Five things to know about Buffalo Bills heading into the playoffs
As the Bills head to the playoffs next Saturday for the third time in coach Sean McDermott's four seasons, here are five things to know about the team that has won the AFC East crown for the first time since 1995:
1. Short week? No problem.
Having to turn around and play on a Saturday after wrapping up the regular season with a 56-26 win over Miami last Sunday shouldn't present an issue. In fact, those 56 points came after a short week and against a team with extra time to prepare.
This week, both teams will be coming in with equal practice time.
What's more, the Bills came through with perhaps their most important win of the season, a 26-15 triumph over the Pittsburgh Steelers, five days after returning from a cross-country trip to visit the San Francisco 49ers.
After Pittsburgh came a road trip to Denver six days later. They won big there, 48-19.
2. Their offense is built for today's NFL.
In what became the highest-scoring season in NFL history, the Bills responded by putting together their highest-scoring team.
They finished with 501 points, second only to Green Bay's 509, thanks to the breakout season by quarterback Josh Allen (396-for-572, 4,544 yards, 37 TDs, 10 interceptions), who was assisted greatly by newcomer and leading receiver Stefon Diggs (career highs of 127 catches and 1,535 yards).
Diggs' totals also were NFL highs. Thus he becomes the first player to lead the league in receiving yards in his first year with a team.
Allen set nine Bills season records in 2020.
3. Their defense has stabilized.
Although the Bills have surrendered 375 points, which ranks just 16th in the league, they have made a dramatic turnaround in the second half of the season, particularly in closing with a six-game winning streak.
In that span, the Bills allowed just 18.3 points per game.
When they're at full strength, they're tough to beat. In fact, they're 10-0 in games linebacker Matt Milano has played. He missed Weeks 5 and 6 (losses to Tennessee and Kansas City) and essentially the entire month of November with injuries.
4. Culture has carried them.
The Bills lost important receiver Cole Beasley, who remains week-to-week with a knee injury, for their last game. All they did was score 56 points against Miami, which entered with one of the league's elite defenses of 2020.
They not only believe they can beat anyone, but now they expect to beat everyone in their path.
5. Keep an eye on: John Brown.
The wide receiver, who last season delivered career-highs of 72 receptions and 1,060 yards in his first year with Buffalo, missed Weeks 11-16 with a high ankle sprain. But he returned for last week's game and caught all four passes thrown his way.
If the Bills have to go without Beasley again Saturday against the Indianapolis Colts, at least they should still have two receivers (Brown and Diggs) coming off 1,000-yard seasons in 2019.
