Tag: buffalo bills vs. pittsburgh steelers

Bills’ Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox were taken aback by Josh Allen touchdown run

Bills’ Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox were taken aback by Josh Allen touchdown run:

The Bills welcomed the Steelers for a Wild Card round matchup at home in Orchard Park on Monday night

And Buffalo ended Pittsburgh’s season with a final score of 31-17

And the first several big scoring plays for Buffalo came by way of three of their biggest offensive players in the passing game.

Tight ends Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid created mismatches with their size while providing big targets for quarterback Josh Allen, who found each for the Bills’ first two touchdown catches of the game.

Knox came through when his number was called for a touchdown play for the second consecutive week, and is now tied for the second most postseason TD catches in Bills franchise history.

“I was surprised it was that open” the veteran noted after the game, as he and Kincaid fielded press conference questions on their respective scores.

“It was the look we wanted,” added Kincaid about his touchdown play. “I don’t want to say I knew right away, but I had a pretty good feeling pre-snap and then post-snap it’s exactly where we wanted them to go to and Josh threw a great ball.”

The rookie led all receivers with 59 yards and the score amidst a well-spread-out passing game.

The two catches for scores gave Buffalo an early 14-0 lead. It was the first time that two tight ends for a team caught first-quarter touchdown passes in NFL postseason history

Allen was firing on all cylinders. He went for 203 passing yards with three touchdown tosses and 74 yards on the ground including a 52-yard scoring run which was good for the longest carry of his career. It was also the second-longest quarterback run in postseason history.

“It was third and long they played man,” the Bills QB said while breaking his play down for the press. “Didn’t have a great man call on so I decided to try to find a lane and got 15, 20 yards downfield and there’s a lot of guys screaming ‘slide’ and I didn’t slide and scored, so it worked out that time.”

The breakout rushing play impressed both Bills’ tight ends as well.

“It’s almost normal now, him making a crazy play like that almost every single game,” Knox added. “Sometimes you just can’t help but sit back and be a fan.”

The Josh Allen experience is still a newer one to the rookie Kincaid.

“It’s still surprising to me,” Kincaid said of Allen’s big plays. “Like ‘how does he stay up? How does he get the extra yards?’ and then tonight was ‘how did he score that touchdown?’, so I don’t know when it’ll get normal but it’s cool to watch.”

The Bills quarterback was firing on all cylinders. He went for 203 passing yards with three touchdown tosses and 74 yards on the ground including a 52-yard touchdown run which was good for the longest carry of his career.

“He’s a special player,” Kincaid added. “Best quarterback in the league for a reason.”

Josh Allen on Bills facing Chiefs: ‘It’s going to take a team effort’

Josh Allen on Bills facing Chiefs: ‘It’s going to take a team effort’

The Buffalo Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-17 on a snowy night at Highmark Stadium Monday in the Wild Card round to open their postseason campaign.

This after a 5-0 run of the table by the Bills, capped off by defeating the Miami Dolphins in South Florida to end the regular season and claim their fourth straight AFC East crown and the No. 2 AFC playoff seed.

Buffalo needed a victory to advance back to the Division round and host AFC rival and past playoff nemesis, the Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday.

And they did just that.

A year after an unceremonious loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at home in the Divisional round, HC Sean McDermott and his team find themselves back on their home field with a shot at redemption and a chance to return to the AFC Championship game.

“That’s a heck of an opponent,” McDermott said about facing Kansas City. “We’ll have to regroup tomorrow as a staff and I know some of our staff has already been working on the Chiefs, and that’s kind of what you do as a position coach, you’re able to look ahead a little bit.”

Buffalo lost their two previous postseason meetings with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in contests where the Bills’ offense gave them leads late in games, only for their defense and special teams to struggle to get stops.

Bills QB Josh Allen knows all too well that they’ll need to compete in all three phases for them to have a chance for victory.

