Two Bills Drive

‘“I always have faith in our defense and in our game,” Miller said. “We knew it was going to be rainy and it was going to be a little bit cold. We were just going to have to go all the way down to the last second. No way you can visualize it being like this, but we knew it was going to be a tough game. So, starting the second half, it just fell into exactly what we expected.”’

‘Trailing by 17 points, Allen authored the biggest comeback of his pro career, helping the Bills score on four of their final five drives, running when he had to, showing patience when it was required and expertly managing clock and situation.’

‘“We missed him. He’s a game changer,” defensive end Greg Rousseau said. “He’s a first team All-Pro caliber player. Having him out there makes the biggest difference for us. I’m grateful that he’s back out there.”’

‘The short-term implications are just as important. Keep in mind that the Bills are in the middle of a rugged early stretch of the schedule. If they can come out of it 4-3 after the home game against Green Bay, they are in good position for the AFC East division race and for playoff seeding in the AFC. If they’re 5-2, they’re in great position.’

‘“Tall defensive lineman with his hands up. I was trying to see around him to see where my guys were. But I saw Duvernay late. If I would have seen him right off the bat, that would have been a touchdown. The lineman had his hands up and was bull-rushing a little bit and got in my peripheral. So, I couldn’t really see what was going on and the play was breaking down. I tried to get back some more, but it was too late.”’

‘The Ravens reached the Bills’ 1-yard line in the final six minutes and had second-and-goal. But running back J.K. Dobbins was thrown for a three-yard loss by Milano. Two plays later, on fourth down, safety Jordan Poyer intercepted Jackson’s desperation heave in the end zone.’

‘They eyeball test and the stat sheet continue to tell a much different story about the Bills’ running game. Buffalo finished with 125 yards on 25 carries – an average of 5.0 yards per attempt – but it was quarterback Josh Allen who again led the team on the ground. Allen had 11 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown. He’s the only player on the team with a rushing touchdown in the first month of the season. Allen’s running ability is a huge part of the offense, but it continues to be less than ideal that the “traditional” way of running the ball hasn’t been more impactful. An example of why that remains troubling: The Bills’ first four second downs featured this many yards to gain to achieve a first down: 9, 10, 10, 10. Being unable to run the ball on early downs is putting the offense in tough spots. Devin Singletary had 48 yards on 11 carries, with a long gain of 18 yards, while Zack Moss was limited to just 6 yards on three carries. Other than last week’s 43-yard run against the Dolphins, Moss has really struggled. A 7-yard run by Singletary and a 3-yard run by Allen to get a first down put the Bills in position to kick the game-winning field goal with no time remaining.’