Tag: Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

Bills’ Nyheim Hines: ‘Felt like Damar Hamlin was out there with us’

#Bills’ Nyheim Hines: ‘Felt like Damar Hamlin was out there with us’on kickoff touchdowns:

The Bills beat the Patriots in NFL Week 18  to secure the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoff picture and did so in aerial fashion.

Buffalo got the scoring started right off the bat thanks to a trade deadline acquisition GM Brandon Beane brought in to stabilize the teams’ kick return duties while adding depth at the running back position.

On Sunday, RB Nyheim Hines made good on the returns on that deal.  Literally.

It started on the opening kickoff to the game, when Hines took it 96 yards to the house for a touchdown at a max speed of 21.25 mph which was good for a career-high carrying.

And it didn’t end there.

If you might be wondering how Hines could top a game-opening 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown? How about a 101-yard return to give the Bills another lead yet again in the third-quarter…

He became the first player in Bills franchise history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game, while also becoming the first Bill to log 235 kick return yards in a single game as well. Hines also became the first NFL player in history to have a game with 2 punt-return TDs and a game with 2 kickoff-return TDs in his career.

Buffalo improved to 13-3 in the regular season, matching a franchise-best mark during an emotional week that culminated in an inspired performance in lieu of everything that had occurred with Bills safety Damar Hamlin.

“It was spiritual,” Hines said after the game. “I felt like he [Damar Hamlin] was out there with us.”

On the field, Hines became the 1st player since Leon Washington (2010) to have 2 kickoff-return TDs in the same game.

Quarterback Josh Allen added three additional passing touchdowns to the cause in the victory. After the game though, he opened up about Hines’s return and what he felt and experienced.

“Obviously, that first kickoff, and you couldn’t have scripted it any better man, that one was pretty emotional. Just the way it happened,” Allen said during his postgame press conference. “You want the truth? It was spiritual it really was. Bone-chilling like, it was special”

While sharing how he’d just been told it’d been 3 years and 3 months since the Bills last returned a kickoff for a TD, Allen became visibly emotional, per Hamlin’s jersey number three.

And when asked where the memory ranked in his memory of experiences, he opened up further, saying “I can’t remember a play like that touched me like that, I don’t think in my life. So it’s probably number one.”

Instead of Bills special teams coach Matthew Smiley or Hines himself, Allen pointed to something greater behind the experience.

“It was just spiritual,” Allen added after a week of prayers around the league and sports world. “I was going around my team saying ‘God’s real’. You can’t draw that one up, you can’t write that one up any better.”

With a win against the Jets on Sunday, low-temperature enthusiast and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel and his club will return to Highmark Stadium to face the Bills in the wild-card first round of the NFL playoffs next weekend, having lost to Buffalo during their most recent visit.

As seen today for the Bills, having an explosive and reliable return man can make a significant impact on the overall game, giving the team momentum they’ll need going into the playoffs.

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Bills vs. Patriots: 5 things to watch for during Week 18’s game

#Bills vs. #Patriots: 5 things to watch for during Week 18’s game:

The finale to the regular season has arrived, and for Buffalo, it features a familiar foe.

The New England Patriots travel to Orchard Park this week for a 1 pm EST game on Sunday.

The Pats will look to avenge an NFL week 13 loss to Sean McDermott’s club while the Bills will play for the first time since an unprecedented near-tragedy in a now-canceled game against the Bengals.

Here are five things to watch for during Thursday’s Bills-Patriots matchup:

Bills offense welcome run game contributions vs. Patriots

#Bills offense welcome run game contributions vs. #Patriots:

Buffalo rookie RB James Cook had a career evening in Foxborough, MA on the way to a 24-10 Bills victory over their AFC East rival, the New England Patriots.

Cook led the team in rush attempts and yardage on the ground, also hauling in six targets that made him second in receptions on the night. In all the first-year pro had 14 carries for 64 yards with 41 yards receiving.

The contest was the third in which he logged double-digit attempts rushing, and marked the best overall performance of his young career.

