CBS Sports

‘And in the 2020 season, Allen and Buffalo’s offensive erupted after a certain pass-catching individual was acquired via trade in March. Another important element to the Bills’ ascension — offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s doing what the analytics have suggested for years now — throwing more than running, especially on first down. The Bills finished the regular season with the highest first-down pass rate in all situations at 61% and the highest first-down pass rate in neutral situations — point margin between -8 and +8 at 64%.’

‘Daboll was widely considered a hot name this offseason, what with his high-flying Bills offense taking the league by storm and propelling the team to an AFC title game berth. (Buffalo ranked second in both yards and points during the regular season, as well as fifth in offensive efficiency, per Football Outsiders’ DVOA.) Daboll’s work with Josh Allen, in particular, was a feather in his cap, particularly for teams looking to pair their young quarterback with a coach who can take him to the next level.’

‘Frazier joins a growing list of potential candidates to take over after the firing of Bill O’Brien during the season and the team’s decision to seemingly pass on awarding the job to interim head coach Romeo Crennel, though nothing’s been decided yet on any front. An added feather (or two) in Frazier’s cap is the fact he’s won a Super Bowl ring as both a player and as a coach, having joined the Bills in 2017 following a brief stint with the very same Ravens organization he just sent home packing. As talented of a defensive mind as you’ll find, Frazier was part of the legendary Chicago Bears unit that terrorized opposing offenses in the early- to mid-1980s, having since spent time in both the collegiate and professional ranks honing his skills — including as former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings.’

‘They took to Reddit to figure out what Jackson’s favorite charity is, per NBC 4 Washington, and then got to work sending donations its way. The charity is the Louisville Chapter of Blessings in a Backpack (based in Louisville, Kentucky, where he launched his Heisman-winning collegiate career), a non-profit specializing in ensuring children are fed through federal programs and especially during pandemic-ridden times that’s led to a mandated closing of many schools. A subreddit has now been set up to aid in the donation process, but you can also visit the website directly to do so and/or for more information on what the charity does and how successful they’ve been in their mission to keep kids away from hunger.’

‘That defense, man. It’s kind of funny how Sean McDermott’s prized unit basically took a back seat to Josh Allen’s rocket-armed offensive showcase this year, only to resurface here and almost literally win the Bills their first AFC title-game bid since 1993. Everyone played well, from Micah Hyde collapsing on wideouts to Matt Milano and Tremaine Edmunds containing Lamar Jackson to Tre’Davious White and Taron Johnson (!) suffocating the passing windows. Allen was good enough to manage the lead after connecting with Diggs to cap one of the night’s few seamless drives, and both Diggs and John Brown showed up, but this one was all about Buffalo’s “D.” Johnson will be a staple in Bills lore for that pick-six.’

‘The Ravens rushed for 150 yards while the Bills had just 32 in the game. Here’s how Baltimore dominated the box score, but still only managed to score three points — tied for the lowest ever in the John Harbaugh era and the lowest in franchise playoff history.’

‘In the bigger picture, however, Johnson’s pick-six was just as notable. By racing past the Ravens — Jackson included — the veteran Bills cornerback for 101 yards, he tied the NFL record for longest postseason interception return ever logged, matching a record first set by former Green Bay Packers safety George Teague in the 1993 playoffs.’

‘And the Academy Award for Best Actor goes to … Josh Allen! In the midst of Buffalo’s AFC divisional-round matchup with the Baltimore Ravens, the Bills quarterback showed off his acting chops, which helped him draw a roughing the passer penalty in the first quarter of Saturday’s contest. The award-winning and critically acclaimed performance came on a first-and-10 play from the Baltimore 22-yard line. Allen dropped back to pass and ended up throwing the ball away. However, as he threw the incomplete ball while under pressure, he was tapped by defensive tackle Justin Madubuike. That’s when the show began.’

‘”We’re pretty confident in being able to contain him,” Bills linebacker Matt Milano said earlier this week, via Matt Parrino of New York Upstate. “You gotta be ready to rock, you know? He can make anything happen at any time. Being aware of him at all times is gonna be key for us,” Milano said. “We just gotta be sound tacklers. A lot of other quarterbacks could just run it up and they’re gonna slide or be one cut. With Lamar, he’s a very shifty guy. … You just gotta make a play. That’s what it really comes down to.”‘

‘It’s up to Allen, then, not only to manage the ball in what could be a lower-scoring, weather-affected battle but also showcase his trademark aggressiveness when the opportunity presents itself. When the Ravens blitz, for example, Allen can’t afford to stumble into turnovers considering the way Baltimore is capable of keeping possession for long stretches of time. But it’s his arm, above all, that needs to shine if the Bills want to best a run-heavy Ravens squad, so he’ll have to be looking to take shots when extra pressure arrives.’

‘”What he’s done in the offseason and what he’s done this season, it’s amazing to see,” Martindale said. “His accuracy on the move, his accuracy in the pocket, everything he’s done, he’s done accurately.”‘

‘Freeman spent the bulk of the 2020 season with the New York Giants, signing a one-year, $3 million deal with the club back in late September. He played in just five games for New York as a depth piece and totaled 172 yards on the ground and a touchdown. He also caught seven balls for 58 yards. The 28-year-old was limited throughout the year due to an ankle injury and then finished the season on injured reserve before being waived by the club last week.’

‘Moss suffered the injury early in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s matchup after a player landed on him and forced him down awkwardly. Moss was then carted off the field and held out for the rest of the contest. The rookie finished the game with 21 yards on the ground and caught four passes for 26 yards through the air.’

‘But notice the run-pass splits. Buffalo finished this regular season with nearly 10% fewer rushing yards than the NFL average, but had a whopping 20% more passing yards than league average. While not pictured in the table, this year’s Bills had 17.7% more passing first downs than league average, the 1990 iteration was exactly at the NFL average with 161 passing first downs. There’s your difference in offensive philosophies over 30 years of NFL football.’

‘While Rivers quickly got his offense back to the line-of-scrimmage, the Bills were awarded a timeout just before the Colts snapped the ball. The timeout gave the officials time to review the play, which surprisingly was not overturned. What was more surprising was the Bills not losing a timeout after the officials reviewed the play.’