“It’s gonna take a team effort,” Allen said postgame via CBS. “They’re playing really good football right now. We know the type of team that they are and obviously the type of quarterback that they have in Pat over there. We’re gonna need everybody in Bills Mafia to be here and support us, and I’m just thanking God that we get another chance to play another game.”

For the second game in a row, the Bills were riddled with injuries and will await word on the status of certain players ahead of the division-round matchup.

“I hate to see guys go down on either side of the ball really, it’s one of the things I pray for before every game is making sure that both sides are safe from serious injury,” Allen said during his media session.

With this past weekend’s scheduled Sunday afternoon game being moved to Monday night due to weather, it leaves one less day of recovery for the Bills before their next game.

“I mean you guys have heard we got the 24-hour rule, but when it’s a short week it’s got to be even quicker than that,” TE Dawson Knox said about the Bills’ turnaround time. “That 24-hour window to kind of enjoy the win, it’s got to be a little shorter so you know we’ll be getting in the training room even tonight taking care of our bodies, we got some players banged up that we’ll need, so we’ll be turning the page pretty quick.”

A man of few words known as stoic by his teammates, RB James Cook who led the ground game with 79 yards rushing on Monday perhaps said it best when asked about the matchup with Kansas City. 

“Two good game teams ready to come and play. May the best team win.”

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Bills Wire AFC Wild Card Player of the Game: QB Josh Allen

Bills Wire AFC Super Wild Card Weekend Player of the Game: QB Josh Allen:

The Buffalo Bills advanced to the AFC divisional round with a win against the No. 7 seed Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday afternoon and will welcome the No. 3 seed Kansas City Chiefs next weekend.

After taking a two-touchdown lead in the first quarter, the Bills staved off a Steelers rally in the final 15 minutes and won 31-17.

There are several players among offense, defense and special teams who could have won this week’s Bills Wire Player of the Game. We are awarding it to quarterback Josh Allen, who was 21 of 30 for 203 yards and three touchdowns, along with a 52-yard rushing touchdown:

Allen’s score was his fourth rushing touchdown in the postseason. Additionally, this was Allen’s second playoff game with no interceptions or fumbles — the first came in the Bills’ blowout wild-card win over the New England Patriots two years ago.

Allen found both tight ends in the first quarter for touchdowns, and his solo run for a touchdown midway through the second quarter energized the faithful fans who braved the snow. It was Allen’s longest rush in his entire career. His previous longest postseason rush was for 42 yards in his first playoff game, which came against the Houston Texans in the 2019 AFC wild-card round.

The Bills will use the next week to prepare Highmark Stadium to host the reigning Super Bowl champion Chiefs in the divisional round.

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Report card: Bills fall 27-15 in preseason loss to the Steelers

Report card: #Bills fall 27-15 in preseason loss to the #Steelers:

The Buffalo lost its second preseason contest of 2023 to Pittsburgh 27-15 on Saturday.

While the final score may imply that it was close, the points came late in the game for the Bills, who looked outmatched at least for the day by the Steelers, who competed effectively in all three phases.

Based on previous comments by head coach Sean McDermott about not focusing much on the Colts ahead of their first preseason game, but instead on themselves and what they need to do and evaluate as a team and roster, it may be nothing to worry about.

It is, after all, only the preseason.

Then again, the Bills starting offense struggled to get going in limited action, and their defense failed to stop the Steelers offense.

Here’s how Bills Wire graded Buffalo’s performance against the Steelers…

Bills’ Stefon Diggs breaks down successes vs. Steelers coverage

#Bills’ Stefon Diggs breaks down successes vs. #Steelers coverage:

Buffalo defeated Pittsburgh 38-3 over the weekend thanks in part to a dynamic day in the passing game.

The Bills took full advantage of their air attack in the win over the Steelers, and it sounds like it has a lot to do with familiar coverage schemes by opposing defenses.

