It wasn’t a pretty match, but a win is a win.
The Buffalo Bills got off to a slow start against the New England Patriots, but found a way to get ahead late in the game and never looked back. Josh Allen and the offense weren’t as lackluster as usual in this game, but the defense stepped up after a slow start. This unit produced three turnovers in the second half, including a fumble recovery in the end zone for a touchdown. The team performed well in frigid weather to defeat the Patriots 24-21.
Following the three-point win, Pro Football Focus evaluated Buffalo’s roster. Here are the best and worst players on the team.
Top 5 attack results
FB Reggie Gilliam: 81.4OT Dion Dawkins: 78.2C Connor McGovern: 71.0LG David Edwards: 70.2QB Josh Allen: 68.2
The left side of Buffalo’s offensive line held its own against the Patriots. This trio all performed well in pass blocking. McGovern led the way in this category with a score of 83.8, followed by Dawkins with 82.1 and Edwards with 77.7. Dawkins was the best of the trio in run blocking at 72.3.
Even though Sunday was an average game at best for Allen, the quarterback posted a top-five offensive grade. Allen earned a run grade of 77.1 and a pass grade of 61.5 in the win.
Top 5 defensive records
DE Von Miller: 83.0DT Ed Oliver: 81.7CB Taron Johnson: 71.8CB Christian Benford: 71.6DB Cam Lewis: 67.4
Two defensive linemen led Buffalo in defensive performance. Von Miller posted an 83.0 overall grade, but his best grade was in the pass rush category. Miller recorded a grade of 91.0. PFF credited Miller with leading the victory with five fast breaks. Miller has continued to shine as a pass rusher throughout the season. Buffalo just hopes Miller can continue this in January.
Bottom 3 in offensive performance
WR Khalil Shakil: 50.5WR Amari Cooper: 48.6RG Osyrus Torrence: 47.0
Khalil Shakir had a rare off day in Buffalo’s offense. The receiver will miss a deep ball from Allen and will likely catch it nine times overtime. He finished the game with 22 yards on six targets and just two catches.
Osyrus Torrence had the worst offensive performance, but analytics sites may have been a little harsh on the sophomore guard. Torrence was solid in pass protection, and his ability to reach the second level was a big reason why James Cook was able to steal a 46-yard touchdown run to get the Bills ahead.
Bottom 3 in defensive performance
LB Dorian Williams: 39.6DT Austin Johnson: 37.2LB Baylon Specter: 29.7
It would be no surprise if Bayron Specter ranks last in the Bills’ defensive performance. Spector entered the game suffering from a calf injury that showed on the field. Specter was often out of position in coverage, which resulted in a 29.2 grade in that category.
Dorian Williams also had a bad year as a linebacker, but Williams was able to get into the Patriots’ backfield and make an impact by landing on the Patriots’ snaps at the perfect time. Williams has some weaknesses, but his athleticism alone makes him an attractive option going forward as a linebacker opposite Terrell Bernard.
*Minimum of 10 snaps will be used for top 5 and bottom 3 grades
