Bills Central

Bills' top-rated players against Ravens in NFL Week 1 has shocking leader

The Buffalo Bills top-5 rated players from Week 1 against the Ravens have a surprising name atop the list.
Buffalo Bills tight end Jackson Hawes warms up prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Buffalo Bills tight end Jackson Hawes warms up prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Bills pulled off an unbelievable comeback win on Sunday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens.

They were down by 15 points with four minutes to go, and found a way to reel off 16 points en route to a 41-40 victory. Such a win is only possible when several players step up, which was the case in this one.

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The biggest name to get praise for the win is quarterback Josh Allen, who went off in the fourth quarter. There was also Ed Oliver who forced a late fumble on Derrick Henry, helping fuel the comeback.

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen has his eyes on his receiver before throwing the pass against the Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen has his eyes on his receiver before throwing the pass against the Ravens at Highmark Stadium. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As impressive as they were, neither was the top-rated player for Buffalo in Week 1. Instead, that honor belongs to rookie tight end Jackson Hawes, who earned a 93.7 grade. Hawes, who had just one catch for 29 yards, which set up a touchdown from Allen, was solid on his few passing routes but excellent in blocking. Hawes earned a 94.1 in pass protection and 73.9 in run blocking.

Behind Hawes was Oliver and Allen at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. The top five was rounded out with defensive end Greg Rousseau and wide receiver Keon Coleman.

  • Jackson Hawes, TE, 93.7
  • Ed Oliver, DT, 92.1
  • Josh Allen, QB, 87.0
  • Greg Rousseau, DE, 79.7
  • Keon Coleman, WR, 78.2

It was a great showing for all five of these players, but Hawes' performance was easily the most surprising. Then again, offensive coordinator Joe Brady tried to let everyone know how highly he thought of the fifth-round pick.

Buffalo Bills tight end Jackson Hawes warms up prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
Buffalo Bills tight end Jackson Hawes warms up prior to the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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Randy Gurzi
RANDY GURZI

Randy Gurzi is a graduate of Arizona State and has focused on NFL coverage since 2014.