The Buffalo Bills are fresh off a crazy 37-34 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams, and get this, their offense is absolutely lighting up the league, leading in scoring with a ridiculous 32.8 points per game. They’re playing their second game in a row on the West Coast, this time facing the Las Vegas Raiders. The Bills are listed as 5-point favorites, but there’s one player on the Raiders the Bills’ back seven has every reason to be terrified of: Brock Bowers.
Josh Allen Is Playing MVP Ball Even Without His Weapons
Let’s just say it: Josh Allen is a hero right now. Despite DJ Moore not playing and Josh Palmer being out, Allen is still throwing up MVP numbers. The wide receivers who actually suited up , Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, and Skyler Bell , combined for just four catches on seven targets. And get this: 57 of their 87 total yards came on one Shakir play in overtime. Take that away and the group had a measly three catches for 30 yards. But Allen, man, he just finds a way. The running backs stepped up huge, catching six passes for 110 yards, which was more than half of Allen’s 210 passing yards. Ty Johnson was a beast, going 4-for-4 for 72 yards. The ground game was absolutely dominant, too, with Buffalo running 37 times for 234 yards, averaging 6.3 per carry, and racking up three touchdowns. Allen himself added 10 carries for 121 yards and a score, and his 28.6% scramble rate was the second-highest of his entire career. They had a season-low 146 team air yards and a season-low 49.1% dropback rate, yet still dropped 37 points against a defense that was ranked third in EPA per play against the pass heading into that game. We saw this last season when the offense didn’t have a true No. 1 receiver, and it’s happening again with Moore on the sideline. Run the ball, use the backs, move the chains, and let the quarterback make the plays the receivers aren’t making. Allen finished with 331 total yards, two touchdowns, and the first overtime win of his career. If you’re building an MVP case for this guy, that Rams game is going straight into the file. And guess what? The Raiders’ defense is a prime spot for this formula to keep rolling, ranked 24th in dropback EPA and 26th in dropback success rate. They’ve coughed up 10 passing touchdowns in their last three games, and they’ve already been gashed on the ground by Malik Willis (39 yards and a touchdown), Tyler Shough (36), and Drake Maye (25 and a score). Moore and Palmer could both be out again, but Allen’s arm doesn’t have to do it all.
That Bills Defense Has Some Real Holes, And Brock Bowers Is a Problem
Now, on the flip side, we gotta talk about this Bills defense. It’s allowing 28.2 points per game, which is 28th in the league. They’re giving up 21.8 passing points per game (31st!) and have a 6.5% touchdown rate (26th). Plus, they’ve allowed multiple passing touchdowns in four of their five games. That’s not a good look. Kirk Cousins is second in the NFL with 12 touchdown passes, and since returning from a meniscus procedure, Brock Bowers has been on fire with 24 catches for 312 yards and three touchdowns in just three games. He’s the guy the Bills’ back seven needs to shut down. The Raiders’ defense also has its issues, allowing 6.1 yards per play (28th) and 3.0 points per drive since Week 3 (30th), but the main worry for the Bills is definitely on their own defensive side of the ball.
So now the Bills are heading to Vegas for their second straight West Coast game. Can they push to 5-1 before the bye week? With Allen playing like this, adapting his game and carrying the load, it’s gonna be a must-watch. But man, that defense has got to tighten up, especially with Bowers ready to go off. This team is banged up, and everyone needs to step up in Vegas if they want to keep this train rolling.
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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