The teams’ top receiver Stefon Diggs shared on how the offense is attacking and finding such windows of opportunities for big plays like the one that landed him a TD catch in the contest.

“Every team is going to play you different,” Diggs said to the media after the game. “Some guys are going to call it and play, man, some guys have confidence in their guys, some guys want to play zone. Schematically, we’ve seen everything. We’ve seen the guys who crawl up and we get a lot of big plays. And then we see the guys who play it, we’re going to play zone, make ‘em move down the field one play at a time.”

Diggs would finish the day 8 for 11 with 102 yards and the touchdown.

The veteran knowledge and elite skill he brings to the offense has benefited Buffalo in more ways than one, as he’s notably played a part in the development of emerging star receiver Gabe Davis as well.

Even still, they along with their teammates and coaching staff know, no matter what type of defensive scheme is thrown their way, that there is always room for improvement.

“You learn a lot from your experience whether it’s positive or negative,” head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday via video conference. “You use it as you go forward and as a person individually, as a team in this case. When you’re in those games, just being in those games to begin with is a great educator for us as coaches, players, and our football team.”

The Bills will now turn their focus to an AFC rival in the Chiefs, who they’ll face in Kansas City next Sunday October 16th. It will be the teams first meeting since KC knocked the Bills out of last year’s playoffs.

With championship aspirations in their sights, Andy Reid’s team may be one of the final hurdles for Josh Allen and company en route to a Super Bowl appearance, so the game could once more preview yet another matchup between the conference heavyweights. 

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Bills rookies Khalil Shakir, James Cook score first NFL TDs: ‘Just took off’

#Bills rookies Khalil Shakir, James Cook score first NFL TDs: ‘Just took off’

The Buffalo Bills beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in convincing fashion Sunday, putting on an offensive display en route to a 38-3 victory.

While top target WRs Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis hauled in scoring tosses from Bills QB Josh Allen, there were plenty of opportunities to spread the ball around.

Two of the beneficiaries of that big day of offense were none other than two of the teams’ rookies they selected in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Just before halftime, WR Khalil Shakir caught a 24-yard TD completion.

“I just had a shoot route across the field,” Shakir said to the press after the game. “They were in man coverage, so I just noticed that and just took off.”

Later in the fourth quarter, RB James Cook got in on the action as well. Following a 41-yard catch by Diggs, the RB took a handoff from Allen all the way into the endzone on the next play for a 24-yard scoring run.

“I think it was a good read by him, good cut,” said head coach Sean McDermott to the media. “The O-line did a good job, and it looked like he had some blocking down the field.”

The TD marked the very first of the year for the Bills that didn’t come by way of a Josh Allen pass or run. Cook’s the first RB for Buffalo to score one rushing this season.

He celebrated with a leap into the arms of Bills fans in the stands.

“That’s great,” McDermott said. “Here’s a young man that played at Georgia, not really from around here, but he’s adjusting and (knows) enough to give Bills Mafia what they so deserve. And I think that’s pretty cool to watch a young man to have the wherewithal after his first touchdown and the awareness to celebrate that with the fans, so that’s special. It’s a feel-good moment, for sure.”

The coach wasn’t the only one to take notice of the rookies, as WR Stefon Diggs quipped “They did all right” during his press session alongside Shakir.

The Bills took the University of Georgia product Cook with their second-round selection in this year’s Draft, and Shakir out of Boise State in round five. With injuries on both sides of the ball, it was time for the rookies to step up to provide depth for the Buffalo offense, and they did just that and more.

For the passing game to continue to fire on all cylinders in the absence of weapons like starters TE Dawson Knox and WRs Isaiah McKenzie, Jamison Crowder and Jake Kumerow was significant and noticed by Allen.

“Talk about a guy like Shakir who gets thrown in the starting lineup,” Allen said during his postgame press session. “We’re down two slot guys, and he goes in there and has a great day.”

Another member of the receiver corps who has gone down a similar path is third-year WR Gabe Davis.

