Meet the underrated Bills player who can impact divisional round game against Ravens

All the attention is on the quarterbacks Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson in the upcoming divisional round matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens. There is one player on the Bills that is starting to get attention despite not being one of the bigger names on the team.

Fullback Reggie Gilliam has proven throughout his career to be a bit of a Swiss army knife for Buffalo, whether he's running the ball, blocking for his running backs, catching the ball or making the tackle on special teams. The Bills have asked Gilliam to do a lot on the team and he has responded.

In Sunday's 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos in the wild-card game, Gilliam played in 13 snaps on offense, which is 17% of the offensive plays where he was primarily used as a run blocker. He also stepped up on special teams, playing in 86% of the snaps.

He received praise from CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz for his ability to do multiple things to help Buffalo out. ESPN's Mina Kimes posted also even gave Gilliam his props on social media showing the play where he made a block on Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad that helped James Cook gain 19 yards and have the Bills in a first and goal situation.

Buffalo’s FB, Reggie Gilliam, has had double digit snaps in 6 of the Bills’ last 7 games, including the wildcard win. Buffalo’s 2 back sets had the highest success rate of any grouping they used yesterday. pic.twitter.com/zpDDv16wQE
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) January 13, 2025

This is something Bills fans have been accustomed to as Gilliam has been one of the most underappreciated players on the team since joining the team in 2020. His career stats include 111 receiving yards, 10 rushing yards and two receiving touchdowns on offense. Gilliam's special teams impact might be just as impressive with 15 tackles, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in his career.

The 2024 season has been Gilliam's best with special teams, as he posted a career-high four tackles in 15 games. His percentage of playing time was second in his career, as he appeared in 15% of the offensive snaps and 83% of the special teams snaps. He was asked to step up on special teams as well as be a fullback and tight end for the Bills when injuries occurred.

Buffalo's last game against Baltimore is one the Bills would like to forget after losing to the Ravens 35-10 in Week 4 of the regular season. Due to the struggles of the Bills' offense, Gilliam did not play as much as he played in just five snaps, which is just 8% of the offensive snaps. Even on special teams, his snap count was down as he appeared in 81% of the special teams snaps.

The Bills understand the importance of the running game, as Buffalo is one of the most balanced offenses in the league. This is the same unit who became the first team in NFL history to score at least 30 passing touchdowns and 30 rushing touchdowns in one season.

Some might balk at the idea that a fullback could significantly impact a game. Gilliam has proven that the Bills will need him against an aggressive and physical Baltimore team to open up the holes for Cook and company in the backfield. The Ravens will be adding more to the box to stop the run which allows Gilliam to either pop a linebacker from plugging up a hole or send him out on a pass when the defense less expects it.

Buffalo doesn't need Gilliam to rack up anything on the stat sheet. What will be most important is what gritty work he can do to help the Bills win the most crucial game of the season.

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