Much of the Bills ground game has previously been carried on RB Devin Singletary’s shoulder, so what’s led to the increased role on offense? In part, the playcalling has been more balanced, but there are some other things Cook’s head coach noticed as well.

“It was just overall his growth and seeing what he can do,” Sean McDermott said to the press postgame. “Rotating different guys in there. It was just all Motor (Devin Singletary) and I think that’s a good thing there.”

The playcalling was absolutely a factor in giving the running back’s group a chance to gain ground in the offense, and the coach acknowledged how offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey has been reading when to run or pass the football.

“I thought coach (Ken) Dorsey did a really good job of changing it up. When the run is working like it was at times, just being able to stick it–And sometimes it wasn’t–but just being able to stick with it, I thought he was very patient in that regard. I thought the O-line did a very good job up front,” McDermott added.

Cook’s teammates noticed the impact he and Singletary, who added 51 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown, had in the win.

“We got the backs that can make explosive plays. They do a great job,” WR Stefon Diggs said during his media session. “It helps the pass game.”

Diggs went on to praise Cook specifically, adding “He’s a special player… He’s young. He’s growing and he’s growing in the right direction fast.”

“He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands,” QB Josh Allen said about Cook. “The more we can get him going, in the long run, is going to benefit us.”

Veteran center Mitch Morse noticed the overall development as well, speaking favorably as well about how this Bills team is evolving and expanding to be more multi-dimensional in their offensive game plan and attack.

“It felt good to execute in the run game to give ourselves a little bit of a cushion at least to not feel like we had to just drop back and play one-dimensional,” Morse said.

The team will have the opportunity to continue to build on their performance in the coming weeks, as they square off at home against the Jets and Dolphins in back-to-back AFC East matchups on December 11th and 18th.

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Bills ‘thankful’ to get first divisional win vs. Patriots

#Bills ‘thankful’ to get first divisional win vs. #Patriots:

The Bills shook off losses in their first two division matchups of the season to notch their first AFC East victory of the year on Thursday Night Football.

The team, who lost road games against division foes in the Jets and Dolphins earlier in the season, ended the night with a 24-10 victory over the Patriots at Gillette Stadium on a cold, blustery New England night.

Buffalo looked to be finding more rhythm on offense than they had previously this season in divisional matchups. Meanwhilte, more members of the defense stepped up to contribute as well.

“Just trying to find a way to win. Took a team effort,” DE Shaq Lawson said to the media. “Complementary football, all three ways. Just find a way to win.”

Head coach Sean McDermott was pleased with the progress and victory the team left Foxborough with.

“I mean a divisional win is important. We knew coming in here was gonna be tough,” McDermott said during his postgame press conference. “Like I said against a really good football team. They’re really well coached and prepared every week so we’re thankful to get a win, and in the division on top of that.”

The AFC East has gradually grown more competitive, something Bills LB Von Miller noted recently.

“I think (with) some of the offseason moves, you can see it starting to get better,” Miller said via the team’s website. “The Jets are definitely not the same Jets team that they’ve been over the last couple of years. The Miami Dolphins as well. The New England Patriots, they’ve put together some great games this season. It’s competitive. I don’t think it’s all of a sudden though.”

Next up, the team will head back to Buffalo to host a pair of division matchups at Orchard Park. They will once again face the Jets and Dolphins, this time at home, for their final meetings of the regular season.

Both games will be important in the Bills’ quest for a third straight AFC East crown as well as in making the playoffs.

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Bills’ Josh Allen on Patriots matchup: ‘Last year has no effect’

#Bills’ Josh Allen on #Patriots matchup: ‘Last year has no effect’

The Bills will face the Patriots this week for the NFL’s Amazon Prime broadcast Thursday Night Football game.

Buffalo has performed well against New England in recent years, going 2-0 at Gillette Stadium and 3-1 overall in games that saw Bills Quarterback Josh Allen throw at least two touchdown passes with 9 total TDs in each of his past three games at Gillette Stadium, with only one interception.

Still, he knows as well as anybody that nothing’s guaranteed from one season to the next, after falling to two division opponents on the road already this season in the Dolphins and Jets.

