The Buffalo Bills have a strong coaching staff and one of the most electric fan bases in the entire league. Buffalo made it to the playoffs last year and was eliminated in the wild card round by Houston. The Bills made a bold decision, led by General Manager, Brandon Beane, by acquiring Minnesota’s star receiver, Stefon Diggs. The defense is one of the best in the league and also has one of the best secondaries in the league. With another year under Josh Allen‘s belt, the Bills could be a dark horse to make a deep run into the postseason.
Make sure to check out all of our in-depth power rankings here.
- Overall – 81.03 (15th)
- Offense – 79.4 (20th)
- Defense – 83.77 (4th)
- Coach and Culture – 84 (9th)
- Home Field Advantage – 86, 6th (4% Defense, 2% Overall)
Quarterbacks – 77, 21st (36% Offense, 27% Overall)
Allen is a source of a ton of debate between fans. While he has shown improvement and a strong arm, his accuracy is awfully concerning, as it has come in at the bottom of all starters in the league. Last year, Allen posted career highs in every major category including completion percentage, yards, touchdowns, interceptions, and yards per attempt. He also added over 500 yards and nine touchdowns. Allen needs to take a big step in his third year to prove the doubters wrong who continuously knock him on his accuracy.
Matt Barkley is a solid backup option, but the team brought in some competition to compete with him. Barkley finished with three interceptions last year compared to no touchdowns. Former third-round pick, Davis Webb was on the practice squad last year and will battle for a roster spot. He was one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2017 draft but hasn’t lived up to the potential many talked about. Jake Fromm was once thought of as a top quarterback in the 2020 class but slid to the fifth round where Buffalo selected him. Fromm is an intriguing backup option in case Allen takes a step back or gets worse. He has already gotten himself into some controversy in his rookie year though and might be cut before the season if he isn’t careful.
Running Backs – 80.5, 19th (4% Offense, 3% Overall)
Devin Singletary is poised for a breakout season in his sophomore campaign. He compiled 972 scrimmage yards and nine touchdowns in a timeshare with Frank Gore who is now in New York. Singletary averaged over five yards per carry last year but needs to work on his ball security as he fumbled four times last year, only one going to the opposing team, fortunately.
Singletary could lose some carries as Buffalo selected Zack Moss in the third round. With Gore gone, Moss is likely to take over the role as the short-yardage and goal-line back. Moss had 15 touchdowns on the ground last year and is super physical, even being one of the best pass blockers out of the backfield. Veteran, T.J. Yeldon is the third man in the rotation and had 187 total yards last year. He could just be the veteran in the room who will have trouble finding a role with Singletary and Moss ahead of him. Taiwan Jones will likely remain as the kick returner this year.
Pass Catchers – 80.5, T-17th (17% Offense, 8% Overall)
The addition of Diggs is just what the Bills offense needed. He fell out of favor with Minnesota’s coaching staff, as well as Kirk Cousins. A change of scenery could be what he has needed for a while now. In Buffalo, Diggs has a quarterback that isn’t afraid to air it out and look his way. The other receivers outside of Diggs complement him well. John Brown is the speedster that can completely blow by coverage. Brown quietly had over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns last year in his first season with the Bills. Cole Beasley, also in his first season with Buffalo had 778 yards and six touchdowns. The trio of receivers is perfect as none have the same skillset and all have been great assets to their teams.
Unfortunately, the depth at receiver falls off after those three. Isaiah McKenzie and Duke Williams combined for 39 catches, 420 yards, and two touchdowns last year. The Bills added two intriguing options during the draft who could each play a role early this year. Gabriel Davis was selected in the fourth round and is more of a physical receiver who has tons of speed but needs to polish his route running to play consistent snaps. Isaiah Hodgins was a sleeper from Oregon State and could likely be the team’s top red-zone option.
Dawson Knox could very well be on his way to a breakout season. He caught 28 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns. Knox has been talked about as a fantasy football sleeper but could be Buffalo’s top red-zone threat this year.
Offensive Line – 81, 13th (24% Offense, 12% Overall)
Beane spent a ton on the offensive line last year and it worked out in his favor. Dion Dawkins took a major step forward, having the best season of his career. Cody Ford was solid last year in his rookie year, and Mitch Morse, Quinton Spain, and Jon Feliciano were all solid on the interior.
Ty Nsekhe, Daryl Williams, and Spencer Long all have experience as starters and are reliable depth pieces if any of the five starters were to get hurt. Beane’s approach to picking up a handful of players on the offensive line and letting them battle in camp for the starting roles was a great strategy and even the Jets have followed in their footsteps this offseason. Trey Adams is a name to watch this preseason as he was once thought of as a top-ten selection before injuries derailed his college career.
