‘“It feels good. The last three or four weeks have been a struggle, not being able to get my hands on the ball as much, but this week showed that when you throw me the ball, I can make the play,” he said in the visiting locker room after the game. “So I was happy to be able to go out there and do what I did today, and hopefully consistently keep that going.”’
Archives for December 2023
Stefon Diggs’ snap count is curiously low in Bills’ win
‘Diggs played just 33 of 55 offensive snaps for the Bills during Saturday’s 24-22 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. That was 60% of the offensive total – the same amount as receiver Trent Sherfield Sr. played.’
Ryan O’Halloran: Buffalo Bills players remember their favorite Christmas presents
‘“I might have been a sophomore in high school and I got my first game console – Xbox 360. My grandma had a PlayStation 2 at her house for anytime her grandkids went over to her house and we would use it. But I hadn’t never gotten an Xbox or PlayStation until that Christmas and it was a big thing because I got to play the games with my high school buddies. Some kids got their first console when they were 13; I got mine when I was 17.”’
Alan Pergament: Tirico, Collinsworth have a lot more fun than Bills fans
‘Perhaps best of all, I don’t think Collinsworth mentioned Kansas City superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes once. Mahomes mentions usually set off Bills fans.’
Gabe Davis, Ed Oliver keep Buffalo Bills’ playoff hopes alive vs. Chargers (Encouraged/worried)
‘When they play the top teams in the league, Buffalo seems to rise to the occasion. Against some of the worst teams in the league, however, Buffalo seems to play down to their competition.’
Bills show they’ve learned from past mistakes to improve playoff hopes by beating Chargers
‘The familiarity of so much that went wrong during the Bills past struggles was apparent at SoFi Stadium on Saturday. The most notable difference was the final score for a team with its playoff hopes hanging in the balance and a group doesn’t often lose once the calendar turns to December, by improving to 17-2 since 2020.’
Bills Savagely Trolled Chargers After Their Crucial Win in Los Angeles
‘As the team boasted about the win on Sunday morning, the Bills’ social media team decided to wake up and be petty. A picture was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, showing a Bills plane flying home to Buffalo with the sign stating “City of Loss Angeles.”’
Bills playoff picture: Buffalo’s updated chances to make 2023 NFL playoffs in Week 16
‘Either way, the Bills have the best playoff chances compared to AFC teams sitting at 8-6. So whether they manage to make a run at the divisional crown or simply settle for a wild-card battle, Buffalo fans will be happy that the team managed to claw back into the playoff race amid what looked, for a while, to be a lost season.’
Opinion: Simon: Bills put us through some major pre-Christmas stress
‘Six days after obliterating a very good Dallas defense, the Bills offense wasn’t the same but they made enough key plays, including a game winning field goal drive late in the fourth quarter, to compliment another strong performance from the Bills defense. Josh Allen completed just 15 passes and was off target on a few throws. Stefon Diggs managed a mere 29 yards on five catches and the running game produced only 105 yards on 30 carries.’
Observations: Josh Allen leads must-have drive to produce must-have win for Buffalo Bills
‘The full Josh Allen experience – good and bad – was on display Saturday at SoFi Stadium. The Buffalo Bills’ quarterback started slow. Then he got hot. Then he threw a bad interception. Then he used all of his size to run for a much-needed touchdown. Then the offense almost gave the game away, only for Allen to lead a go-ahead drive in the final minutes, producing a much-needed 24-22 victory. In addition to not ruining Christmas for the team’s passionate fans, the win improved the Bills to 9-6 on the season and moved them into a playoff spot in the AFC with two games remaining in the regular season.’
Ryan O’Halloran: For Bills, it was ugly, sloppy, disjointed, clunky … and a win
‘Aside from the individual play of defensive tackle Ed Oliver and receivers Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir, the product put forth at SoFi Stadium was subpar. Good enough to beat an interim coach and a backup quarterback, but that’s it.’
‘That’s what they paid me for’: Ed Oliver’s critical sack seals win for Buffalo Bills
‘The Bills tallied five sacks on the night. They did so at a point in the season when defensive tackles Jordan Phillips and DaQuan Jones are both on injured reserve. Floyd said Oliver’s first sack was a culmination of the work of a few pass rushers, and it came at an important time.’
Three questions: Why Bills make it so hard and a look at playoff odds after win in L.A.
‘You lose the turnover battle 3-0, and there’s more than a 90% chance you lose the game. Last season, teams that were minus-3 or worse in turnovers were 2-37. The Bills’ offense got off to a slow start, in part, because the Chargers had a good game plan to defend the Bills’ tackle-pull run plays. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady adjusted and went to inside zone runs, which worked better.’
How It Happened: Standout players, key plays from 24-22 Bills win over Chargers
‘The Bills needed a jolt trailing 10-0 in the second quarter and got it. Quarterback Josh Allen was flushed out of the pocket to his right, but extended the play for 5.50 seconds before throwing deep to receiver Gabe Davis for a 57-yard touchdown. Davis had 20 yards post-catch, and it was his longest reception of the season (previous high was 40 against Las Vegas in Week 2).’
Plays that shaped the game: Josh Allen’s mobility creates biggest plays in Bills win
‘On a third-and-4 play with 2:34 left, the Chargers rushed six, and the Bills kept only five men to pass protect. Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack came unblocked off right tackle because the Chargers stacked the middle, and Spencer Brown turned inside to block blitzing linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu. But Brown missed Tuipulotu, who raced toward Allen just a half-step behind Mack. Allen retreated 7 yards to his own 41 and used his big arm to throw a pass about 35 yards in the air to the right sideline, where Shakir made the catch.’