Grading the Buffalo Bills in their 48-19 victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday at Empower Field at Mile High …
RUNNING GAME: A+
Even when it took a clear back seat in priority to the passing game, it still produced in a big way. Quarterback Josh Allen scored twice on the ground, including once from 24 yards out. That gives Allen 25 career rushing touchdowns, which ties Jack Kemp for the most in team history by a quarterback. Rookie Zack Moss powered his way to 81 yards on 13 carries, an impressive 6.2 yards per rush. Devin Singletary put the cherry on top of the offensive explosion with a 51-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter, rescuing what had been a ho-hum game for him to that point. He finished with 68 yards on eight carries. Even operating out of an empty backfield as much as they did, the Bills were still able to finish with 182 rushing yards.
“We did what we had to do. They had to control us or try to stop us,” Singletary said. “They weren't able to do that today. We executed well at a high level, so just got to keep that going.”
Here’s a breakdown of key plays from the Bills’ 48-19 victory, starting with arguably the most impressive pass by Allen.
PASSING GAME: A+
Allen continues to blossom into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He looked in complete control the entire game, finishing 28 of 40 for 359 yards and two touchdowns. Had the team needed it, there’s no telling how many yards Allen could have thrown for. He’s now thrown for exactly 4,000 yards. He’s 359 behind Drew Bledsoe’s team record of 4,359 yards set in 2002. Stefon Diggs had 10-plus catches for the third game in a row, finishing with 11 for 147 yards. He makes the game look easy – which can be said of all the greats. All of Buffalo will now hold its collective breath as Diggs’ foot injury is evaluated. With eight catches for 112 yards, Cole Beasley joined Diggs in topping 100. They became the first Bills duo to do so in a game since Stevie Johnson and Lee Evans on Oct. 24, 2010 against Baltimore. Give Brandon Beane a pat on the back for signing Beasley in free agency. That move has paid off in a huge way.
RUN DEFENSE: B
The Buffalo Bills’ star receiver entered Saturday’s game against the Denver Broncos needing a single catch to set the franchise single-season record. Diggs got it on the very first offensive play.
It was an up-and-down start for middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. He made four tackles on the first drive. Two were within 2 yards of the line of scrimmage, but another one came 10 yards downfield after Edmunds appeared to take a poor angle. Safety Jordan Poyer made a big stop for no gain, while linebacker A.J. Klein had a stop for a short Denver gain. Defensive end Mario Addison got fooled on a read option by Broncos quarterback Drew Lock, who kept the ball and ripped off a 14-yard gain. Addison, though, came back to team up with defensive tackle Ed Oliver to stop a run on second and 10 by the Broncos for just a 2-yard gain. That forced the Broncos into third and long.
PASS DEFENSE: A
Levi Wallace will be kicking himself after failing to hold onto an interception on Denver’s first offensive possession. Later, Taron Johnson couldn’t hold on for what might have been his second pick-six in as many weeks. The defensive line was active, as Oliver, A.J. Epenesa and Vernon Butler all batted passes down at the line of scrimmage. Oliver had a violent sack of Lock in the fourth quarter. Even in a blowout win, Lock managed to throw for just 132 yards. That’s a really weak showing, but the Bills’ secondary deserves credit. They did work against the Broncos’ young receivers. Rookies Jerry Jeudy and K.J. Hamler combined for just two catches that gained 23 yards. The only player the Bills had a tough time with was Broncos tight end Noah Fant, who finished with eight catches for 68 yards. Addison got a sack. So, too, did Tre’Davious White, who forced a fumble that defensive end Jerry Hughes picked up and took to the end zone. After the game, White tweeted “Just call me Bruce Smith Jr. now!!!”
Hey, after a win like that, why not?
SPECIAL TEAMS: C
At first, all that talk about "The Process" made us smirk, made us laugh, made us roll our eyes, writes Vic Carucci.
Andre Roberts made a rare, costly mistake, muffing a punt in the second quarter that set the Broncos up for their first touchdown, briefly making a game of it. Roberts rebounded nicely by returning the opening kickoff of the second half 53 yards before leaving the game with a lower-back injury. Punter Corey Bojorquez’s only attempt of the game was a monster, 63-yard punt that hung in the air for more than 5 seconds and was not returned. If a punt can swing momentum in a game, Bojorquez did it.
“Bojo's got one of the biggest legs in the NFL, so it's not really surprising, but definitely when you see that ball in the air and it's traveling 60 yards, 70 yards, definitely gets you motivated to go out there and get a stop,” Poyer said.
All nine of Tyler Bass’ kickoffs went for touchbacks. Bass also made a pair of 27-yard field goals.
COACHING: A
Marv Levy sent Sean McDermott a congratulatory email after the game. Fitting, since McDermott is the best coach the Bills have had since Levy – by a mile. All week, and all season really, the Bills have been focused on the task at hand. Even with a long-sought-after division title looming, McDermott wouldn’t allow his team to look ahead. That’s good coaching. It wasn’t a perfect Saturday. The offensive penalties in the red zone were maddening – and just might get the Bills beat against a better opponent. McDermott’s challenge was ill-advised. The defense was surprised by a third-and-8 run play by Denver that went for a touchdown. While it wasn’t perfect, it was more than good enough. The Bills are for real, and it starts with their head coach.
