No NFL team has increased its stock in recent weeks better than the Buffalo Bills. The Bills were 5-5 through Week 10 after an embarrassing loss to the Denver Broncos. Since then, Buffalo forced four turnovers in an easy win against the New York Jets, narrowly lost on the road to the Philadelphia Eagles in overtime, beat defending the Super Bowl Champs Kansas City Chiefs on the road, then won 31-10 at home against a 10-3 Dallas Cowboys team.
The win over the Cowboys was the most impressive. Buffalo racked up 266 yards on the ground and held the potent Dallas offense to just 195 total yards. While the team is still on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs, this Bills team is finally starting to find its groove at the right time of the year.
Here are three reasons the Bills are for real after their convincing Week 15 win over the Cowboys.
Offensive balance and the revival of the rushing attack
After a strong start to the season offensively, this team was very much one-dimensional by the beginning of the season. Between Weeks 5 and 9, Buffalo averaged just 84 rushing yards per game, including a miserable 29 yards on the ground against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5. Bills running backs combined for only five carries in that defeat to Jacksonville.
After a defeat to the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, the Bills fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Buffalo was 5-5 at that point and had failed to surpass the 25-point mark in any of its previous five contests. The offense has reemerged in the post-Dorsey games, surpassing 30 points in three of four contests — much of it on the the back of the rushing attack.
James Cook has been at the center of this rushing revival. He is averaging 5.8 yards per carry since Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator, including a career-high 25 carries for 179 yards against the Dallas Cowboys. Cook's effectiveness as a runner has allowed him to be a threat as a receiver as well. The second-year back has three receiving touchdowns during this four-game span while averaging four catches for 52 yards.
No longer is this offense reliant on Josh Allen to make something happen when the play breaks down. The superstar QB had just 15 pass attempts against Dallas, but the offense still scored 31 points. Even without the passing game, this offense is a threat. But if Josh Allen can get back into rhythm, this offense will be scary.
Making plays defensively
The Bills had a five-game stretch in the middle of the season where they forced just two turnovers defensively. They were 2-3 during this stretch while facing three teams currently outside of the playoff picture. Buffalo's defense had success early in the season, forcing multiple turnovers in four straight games (12 total in that stretch) to open the year at 4-1. The defense now has forced a turnover in five straight weeks in a stretch that includes elite offenses like the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and Dallas Cowboys.
The ability to force turnovers takes significant pressure off the offense and will be the key to winning against top teams in the playoffs.
Limiting turnovers on offense
The Bills compounded their mid-season defensive struggles by committing an inordinate number of turnovers on offense. During a six-game stretch, the Buffalo offense committed 13 turnovers. The Bills had multiple turnovers in five of these six games. In that early-season three-game winning streak? Just one turnover. Since Dorsey left, the offense has three turnovers in four games, with no more than one in any of these contests.
The offense is still marching down the field at the same rate, now it can get into scoring position without turning the ball over.
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