The Bills faithful should certainly celebrate their win over the Patriots in Week 8. In an exciting finish involving a turnover by the Bills, Buffalo took the 24-21 win over New England.
But exactly how to champion this victory has a fan base split a bit as the morning after rolls around.
Yes, the Patriots (2-5) have dominated Buffalo (6-2), the division and the entire AFC at certain points over the past two decades. But like many wins the Bills have put together this season, we’re seeing some more paper covering some big cracks for the Bills.
It was a fun win and there’s no reason not to be happy about a win. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott will be the first one to remind us that it’s not easy to win in the NFL… and with that in mind, that’s exactly how this victory should be digested.
The Bills beat the Dolphins, Jets, Raiders and Rams this season. Due to the insane circumstances that got us across the finish line, the only win that’s different from the rest of the those was the one against the Rams. A big lead turned into a choke job turned into resilient effort from the Bills.
But even that win did something eerily similar to Buffalo like this Patriots win: Covered those cracks right up.
At the middle point of the 2020 NFL season, it’s time to admit the Bills defense just isn’t what we’re used to and they’re no longer good. Jon Feliciano showed us Sunday that one player in the trenches can make all the difference as Buffalo’s rushing attack finally came to life with him in the lineup. Maybe that’s the case for Star Lotulelei and this defense.
Lotulelei opted out of the COVID-19 season. But there’s a big difference between those two optics. The Bills offensive line is OK, so bringing a solid player in should be felt. Their defense, as a whole not just the defensive line position group, was previously elite and that’s a collective effort, like being smacked week after week against opposing running backs is.
Beating the Pats, again, should be celebrated. But the Bills did not beat the Patriots that were 32-3 against them while Tom Brady was quarterbacking the ship. You beat the same fan base in New England on Sunday, yes, but not the same team. Don’t mix that up.
Buffalo topped a team with their first three-game losing streak in 19 years that had more players opt-out of playing in 2020 than any other team. Remember how we just discussed Lotuleli, one single playing opting out, and how he might have a big impact on the Bills defense? The Patriots had more of those than anyone else in the NFL this offseason. Not to mention their best playmakers on both sides of the ball, wideout Julian Edelman and cornerback Stephon Gilmore, did not play due to injury.
The Bills beat the Patriots… but did not beat those Patriots.
This was not the statement win it would have been even just a season ago. The Bills are actually 0-2 so far in such games. The win some wished this one was would’ve been against a New England squad fresh off a Super Bowl or at least an AFC Championship Game visit.
Buffalo’s two losses? The two teams who played in that exact AFC bout a year ago, the Chiefs and the Titans.
Taking the full scope of things, we’re allowed to say the Bills have taken some steps on offense like quarterback Josh Allen looking better. But if we’re honest, we should also say we’re waiting for a statement win which hasn’t come yet… and even doing that is OK, too. What’s wrong with having the bar set high?
Now to round things out on the bright side: The Bills still have an entire half of a season to still do this, and doing so against the Seahawks next weekend could be exactly that.
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