“Yeah, I mean I played that same role two years ago, my rookie year. I know how it is,” Davis said during his press conference. “It’s just a commitment and a certain type of discipline to this game. And Khalil has that, and he’s going to be a great player.”

The receiver sounded prepared for the role he was asked to play.

“I got plenty of reps throughout the week, so was just doing my job,” added Shakir about his day. “I look at it as: If Josh has enough trust to throw it up to me, with (that) many guys around me, then I’ve got to do my part, so he just threw it up, and honestly, just found the ball, made a play, and wasn’t trying to do too much or too little there- just trying to do my job.”

Davis seemed to know what they were getting in the rookie as well.

“We knew since Khalil came into OTAs that he was going to be a good player,” he continued. “He’s been consistent, he listens, he’s a smart player. To see him have games like that, it’s no surprise to us.”

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Want to win your survivor pool? Who to take in Week 5

Breaking down the best strategies of how to win your NFL survivor pool, starting with who to pick in Week 5.

Some of you have been tossed out of NFL Survivor Pools with all the unforeseen outcomes of early season games. Whether it was the Baltimore Ravens‘ brutal loss to the Miami Dolphins or the Los Angeles Chargers laying an egg against the Jacksonville Jaguars. For those of you who are left, it is time to decide on your next play to hopefully stay alive.

Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!

– All games Sunday and ET unless noted

The chalk: Buffalo Bills

Who they play: Home vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m.

This could be the easiest pick of the entire season. Not only is Pittsburgh coming off a devastating 24-20 loss to the New York Jets, but they have also decided to move on to rookie QB Kenny Pickett for this showdown.

The last meeting between these teams, a 23-16 victory by the Steelers on opening day last season, has left a bitter taste in the mouths of Bills QB Josh Allen and company. They will want to avenge this loss while also hoping to gain their position back atop the AFC East with a victory and a potential Dolphins loss. Vegas thinks this will be a non-competitive game with the Bills listed as 14-point favorites. I agree and therefore the BUFFALO BILLS ARE MY FAVORITE SURVIVOR PLAY in Week 5.

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Off the board: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Who they play: Home vs. Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m.

QB Tom Brady and the Buccaneers looked terrible on Sunday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs in a 41-31 loss. With all the devastation left from the remnants of Hurricane Ian, it is easy to see why they were preoccupied. This week will be different.

The Buccaneers got behind early in Week 4. This led them to have to abandon the run game (6 carries for 2 yards). The Falcons’ defense is mediocre at best and the Buccaneers will reassert the run game with RB Leonard Fournette here.

On the other side, TE Kyle Pitts has still not been involved in the game plan for the Atlanta Falcons this season. Their only true weapon to this point, RB Cordarrelle Patterson (leg) is now on IR, and it will be left to rookies WR Drake London and RB Tyler Allgeier to get the offense in motion.

The Tampa Bay defense was embarrassed Sunday. It will show this week what it truly is against a depleted Falcons offense. The line for this one is Buccaneers -8.5 (-110), and this is about right. But do not be surprised if this game gets out of hand in favor of Tampa Bay.

Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Others to consider

San Francisco 49ers: at Carolina Panthers, 4 p.m.

Kansas City Chiefs: Home vs. Las Vegas Raiders, Monday 8:15 p.m.

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If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.

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Power Rankings: Unless you’re the Chiefs, you’re (probably) below the Bills

Power rankings polls following the Buffalo Bills in Week 14.

The Buffalo Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 26-15, on Sunday Night Football, during the Week 14 slate of NFL games and are now 10-3. The Bills inched closer to clinching a playoff spot. 

But really the focus isn’t on the Bills and Steelers in this week’s power rankings. Instead, it’s on the Bills and Kansas City Chiefs. 

Aside from Buffalo, there’s only one team in the league that’s consistently ranked higher and it’s the Chiefs… and hey, that’s a conversation the Bills will gladly accept. You vs. the defending champ? What more could one want?