“We understand as a team that what we did last year has no effect, and is not going to help us in any way in this next coming game,” Allen said during his media availability this week about facing the Patriots. “They’re a team that is playing at a high level right now. We’ve got to be ready for whatever they can throw at us. We’ve got to be ready to go win over there in a division game and a hostile environment.”

Bills defensive coordinator and assistant head coach Leslie Frazier echoed a similar sentiment to Allen’s. 

“We really have to play extremely well as we go on the road against New England and try to find a way to get a win,” said Frazier per Patriots.com. “And that will set us up for the next game and the next game, but it starts with this game next week and really being able to put together a good game plan and being able to go out and execute at a high level. Anytime you’re playing against an AFC opponent, in particular one in your division, it just raises your awareness of what you have to get done.”

Surely having two division losses to their record this season may also provide that motivation to find a way to get a win, especially with rematches at home with the Jets and Dolphins next up on the schedule.

The good news is that Buffalo players are excited for the away game matchup against the Pats.

“Obviously, big divisional rival game this week,” Safety Jordan Poyer said to the press about the matchup. “We’re excited to play on the road in New England. This is what NFL football is about.”

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Bills at Patriots: 5 things to watch for during Week 13’s game

#Bills at #Patriots: 5 things to watch for during Week 13’s game:

The Buffalo Bills will remain on the road this week, following consecutive wins in Detroit they will now face the New England Patriots in Week 13.

With an opportunity to gain ground in their division, there are certain things to keep an eye out for.

Here are five things to watch for during Thursday’s Bills-Patriots matchup:

Bills TE Dawson Knox on his historic performance in wild-card win

#Bills TE Dawson Knox on his historic performance in wild-card win:

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Bills TE Dawson Knox had a career year in the regular season and is already making big plays in the postseason as well.

In the first round of the playoffs, Buffalo turned in a historic 47-17 win that featured a touchdown on every one of their seven offensive drives.

Knox was a big part of starting that run.

He hauled in the first two scores of the day, becoming the first TE in NFL history with two receiving touchdowns in the first quarter of a playoff game.

He also became the first Bills tight end with two scoring catches in a playoff game and the first franchise player since Bill Brooks in (1994 vs. LA Raiders) with multiple touchdown receptions in a single postseason game.

The third-year pro out of Ole Miss would finish the day a perfect five-for-five and lead all receivers with 89 yards.

At 25 years old, Knox has taken the next step in his development to become an impact player for the Bills, setting the single-season franchise mark for touchdown catches by a TE.

That progression has now translated into the postseason as well.

“We always talk about starting fast and when we get the ball first we want to put seven on the board,” Knox said while addressing the media after the game.

“This league’s just a week-by-week deal, we’ve seen that this year. It’s been a roller coaster of ups and downs, but you’ve got to treat every game with a life of its own,” he continued. “You can’t just assume we’re going to go out and do the same next week, we got to put in the work every single day when we talk about being championship caliber, and that starts tomorrow with the film correcting all the mistakes. And just enjoying the win but at the same time being ready to move on to the next opponent.”

Knox will have a chance to do just that as he and the teams’ focus now turns to their preparations for the second round of the playoffs.

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Bills QB Josh Allen’s historic streak continues in playoff win

#Bills QB Josh Allen’s historic streak continues in playoff win:

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Bills QB Josh Allen is no stranger to making history.

In only his fourth year in the league, he’s done plenty of both already and shows no sign of slowing down or stopping anytime soon.

Recently he has been on a streak of record-setting performances, some of which have been showcased at the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

That streak continued in Saturday’s contest, as Allen made more history.

 

Allen went 21/25 throwing more scoring tosses (5) than incompletions (4) on his way to becoming the first QB in NFL history to go for 300-plus passing yards with five-TDs, and 60-plus yards rushing. He also became the first player in league history with 5 passing TDs, an 80% completion percentage, and 50-plus rushing yards.

With the win, Allen had his fourth career playoff game with 250+ yards passing and 50+ rushing, which is significant in that he is the only player in the Super Bowl era with more than two.

