It happened again after Buffalo’s Week 16 win over the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football. “Good try,” McDermott said with a smile, once again declining to answer. “I appreciate the effort, man.”
There was some significance in the way the Bills absolutely picked apart the Patriots in a 38-9 drubbing. Buffalo became the first team to sweep the Patriots in the regular season since 2000, which was Bill Belichick’s first year with the team. There have been plenty of “passing the torch” moments this season following Buffalo’s ascension and New England’s slide, and this may have been the most glaringly obvious one yet. After two decades of Patriots dominance, the AFC East is now Buffalo’s division.
What was striking about the victory, however, was just how matter of fact it seemed. Just like the many games that came before it, a Bills win — and a comfortable win, at that — always felt inevitable. It didn’t matter when the Patriots caught the Bills off guard on a handful of plays in the game’s opening minutes. The Bills were always going to win this one, and they were going to do so handily thanks to players like Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs.
A final score of 38-9? Piece of cake. Had the Bills wanted to run up the score and leave Allen in the game, they could have flirted with 50 like their win over the Broncos from two weeks earlier. In Week 17, the Bills did in fact score 56 points in a blowout win over Miami.
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Esta historia es de la edición January 26, 2021 de Bills Digest.
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TRACKING TRAINING CAMP
Bills Digest was there for all the big moments at training camp. Here are some observations …
‘We're constantly trying to evolve'
For more on what’s happening within Buffalo’s offense, here are some highlights from offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s recent press conferences.
‘On the field you must flip that switch'
Here are some highlights from head coach Sean McDermott’s recent press conferences.
ALLEN GETS HISTORIC DEAL
Bills QB now under contract through 2028
Right back in the swing of things
It’s fair to say that this year’s Bills training camp looks wildly different from those of the past.
1st & Ten with STEFON DIGGS
Stefon Diggs had one of the best seasons ever by a Bills receiver in 2020, and he’s looking for an encore. Diggs was clearly amped up and ready to go as the Bills began their preparations for the new season, leading the huddle and supporting his teammates as they kicked off training camp in Orchard Park. Diggs recently touched on his goals for the upcoming season for both himself and the team in an informative discussion with members of the media. Here are the highlights from that discussion.
RUNNING BACKS: TOP AVAILABLE FREE AGENTS
Aaron Jones, Packers 5-9 • 208 pounds • 27 years old A fifth-round steal in the 2017 draft out of UTEP, Jones is equally proficient in the running and passing games. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards the last two years, and caught 49 and 47 passes, respectively. He’s also a touchdown machine with 30 TDs the last two years (25 rushing and 5 receiving). The son of two career Army officers, he’s a tough, driven player and the kind of guy players want on their team.
THE RIGHT STUFF?
Keeping two important starters is a priority as the right side of the O-line hits free agency
QUARTERBACKS: TOP AVAILABLE FREE AGENTS
Dak Prescott, Cowboys 6-2 • 235 pounds • 27 years old A solid starter who has a nice TD-INT ratio over his first five seasons (104-40), Prescott is an accurate thrower and very mobile. However, he’s coming off a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle, so it remains to be seen if this will impact his game moving forward.
TIGHT ENDS: TOP AVAILABLE FREE AGENTS
Hunter Henry, Chargers 6-5 • 250 pounds • 29 years old A very talented player, Henry has had issues staying healthy, unable to complete an NFL season, including missing the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL. But when healthy, he’s a terrific all-around tight end who really connected with Justin Herbert in 2020 with 60 catches. Henry is very good at finding holes in zone coverage.