With that, here’s exactly how some of the national power ranking polls break down the Bills after Week 14: 

USA Today

4. Bills (5)

What a year from WR Stefon Diggs, who leads the league with 100 grabs and will set Buffalo record for one season – he currently shares it with Eric Moulds – with his next reception.

Touchdown Wire

3. Buffalo Bills

(10-3. Last Week: 5)

Don’t look now, but the Buffalo Bills might be the second-best team in the AFC.

They made such a case on Sunday night, dispatching the Pittsburgh Steelers and showing strength on both sides of the football. In the first half it was their defense. While Josh Allen and company were struggling the Bills notched a defensive touchdown on this Pick-Six.

In the second half, the offense made their mark. Buffalo scored on their first two possessions of the third quarter, and on their second such touchdown drive Allen hit on three big passing plays, including a rocket shot for a touchdown to Gabriel Davis.

With the win, the Bills ensured that for the first time since 2008 a team outside of New England will win the AFC East. Buffalo can lock the division up next Saturday with a win over the Denver Broncos. But with how they are playing right now – on both sides of the ball – their eyes should be aimed higher.

Sports Illustrated

3. Buffalo Bills (10-3)

Last week: Win vs. Pittsburgh 26–15
Next week: at Denver

Washington ruined Buffalo’s chance to hand Pittsburgh its first defeat of the season, but this was nonetheless a statement win for the Bills, who are closing in on what would be their first AFC East crown since 1995.

Sporting News

3. Buffalo Bills 10-3 (5)

Josh Allen is red-hot again and the Bills are showing all kinds of offensive swag, led by Stefon Diggs. Their defense is also starting to come up with big plays. Taking down the 49ers and Steelers back to back in a short week is impressive.

Yahoo! Sports

3. Buffalo Bills (10-3, LW: 5)

The Bills defense played its best game of the season on Sunday night. We all know that side of the ball has talent, and has probably underachieved a bit this season. If the performance against the Steelers was a sign that the Bills can play like a top-10 defense the rest of the way, look out.

Bleacher Report

3. Buffalo Bills (10-3)

High: 3

Low: 4

Last Week: 5

Week 14 Result: Won vs. Pittsburgh 26-15

At 10-3, the Buffalo Bills are on the verge of their first AFC East title in a quarter-century.

Sunday night’s statement win over the Pittsburgh Steelers established the Bills as perhaps the biggest threat to Kansas City in the AFC. The Bills are riding as high as they have since the 1990s.

It’s funny how that coincided with the arrival of Stefon Diggs in western New York.

With 10 catches for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers, Diggs has already tallied 1,167 receiving yards on 100 catches for the season. After the game, Bills quarterback Josh Allen raved about the impact Diggs has made for the team.

“All he wants to do is help his team win football games,” Allen told reporters. “He’s a competitor, and we have very similar mindsets. I love the guy. He goes out there and competes his tail off and I’m just super blessed that we traded for him.”

The tests aren’t over yet for the Bills, who face New England and Miami over the final two weeks of the regular season. But in Gagnon’s opinion, it’s well past time to take the Bills seriously as a Super Bowl threat.

“For a while, I was afraid to trust the Bills because they lack experience and their so-so scoring margin was concerning,” he said. “But they’ve now won four of their last five games by double-digit margins, and their only loss since Week 7 came on a Hail Mary on the road against a playoff-caliber team. It’s time to admit they’re a true contender.”

Pro Football Talk

2. Bills (No. 4; 10-3)

Some teams step up in December. Some teams don’t. The Bills are.

ESPN

3. Buffalo Bills (10-3)

Offense: 9

Defense: 15

Special Teams: 18

The Bills’ offense is a complete turnaround from last season’s anemic unit, as Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs have combined to form one of the most potent QB-WR duos in the NFL. Although their defense began the season hemorrhaging yards, it has regained its 2018 and 2019 form over the past few weeks. Mix in a special-teams unit that features the league’s most efficient returner in Andre Roberts, and you’ve got a team ready to make a deep playoff run.

