The Buffalo Bills had so much hype coming into the 2021 season and a few weeks in, were thought to be arguably the best team in the league. But things have fallen off since that time. The Bills entered Sunday's matchup against the Carolina Panthers looking to snap their two-game losing streak and keep the AFC East division alive. The New England Patriots lost on Saturday, 27-17, to the Indianapolis Colts, opening the door.
Buffalo took care of business Sunday, hammering the Panthers 31-14. Here are the key takeaways from Buffalo's win.
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Bills Week 15 Takeaways from win over Panthers
3. Buffalo is capable of running the football
A lot of the talk after last week was Buffalo's inability to run the football. Entering Week 15, Bills quarterback Josh Allen led the team in rushing.
Buffalo had used a combination of Devin Singletary, Zack Moss and Matt Breida at running back throughout the season. But it appears as though the Bills have finally settled on a guy. That guy is Devin Singletary.
Devin Singletary puts the @BuffaloBills on the board! #BillsMafia @motorsingletary
📺: #CARvsBUF on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/gIgzlTNOrF— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021
He showed off his elusiveness and agility, making guys miss tackles throughout the game. Singletary finished with 22 carries for 86 yards and a rushing touchdown. He also brought down a pass for 10 yards.
If the Bills are going to make any noise as the season winds down, it is essential they have some form of a rushing game. Even if Singletary didn't run for a ton of yards, arguably the most important thing today was that he ran the ball 22 times. That is critical for Buffalo's success.
2. The Bills defense is not as dominant as it once was
Midway through this NFL season, it was looking like the Buffalo Bills had the best defense in the league. They were turning people over consistently, were among the league leaders in sacks and flat out dominated games.
However, injuries and inconsistent play have brought the Bills defense back down to Earth. They lost Tre'Davious White for the season with a torn ACL a couple weeks ago on Thanksgiving.
I expected them to completely stifle the Panthers on Sunday, but that did not happen. Once again the Bills rush defense looked shoddy at best. The Panthers ran for 151 yards on the ground, at over five yards per carry. Cam Newton was able to sustain drives and keep the Bills offense off the field for a lot of the first half.
Fifth straight game with a Cam Newton rushing TD! #KeepPounding
📺: #CARvsBUF on FOX
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/ARhwyXgRLN— NFL (@NFL) December 19, 2021
For the first time in Newton's career, he rushed for a touchdown in five straight games. Thankfully for the Bills, their offense kept the momentum they picked up during the 2nd half of last week's loss to Tampa Bay. Josh Allen threw for three more touchdown passes, Stefon Diggs getting one of them.
1. Buffalo's game at New England in Week 16 will decide the Bills fate
With the win Sunday, accompanied by New England's loss the night prior, Buffalo is now only one game behind the Patriots. The Bills travel to New England in Week 16 in what will not only potentially decide the division, but also the Bills realistic chances at making a deep run.
During the loss to New England a couple of weeks ago, the weather had a severe impact. The wind had gusts up to 60 miles per hour, and the Patriots took advantage. They only attempted four passes all game. New England ran the ball down Buffalo's throat. The Bills cannot allow that to happen again. But I would fully expect the Bills to run the ball a bit more than they did in that same game.
If the Bills can pull out the road win, they will jump New England atop the AFC East via divisional record. Buffalo then finishes the season with games against the Falcons and Jets. They will be heavy favorites to win both of those games. That would go a long way toward hosting a playoff game or two, or possibly missing out entirely.
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