Opportunity Knox: Bills TE Poised For Breakout Year?
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While heartbreaking playoff losses can breed problems for most sports franchises, the Buffalo Bills see potential.
Despite their 42-36 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Bills enjoyed a stellar season in 2021. Buffalo finished the regular season at 11–6, clinching the AFC East for the second consecutive year. As a result, the team secured the AFC’s third seed, marking their third consecutive postseason berth and fourth in five years.
Buffalo’s formula for success was certainly no mystery. The team was fundamentally stout in all three phases of the game, and will seemingly remain as such for the upcoming season. From adding outside linebacker. Von Miller [via free agency] to their top-ranked defense, to retaining the services of wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie for their multifaceted offense, Buffalo will present its AFC counterparts with perhaps their toughest test during the 2022 season.
While quarterback Josh Allen deservedly garners the majority of attention, several of Buffalo boasts a great deal of standout players on both sides of their roster; each of which is capable of being an integral part in a potential Super Bowl run.
One name to watch in that regard is Bills tight end Dawson Knox.
Knox was one of Allen’s favorite targets in 2021. The 25-year-old caught 49 passes for 587 yards and nine touchdowns in the regular season. He also hauled in seven catches for 98 yards and two scores in two postseason games. As such, Knox has become a prominent pass-catching threat in Buffalo’s offense.
When the ball is not headed his way, Knox has also stepped up his blocking game on the edge, especially improving upon sealing his blocks. In most circumstances, he is well-positioned to be a problematic player to defend for any team.
The 6-4, 254-pound tight end is at his best when utilizing the intermediate area of the field, particularly against teams with difficulty defending it. The Mississippi product is successful when finding space sitting down in soft zones, as well as utilizing flat combinations. When teams attempt to neutralize the middle of the field by taking away slot targets underneath, Knox often finds room to operate in some catch-and-run situations over the middle.
While he was already expected to be a notable weapon for Allen in the red zone, any deficiency in opposing team’s secondaries allows Knox the opportunity to maneuver in the middle of the field, as well. With star wideout Stefon Diggs likely to draw the attention from opposing perimeter corners, wideouts Gabriel Davis and Isaiah McKenzie will command attention from remaining members of the secondary, namely slot corners and even safeties. If Knox is given room to make plays in the open field, defenses will surely pay the price. Therefore, Allen would be smart to utilize him in this fashion, as well as in short-yardage scoring situations.
As he heads into the final year of his rookie contact, Knox is undoubtedly looking to maximize his value. With the arrival of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard via free agency, along with the emergence of several pass catching receivers, some have speculated that his productivity may diminish. However, Knox has proven himself worthy of the added attention he received in 2021.
His opportunity is knocking, and the Bills are more likely to be a dangerous team if they choose to answer.