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PODCAST: Bills made the playoffs and we’re happy about it

Kyle Silagyi is joined by Justin DiLoro, Rich Kowalski, and McKenna Middlebrook to discuss the Buffalo Bills’ playoff-clinching victory.

The Buffalo Bills are making a habit out of qualifying for the postseason.

The team clinched a playoff berth with its Week 15 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, improving to 10-4 on the 2019 season.

It’s the second time that the Bills have qualified for the playoffs in the last three years, a much-welcomed change from the team’s stretch of mediocrity that has consumed much of the 21st century.

Led by a talented young quarterback and a stout defense, it looks as though Buffalo could make some noise in the postseason. On this episode of The Kyle Silagyi Variety Hour, host Kyle Silagyi is joined by BillsWire staff writers Rich Kowalski, Justin DiLoro, and McKenna Middlebrook to discuss the Bills’ playoff-clinching win.

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Sean McDermott ‘humbled,’ but not satisfied with playoff berth: ‘We haven’t arrived’

Despite securing a spot in the playoffs, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott has larger ambitions.

For a handful of fanbases around the NFL, a postseason berth is not a triumphant experience.

Though qualifying for the playoffs is undoubtedly a significant achievement, it’s one that some fanbases have come to expect. The joy of seeing an ‘x’ next to a team’s name in the standings wears after it’s become the norm for a few years.

In Western New York, however, that joyous feeling never gets old.

An ‘x’ now sits in front of the Buffalo Bills’ name in the standings for just the second time this century, as the team secured its second playoff berth of the millennium with a Week 15 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It’s the second time that the Bills have qualified for the postseason under head coach Sean McDermott, who led the team to a 9-7 record and a wild-card berth in the 2017 season.

After a near two-decade-long streak in which the beloved franchise failed to reach the postseason, two playoff berths in three years almost feels a bit gluttonous.

The only head coach to create sustained success at One Bills Drive this century, McDermott realizes just how special a playoff berth is for the accolade-starved Buffalo faithful.

He also knows the value of every win in the NFL.

“It just feels good to win a game,” McDermott said following the team’s 17-10 win at Heinz Field. “It’s hard to win a game. Then when you talk about playoffs, being here three years, to be in it two out of three years, what a blessing.

“It’s all people. It’s all the people behind me in that locker room, all the people back home at One Bills Drive, all of our fans. The fans [Sunday], in a place like Pittsburgh, unreal. I’m humbled by it, yet we’re hungry to continue to grow and get better.”

Statistically, the year’s Bills team is the best of the millennium – and there are still two weeks remaining in the campaign. Buffalo currently sits at 10-4 on the year, its first double-digit win total since the 1999 NFL season.

Its defense is one of the best in the league, this made evident by its five takeaways against Pittsburgh. Its offense, when clicking, is exciting, with sophomore quarterback Josh Allen often looking like a future superstar.

Though having a spot in the postseason secured in mid-December is favorable, it’s hard to feel completely satisfied with Buffalo’s playoff berth, as it feels like the start of a new era rather than the culmination of a solid year.

With young, budding superstars at a number of key positions, a proven head coach, and a healthy salary cap situation, it’s clear that the Bills have been built for perennial success.

Though pleased with the playoff berth, McDermott knows that the team has larger ambitions.

“I’m just grateful to be a part of it,” McDermott said. “Again, just grateful to be a part of the group of guys and gals that are behind me in that locker room. They work extremely hard.

“Coming to Buffalo three years ago now, two and a half years ago, whatever it’s been, a lot of people said ‘Why are you going there? You’re not going to be able to get it turned around.’ We got it turned around, with a lot of work yet to do. We haven’t arrived, we have a lot of work to do, but I’m just humbled by it.

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