The Buffalo Bills are staring down the barrel of taking absolute control of the AFC East this week, and honestly, the rest of the division looks like a total mess compared to them. If they snatch a win against the New England Patriots on Sunday, they’ll push their record to a dominant 4-0, while the Pats will slump to 1-3. Even if the Miami Dolphins pull off a win over the Minnesota Vikings, the best a second-place team can be at the end of Week Four is 2-2, and that’s only if the New York Jets beat the Chicago Bears on the road. Seriously, this division is wide open, and Buffalo has a massive chance to seize it.
Allen’s Redemption Arc After a Rough Week
Look, Josh Allen kicked off the 2026 NFL season with two absolutely dominant performances, no question. But last Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers? He and the Bills offense were just not sharp. Three turnovers, man, that’s gonna sting any QB. So, the big question is: how does he bounce back from that kind of performance? I’m betting he’ll be just fine. Even in what everyone called a “down year” statistically for him last season, Allen absolutely carved up the Patriots in their two matchups. He completed 69% of his passes for 446 yards and five touchdowns against just one pick across those two games. Plus, he ran for 101 yards on twenty rushes.
And get this: New England’s top corner, Christian Gonzalez, is dealing with an injury, so Allen could be looking at even more favorable matchups if Gonzalez can’t go. Their top defensive lineman, Christian Barmore, hasn’t even practiced this week. That means Buffalo is likely facing a banged-up Patriots defense, giving Allen an even better shot at redemption. He was clearly disappointed in himself after last week’s game, and he’s just too good for me to worry about that bad taste lingering. It’d be sick to see him go five-for-five for 60 yards and a score on a game-opening drive in this massive divisional matchup.
Who Else Steps Up in the Backfield?
James Cook III has been an absolute spark plug this season, tearing it up and leading the NFL in yards per carry with a ridiculous six yards per tote. He’s playing on 71% of Buffalo’s offensive snaps and has already racked up 62 touches through just three games. That’s a heavy, heavy workload for their RB1, and while we all want him to keep producing at that insane rate, I’m really hoping to see someone else step in and provide a capable change-of-pace. We can’t have Cook burning out early in the season. Ray Davis has pretty much become a kickoff return specialist only, with a mere 20 offensive snaps this year. Ty Johnson did log almost that many snaps, 15, in Week Three. It’s time for one of these guys to show they can spell Cook and keep this offense fresh.
The Bills have a chance to really separate themselves in the AFC East on Sunday. A strong bounce-back from Allen and some help in the backfield could set the tone for the rest of their early season run, leaving the rest of the division scrambling to catch up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Buffalo Rumblings.
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