yards. After 14 games played, Allen’s sitting in second-place, all-time in team history at a clean 4,000 total passing yards so far in 2020. He entered Week 15 against the Denver Broncos at No. 5 on that list and added 359 passing yards at Mile High to his totals. 

Currently only Drew Bledsoe’s 4,359 passing yards from 2002 sit above Allen. This season Allen’s averaging 285.7 passing yards per game. 

In regard to Diggs, he already blew away one franchise record last week. He needed one catch to surpass Eric Moulds’ single-season catch record of 100.

Diggs had 11 against the Broncos and is up to 111, which currently leads the NFL. Moulds’ other record, receiving yards, was set in 1998 when he had 1,368 total yards. Diggs, with 1,314, only needs 55 more to break that record.

Stay tuned to see if these records get broken in the final weeks of the season.

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Power Rankings: Are Bills-Chiefs on collision course for rematch?

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Denver Broncos convincingly, 48-19, during the Week 15 slate of NFL games to improve to 11-3, all while winning their first AFC East divisional title since “Wonderwall” was a hit. With another loss this week by a …

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Denver Broncos convincingly, 48-19, during the Week 15 slate of NFL games to improve to 11-3, all while winning their first AFC East divisional title since “Wonderwall” was a hit.

With another loss this week by a previous opponent for the Bills, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo is currently in possession of the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture as well. As the second-place team, that brings the No. 1 crew to the forefront for many in Buffalo: The Kansas City Chiefs. 

Could these two teams be on a collision course for a rematch in the AFC Championship game? In terms of the standings and power rankings alike, it’s looking like they could be.

With that, here’s a rundown of where the Bills sit in the national power rankings polls following Week 15: 

USA Today

3. Bills (4)

QB Josh Allen spreads wealth nicely, Buffalo’s 13 players with TD grabs tying league record … though one of those scores belongs to Allen himself.

Touchdown Wire

3. Buffalo Bills

(11-3. Last Week: 3)

The Buffalo Bills last secured the AFC East in 1995. Back then, you would have been reading this through either America Online or Prodigy, as that was the first year the internet became fully privatized and those two companies released web browsers to the general public. Bill Clinton was President of the United States, and Jim Kelly was taking the snaps for the Bills.

Of course, that changed this weekend. With their win on Saturday over the Denver Broncos, the Bills earned the AFC East title, dethroning the New England Patriots.

Sure, there is time to talk about how Buffalo might be the most dangerous team in the AFC right now. Time to talk about how the defense has improved in recent weeks to become the unit most were expecting to see when this year began. Time to talk about what the acquisition of Stefon Diggs has meant to this offense and its quarterback. And of course time to talk about that quarterback, Josh Allen, and what his growth and development this season means for the organization, the future in Buffalo and how quarterbacks will be evaluated in years to come.

But for now, from someone who grew up a Patriots fan: Congratulations Bills, and to all the Bills fans out there.

Sports Illustrated

2. Buffalo Bills (11-3)

Last week: Win at Denver 48–19
Next week: at New England (Mon.)

Josh Allen’s all grown up, and so is this Bills group—and it’s no mistake they’re here. Four years of building has manifested in an AFC power that looks like it could be Kansas City’s long-term foil in the conference.

NFL.com

2. Buffalo Bills (11-3)

Previous rank: No. 4

When you haven’t won a division title since “Wonderwall” was on the charts, you don’t go in through the back door. The Bills announced themselves as AFC East champions with authority, bludgeoning the Broncos in a 48-19 coronation at Mile High. Josh Allen accounted for four more touchdowns in his latest superstar-level performance, while the rising Buffalo defense continued its December surge. Buffalo piled up 534 yards of total offense, led by playmaking wideouts Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley, who will soon become the first Bills receivers to go over 1,000 yards in the same season since Peerless Price and Eric Moulds back in 2002. The Bills are a rising tidal wave headed for the great wall that is the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sporting News

3. Buffalo Bills 11-3 (3)

The Bills are locked in offensively because of Josh Allen doing everything well again. For a second straight game, their defense played off that prowess to make big plays to finish off teams. They have developed as the best AFC threat to the Chiefs.

Pro Football Talk

2. Buffalo Bills (No. 2; 11-3)

If anyone from The Field is going to beat the Chiefs, it’s the Bills.

Yahoo! Sports

2. Buffalo Bills (11-3, LW: 3)

The Bills get a small bump up the power rankings, not because of the Packers but because Buffalo continued to get better as the season goes on. This is an impressive team without one bad loss all season.

CBS Sports

3. Buffalo Bills (11-3)

They are flying high on offense now. The Bills have already won the AFC East, which is the first time since 1996. They will be dangerous come playoff time.

Bleacher Report

3. Buffalo Bills (11-3)

High: 3

Low: 3

Last Week: 3

Week 15 Result: Won vs. Denver 48-19

The last time the Buffalo Bills were champions of the AFC East, Bill Clinton was in his first term as president. The top grossing movie that year was Batman Forever (the Val Kilmer one). The highest-selling album was Cracked Rear View by Hootie and the Blowfish. Bills quarterback Josh Allen wasn’t even born yet.

In other words: 1995 was a long time ago.

Twenty-five years later, the Bills are kings of the division once again after blasting the Broncos in Denver. But as Allen told his teammates after the game, the Bills have their sights set higher than just an AFC East title.

“We did something that nobody’s done in a long time,” Allen told reporters. “Understand what’s at stake, though. Understand what there is out there more for us. This hat’s fine and dandy. This hat and shirt’s fine and dandy. I want the one that says Super Bowl champs.”

Given that the Bills are playing arguably their best football of the season as the postseason nears. Allen’s aspiration isn’t unreasonable.

ESPN

2. Buffalo Bills (11-3)

Week 15 Ranking: 3

Most underrated star: WR Cole Beasley

While most of the focus on the Bills’ wide receiver corps has deservedly been on Stefon Diggs, Beasley has put together the best season of his career. He has set personal highs in receptions, yards and yards per catch, and with two games left, he is just 50 yards from his first 1,000-yard season. Beasley is a safety net for quarterback Josh Allen, and this offense would have a difficult time moving the ball without him — even with Diggs’ spectacular numbers.

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