Run Defense – 84.5, 8th (6% Defense, 2% Overall)
Sean McDermott has brought in another former Panther in Mario Addison to join Vernon Butler and Star Lotulelei. Trent Murphy and Ed Oliver will team up on the interior of the defensive line this year. The Bills have a ton of depth behind the three starters as Lotulelei, Quinton Jefferson, and Harrison Phillips are all depth pieces. Jerry Hughes has gotten older and might be phased out this year but is still playing at a high-caliber level. While the Bills lost some pieces on the defensive line, they were quick to recoup some similar-type players.
Tremaine Edmunds has slowly turned into one of the better linebackers in the league and he is great in every aspect, especially against the run. McDermott added yet another former Panther in A.J. Klein who will line up alongside Edmunds and Matt Milano.
Pass Rush – 81, T-19th (21% Defense, 10% Overall)
Buffalo lost their top two sack leaders as Jordan Phillips and Shaq Lawson moved to Arizona and Miami respectively. Addison will likely take over as the number one rusher off the edge following two-straight seasons in Carolina where he had over nine sacks. Murphy and Oliver combined for ten sacks last year and Lotulelei added in two from the interior as well. Hughes may begin to be phased out as the Bills drafted A.J. Epenesa with their first pick in the second round. Epenesa was thought of as a top-ten pick last year following a 10.5 sack sophomore season but some teams were scared of his scheme fit and quickness. He had 11.5 sacks last year at Iowa and is a big factor in the run game as well and should be on the field sooner than later.
Linebackers – 84, T-6th (15% Defense, 4% Overall)
Edmunds is as stout as they come. He led the team in tackles last year with 115, 11.5 for loss, and added a sack and a half, nine pass deflections, and an interception. He doesn’t get talked about in the elite tier of linebackers as much as he should be. Milano is seemingly an unknown to basic fans but he is quietly an important piece to Buffalo’s defense. He had 101 tackles last year, adding nine pass deflections and a sack and a half. With Lorenzo Alexander‘s retirement, Klein steps in to fill that role. With the trio of Edmunds, Klein, and Milano, Buffalo has three players who are very technical and look to always be around the ball and have the ability to cover tight ends and running backs out of the backfield.
Special teams ace, Tyler Matakevich was added during the offseason. Vosean Joseph missed all of last year due to an injury and is looking to come back and be a part of the rotation at linebacker. Joseph needs more playing time to reach his full potential, which could make Buffalo’s linebacking core even more lethal.
Secondary – 83.5, T-7th (26% Defense, 17% Overall)
Tre’Davious White is one of the best cornerbacks in the league today. He played over 500 snaps last year and didn’t surrender a single touchdown. The cornerback spot opposite of White has come as a question at points, but McDermott hopes another former Panther in Josh Norman can fill that role. Norman fell out of line in Washington, only starting eight games and only having one interception. Levi Wallace, Taron Johnson, Siran Neal, and E.J. Gaines all provide starting-caliber options.
The tandem of Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer as the safeties is excellent. The duo had three interceptions last year and were flying all over the field making tackles and always being around the ball. Jaquan Johnson is a solid young player who will have trouble finding the field with Hyde and Poyer as the starters.
Coach and Culture – 84, 9th (19% Offense, 28% Defense, 15% Overall)
The Bills offense retains most of their starters and added Diggs to the receiving core. The tandem of Singletary and Moss in the backfield will be interesting to see how it unfolds, and Allen needs to show that he can throw with accuracy instead of just being a gunslinger who will miss throws by a good five yards at times. Buffalo comes in tied for 16th in offensive coach and culture.
McDermott and Leslie Frazier have quickly turned the Bills defense into one of the top five best in the league. An elite secondary and linebacking core helps immensely and the two are hoping the additions of Addison and Epenesa are enough to provide a ferocious pass rush with Oliver in the middle. The Bills come in fourth for defensive coach and culture.
Bills Mafia has a lot to be excited about. The front office realizes now is the time to go all-in with Allen on his rookie contract. The addition of Diggs shows that Beane knows how close they are. The defense is one of the best in the league and all eyes are on Allen this year to show any signs of improvement for Buffalo to make a deep playoff run.
Questions and comments?
thescorecrowsports@gmail.com
Hit us up on the Socials:
Twitter @thescorecrow
Reddit at u/TheScorecrow
Facebook at The Scorecrow
Instagram at The Scorecrow
Check out our Facebook Group where you can read and post articles at The Scorecrow
Reddit Group where everyone can post without fear of being banned at The Scorecrow
Follow Mason Thompson on Twitter @Thompson22Mason
Main Image Credit: [getty src=”1197939391″ width=”594″ height=”409″ tld=”com”]
