Two Bills Drive

'Tyrod Taylor said after the game that he didn't take offense to Miller's gesture. But was he laughing because of the joke or because Miller was flagged for it? "Both," Taylor said.'

'Don't look now, but the Bills are 2-1, tied with the Patriots atop the AFC East. They've allowed the fewest points per game (12.3) in the conference, and are looking like a team that should play meaningful games in December.'

'No Bill made any overtly political gestures that week, or later in the season. The issue faded as the year went on. But with Kaepernick unemployed, it regained steam this season. And when President Trump inflamed the NFL by suggesting players be fired for taking a knee, the Bills players finally took a stand.'

'But they're better than I thought when I picked them to go 4-12 this season. That prediction suggested they were a bad team, one of the worst half dozen in the NFL. They're not a bad team, because they have a good defense. And when they play good D in front of their home crowd, they're hard to beat.'

'The penalty also gave Taylor what he craves more than anything while trying to prove he's a franchise quarterback: time and space. The Bills were awarded a critical first down, allowing them to continue their march, burn another 4½ minutes off the clock and set up Stephen Hauschka for a chip shot and the final score.'

'The Bills showed up to play Sunday, as they have in all three games under first-year coach Sean McDermott. If their win over the Jets came was dismissed based on the opponent, and their loss to the Panthers signified trouble for the offense, their 26-16 win over the Broncos confirmed they can play with anybody.'

'The Bills kicker connected on four field goals — from 49, 55, 53 and 27 yards — to pace the team to a 26-16 win and a surprising 2-1 record. Hauschka also nailed both of his PATs to cap his perfect afternoon.'

'With the national anthem serving as their backdrop, Bills players formed a wall far different than the one President Trump still boasts about building. It was their personal statement — derived from a lengthy and emotional team meeting Saturday night — and their collective response to hate, bigotry and needless division.'

'Taylor was at his best in the third quarter, when he led a four-play, 69-yard touchdown drive that took just 1:37 to complete. He made a perfect throw to tight end Nick O'Leary for a 31-yard gain down the left sideline, then two plays later hooked up with Jordan Matthews for a 25-yard gain. On the next play, Taylor rolled out and looked like he might try to run the ball into the end zone, in the process freezing the Broncos. He then found tight end Charles Clay wide open in the middle of the end zone for the go-ahead score.'

'Taylor was particularly good on the go-ahead touchdown drive in the third quarter. He made a pinpoint pass on a dead run to tight end Nick O'Leary for 31 yards. He stood in the pocket with pass rusher Shaq Barrett charging toward him and lofted a floater to Jordan Matthews for 25 yards. Then he patiently ran a bootleg near the goal line and waited for tight end Charles Clay to break wide open in the middle of the field for a 6-yard touchdown.'

'The Buffalo Bills couldn't run, but that was OK.'

'The Bills' passing game finally showed signs of life, thanks in no small part to offensive coordinator Rick Dennison incorporating more moving-pocket plays into the offense. That tapped into Tyrod Taylor's strength, which is his mobility. He finished with 20 completions in 26 attempts for 213 yards and two touchdowns, with a passer rating of 126.'

'Still, the Bills did some necessary tweaking to get more production from their offense. They incorporated more crossing routes to take advantage of the man-to-man coverage the Broncos mainly use, they occasionally had Tyrod Taylor operate from the edge with a moving pocket, they worked in quarterback keepers to help slow down the pass rush, and also changed up pass protections. That went a long way toward minimizing the impact of All-World outside linebacker Von Miller, who finished with only one sack and two quarterback hits.'

'Hauschka was good from 49, 55, 53 and 27 yards, all toward the scoreboard end of New Era Field. He became the first kicker in team history to hit two field goals of at least 53 yards in the same game.'

'“It was in response to our president’s comments, calling people who were peacefully protesting ‘SOBs,’ ” Alexander said. “For me, with the background being Charlottesville and calling neo-Nazis and KKK members fine people – making that comparison and drawing a hard line versus NFL players who were doing something peaceful really touched me.”'