His five passing touchdowns in the game were a new Bills single-game playoff record as well.

One thing that is exciting for Bills fans and concerning for their future opponents is that at age 25 we likely haven’t even seen Allen’s ceiling as to what he can achieve.

In Saturday’s contest, he would lead the Bills offense to a touchdown on every offensive drive that he was under center, racking up seven total TDs for 47 points and 482 total yards on the day.

His impressive numbers left many with few words to describe them, including Bills TE Dawson Knox.

“When you throw more touchdowns than incompletions I think that speaks for itself, ” Knox said while addressing the media after the game. “There’s not much to be said when you have stats like that.”

“I mean obviously, the plays that he’s made all year is incredible, I think his passer rating was almost perfect tonight and it’s insane so it’s fun,” he added about Allen.

As head coach Sean McDermott points out, the progression from the raw talent Allen showed on arrival to the NFL to the dominant performance in Sunday’s win, is the result of his work in the weeks before games.

“It’s fun to watch young players develop. There’s a lot that goes into that,” McDermott said during his postgame press conference. “And number one is the player, in this case, Josh, taking great ownership of his development and his preparation this week is what led him to the results you saw on the field.”

Allen will look to continue to put the preparation in ahead of Buffalo’s next playoff game, as Buffalo moves a step forward in the direction of the Super Bowl.

One thing that’s become clear, is that the QB is preparing and playing at the next level the Bills will need him to if they are to reach it.

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Josh Allen admits he tried to throw away first Bills TD to Dawson Knox

Josh Allen to Dawson Knox the first time was a thing of beauty that was never supposed to happen: ‘I thought I threw the ball away’

Bills TE Dawson Knox turned in a memorable 2 TD performance Saturday, becoming the first TE in NFL history to do so in the first quarter of a playoff game.

He caught every one of his five targets for 89 yards in the Bills’ seven TD 47-17 win over the Patriots.

That included an impressive toe-tap grab in the back of the endzone that had an 18.4% completion percentage, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

It was the second-most-improbable TD catch of the 25-year old’s career, and it turns out there was more than one reason for that.

After the game, Knox shared what he saw then learned from QB Josh Allen during and after the play.

“It’s just another scramble drill, and we know how many incredible plays he’s made on the move this year,” Knox said while addressing the media.

“So I was just kind of moving around on the back of the end zone looking at him and he threw the ball up and I thought he was throwing it to me, and I was like ‘wait I can get this one’. Thankfully caught it, celebrated, got to the sideline, I was like ‘thanks man, thanks for throwing it up, giving me a chance’, and he was like ‘I meant to throw it away!’

The special catch did not go unnoticed by his quarterback either.

“That’s what I was trying to do,” Allen joked at first while addressing the press. “Honestly, I thought I threw the ball away, he made an unbelievable play.”

“I did not mean for that to happen but Dawson was in the right place at the right time, ” he added regarding the heads-up play.

Knox set the Bills franchise record for TD catches in a single season this year by a TE and has been opening some eyes and turning some heads with his improved level of play.

He has the right quarterback for the job, as Allen has become known for eye-opening plays and performances on the field as well.

The sequence may sound familiar to NFL fans. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers made headlines last season with a similar throw-away play to the same corner of the endzone, only to have RB Jamall Williams catch it.

Knox certainly didn’t seem to mind one bit.

“You know, it just worked out for us.”

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Bills vs. Patriots: 3 keys to a Buffalo wild-card win

Bills vs. Patriots: 3 keys to a Buffalo wild-card win:

If there is still any question as to who the top team in the AFC East is, it will be answered this weekend.

The No. 3 seeded Bills will play the No. 6 seed Patriots who earned a Wild Card spot despite dropping three of their last four games. Buffalo, meanwhile, is riding the momentum of a four-game win streak that includes a victory in Foxborough and three wins at home in Orchard Park.

The teams meet there in Western New York this Saturday at 8:15 p.m. ET, with the chance to have the final say as to who the better squad is.

With that, here are three keys to a win for the Bills (11-6) against the Patriots (10-7):