The playoffs are right around the corner, and everyone is getting an idea of which team will make the playoffs. One of the season's more surprising playoff teams has been the Buffalo Bills, and their situation makes for one of the more interesting stories in the NFL.
The Bills aren't the first team one thinks of when it comes to Super Bowl contenders. They don't have the necessary manpower to succeed. While Josh Allen is definitely a talent worth keeping, he's not doing a lot of heavy lifting to get the Bills to where they are now.
The Bills are definitely the weakest team that's in one of the playoff positions. However, they aren't in this position just because of dumb luck.
One of the biggest reasons for their success is their ability to disrupt opposing pass callers. The Bills are fifth-best in the NFL when it comes to passing yards allowed, and this has helped them win games with relative ease.
The biggest impact player for the Bills under this category is undoubtedly TreDavious White. He's already notched four picks this season and should be primed to get a couple of more. He's done a great job of terrorizing opposing quarterbacks as he's also deflected 14 passes so far this season.
However, he isn't the only Buffalo defender who has caused problems for opposing QBs. Matt Milano, Tremaine Edmunds, Levi Wallace, and Lorenzo Alexander have all been pesky passing lane poachers. They've contributed a lot to the elite status of the Bills' passing defense.
Their rushing defense is in the middle of the pack, stats-wise. They are nineteenth in the league with 1251 allowed rushing yards, but that doesn't mean that they're completely useless on defense. They showcased during their Thanksgiving triumph over the Dallas Cowboys that they can capably contain an elite running back like Ezekiel Elliott.
The passing game isn't exactly clicking for them. Josh Allen is definitely a decent quarterback, his numbers aren't really that convincing. He's notched 2591 passing yards and 16 touchdowns to his name, but he's thrown a couple of interceptions as well. John Brown and Cole Beasley have been the biggest contributors to the Bills' passing offense.
However, the offense makes up for it with their elite rushing numbers. They have a knack of getting touchdowns by getting the ball through the ground. While Allen has not impressed much inside the pocket, he's showcased himself to be a very reliable scrambler. He's notched a total of 430 yards and eight rushing touchdowns, proving that their QB sneaks are close to unstoppable. Drank Gore and Devin Singletary are also superb running back options.
It's important to note that they won many of their games against competition that would be considered as subpar. The New York Jets aren't anywhere close to playoff contention this season. The New York Giants are still rebuilding their team around Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. The Cincinnati Bengals are favorites to win the draft lottery. The Miami Dolphins are also in the mix for getting the first overall pick. The Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, and Washington Redskins aren't considered as tough opponents.
The Bills' next three games will be a telling preview of how they will fare if they make the playoffs. The Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots are two of the NFL's top teams. If they manage to pull off an upset against either one of these teams, then their spot in the playoff race is well-deserved.
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