The Buffalo Bills are sitting at a perfect 3-0 after a wild 24-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, but it was far from pretty. This mistake-prone Bills squad recovered from a downright horrible start at Highmark Stadium, pulling out a W from what felt like a total roller-coaster. The report card? Definitely a mixed bag.
Josh Allen’s B Grade Is a Puzzle, But Cook Is an Absolute Beast
Josh Allen’s B grade is tough to argue, honestly. He looked totally out of sorts, making some seriously questionable decisions: two first-half interceptions and a fumble in the third quarter. He completed just 16 passes in a real up-and-down performance. This is the guy building an MVP resume, yet even with all those mistakes, he still played the superhero, leading the Bills to 14 crucial fourth-quarter points. Still, those blunders and his uncharacteristic reluctance to take rushing opportunities kept him from an A. Meanwhile, James Cook? That dude is absolutely on fire! He earned an A, putting up back-to-back superb showings. Sure, he fumbled on the very first play, but he spent the rest of the day compensating with critical run after critical run. 154 yards and a touchdown, with 39 of those on his last five carries alone. That’s how you ice a game! Ty Johnson also caught four passes on four targets for 50 yards on just 15 snaps, even after a sick catch-and-run touchdown got wiped by a penalty. Talk about efficiency.
Receivers Battled, But the Offensive Line Was a Mess
Out wide, DJ Moore wasn’t 100 percent, but battled for a B+. Six grabs for 67 yards on 10 targets, including three key third-down catches, is admirable. Khalil Shakir had a quiet C-grade afternoon: one six-yard catch, but it did move the chains on third down in the fourth. Keon Coleman earned a B for his single catch, a 37-yard gain setting up a touchdown, and that clutch onside kick recovery to ice the game. Then there’s Joshua Palmer, D-grade all the way: 21 snaps, zero targets, a total ghost! Tight ends struggled too. Dalton Kincaid got a D after a standout start to the season. Two catches for 38 yards, sure, but an unforgivable fumble where he was incredibly careless. Dawson Knox (C) had a quiet five-yard catch and some nice blocks. Jackson Hawes (C) had a holding penalty that erased Johnson’s highlight-reel touchdown. Up front, the offensive line was a mess. Dion Dawkins got a D with two penalties, allowing a sack plus multiple hurries. First-year starter Alec Anderson got another D with two holding penalties, one wiping out a big Cook run and leading to an Allen interception. Connor McGovern (B-) helped Cook but gave up a sack. O’Cyrus Torrence (B+) and Spencer Brown (B) were solid run blockers despite some pressure.
This team is 3-0, but it felt like they were actively trying to give it away at times. When they play next, they’ll need to clean up those mistakes if they want to keep this winning streak going strong. You can’t rely on superhero antics every single time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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