Bills 'Right on Time!' Notebook: 3 Takes on Buffalo AFC East-Clinching Win
After a dicey first half, the Buffalo Bills sprinted past the Chicago Bears for a 35-13 win to clinch the AFC East for the third straight season.
The Bills trailed 10-6 at halftime before outscoring Chicago 29-3 in the second half. With the victory, Buffalo remains the No. 1 seed in the AFC ahead of their pivotal Monday night matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2.
And the running game helped ...
“Right on time, though,” said Devin Singletary. “It’s right on time."
Here are three takeaways from the Bills’ sixth straight win.
Keep running the ball:
Josh Allen usually has to do it all on the ground and through the air for Buffalo.
That wasn’t the case on Saturday against Chicago.
Singletary had 12 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown, while James Cook finished just shy of the century mark, running for 99 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown. Allen also had a good day on the ground with six carries for 41 yards and a touchdown.
It wasn’t just Buffalo running for 254 yards. The Bills’ balance can be a difference-maker in January and February if they can replicate this performance.
Singletary and Cook performing like this will take a load of pressure off of Allen and may be why Buffalo gets over the hump in the playoffs.
Timely defense:
Buffalo’s defense struggled at times, but critical stops allowed them to pull away and stay ahead of the Bears.
Dan Jackson forced David Montgomery to fumble in the third quarter, and three plays later, Cook ran for a 27-yard touchdown to give the Bills a 21-10 lead.
Chicago also turned it over on downs twice in Buffalo territory, including a fourth-quarter stop inside the Bills’ 20-yard line.
With Von Miller out for the season, the Bills lack a star player that can take over a game. If the Bills’ defense can continue to step up as a unit and get timely stops, they may be able to overcome his absence in the playoffs.
Josh Allen’s ups and downs:
Buffalo’s playoff hopes are tied to which version of Allen shows up.
The highs of Allen make Buffalo one of the best teams in the NFL, but the lows may be what dooms them in the playoffs.
The lows were on full display with his interception in the end zone in the second quarter and another pick that led to a field goal for Chicago in the fourth quarter.
In a loaded AFC, Allen needs to be at his best, especially on Dec. 2 against the Bengals. If Allen slips up on Monday Night Football, the Bills could fall out of the No. 1 seed, and their path through the playoffs becomes significantly tougher.
Get things just right, right now? That'd be "right on time.''
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