Three free agents for the Buffalo Bills perform admirably against the Dolphins in the AFC East title game, sparking intense debate because they could depart at any time.
Despite losing to 6-6 earlier in the season, the Buffalo Bills managed to accomplish something that few predicted. They went on a roll, winning five of their last six games to finish 11-6. By doing this, Buffalo secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC and a postseason berth.
Buffalo managed to prevail when it mattered most, even though it wasn’t always pretty. The Buffalo Bills won four of their final five games by one score or less, with the exception of a rout of the Dallas Cowboys. That should be seen as positive since Buffalo had trouble in one-score games prior to the season and will probably play in some close games during the postseason.
Here are some reasons to be optimistic and concerned about Buffalo following their thrilling 21-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins to win the AFC East for the fourth time in a row.
Encouraged Deonte Harty: Buffalo signed the wide receiver to a two-year, $9.5 million contract in the hopes that he would provide them with some offensive vigor down the field. This season, though, that was not the case as Harty was able to secure a role as a punt returner while Khalil Shakir garnered reps as the team’s top receiver.
Prior to the regular season finale, he didn’t have much to show for his return, but his big return couldn’t have come at a better time.
With the Dolphins ahead 14–7, Harty fielded a punt at the Bills’ four-yard line, forced a man to miss, and raced down the field for a touchdown that was 96 yards long. Buffalo seemed to be at Highmark Stadium based on the response of the crowd, which completely turned the tide in their favor.
The Bills will host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a postseason game on Sunday in large part because of Harty.
Trent Sherfield: Another off-season free agent addition, Sherfield has recently seen increased playing time at wide receiver due to Stefon Diggs’ decision to take a leave of absence and personnel packages. While on the field, he had demonstrated strong blocking, but his receptions were scarce.
But Sherfield made the play of the game against his old team. Josh Allen tried to pass to Sherfield as Buffalo trailed 7-0. It flew high into the air after striking Andrew Van Ginkel’s helmet squarely. Sherfield didn’t give up on the play; instead, he was able to track the ball quickly, get into position behind the end zone, catch the pass, and tap both feet inbounds.
The Bills added another free agent when they most needed him.
Taylor Rapp: The offensive free agent additions weren’t the only thing that made an impact. With an interception, Taylor Rapp, who was signed this offseason to be Buffalo’s third safety, ended the contest.
In defense of Sean McDermott, he has struggled at times this year, but lately he has appeared more at ease with the system. Rapp intercepted a pass meant for Tyreek Hill one play prior to his game-winning interception of Tua Tagovailoa. On the play that Rapp ultimately laid out for an interception to win the game for the team, the hit gave him a knockdown and forced him off the field.
Dalton Kincaid: The Bills’ first-round selection saved the day in the regular season finale, despite not being a free agent addition. Stefon Diggs (8) and Dalton Kincaid shared the lead in targets at the end of Sunday’s game. In one of his best games of the year, Kincaid caught seven of the passes for 84 yards.
On key plays, Kincaid’s route running provided Allen with a reliable target. By the time the game ended, Kincaid had broken the team record for the most receptions by a tight end in a season. For a novice, not too bad.
Khalil Shakir: After Diggs, Khalil Shakir has become the Bills’ second-best receiver. Josh Allen now trusts the second-year receiver, who has also learned how to be vulnerable. And good things usually happen when Shakir has the ball. In the victory, the receiver managed to catch a brief pass and run it down the sideline for a 46-yard gain. Later on, he hauled in a pass along the sidelines that set up the team’s first goal. With 105 yards on six catches, he emerged as the game’s top receiver. Shakir’s rise is significant because Gabe Davis is sidelined due to a knee injury.
“Next man up”: The Bills saw a number of their starters leave the game against Miami due to injuries, but when called upon, the man up performed admirably.
Tyrel Dodson was replaced at linebacker by Baylon Spector, who recorded four tackles and appeared to be near the ball all the time. After Rasul Douglas suffered a knee injury, Dane Jackson entered the game and forced a pass breakup on a third down play to force Miami’s offense to leave the field. On the other side of the ball, Ryan Van Demark replaced star player Dion Dawkins at left tackle after the latter had to leave the game with a cut. During a crucial drive late in the game, Van Demark performed admirably for the Bills. Following Ty Johnson’s concussion-related departure, Leonard Fournette also saw an increase in playing time. For Buffalo, Fournette’s blocking was a plus.
This time of year, depth is crucial, and Buffalo’s backups fared well against Miami when they were called upon.
Stefon Diggs: After the Bills’ top receiver left Jalen Ramsey in the dust, Josh Allen missed Stefon Diggs on a deep pass, but the two were in sync for the majority of the game. Against Miami, Diggs was Allen’s preferred target; he caught seven of his eight passes for 87 yards. Diggs had one of his best stat lines in recent weeks, and it could pave the way for even greater things in the postseason.
ANGRY
Josh Allen turnovers: With the division on the line, Buffalo defeated Miami thanks to Josh Allen’s valiant play in the second half. But Buffalo needed those heroics because of some of his turnovers.
Early in the victory, Allen threw two costly interceptions. He might have miscommunicated with Gabe Davis in the beginning. He had Dalton Kincaid open on the play immediately after the snap, but the second was a toss to the end zone in the hopes of a successful fourth-down play. Buffalo would have moved the chains and lived to see another day if he had thrown the ball to Kincaid. Later in the game, he fumbled on a sack deep in Miami territory, which cost Buffalo points as well.
On Sunday, the Bills had the opportunity to easily defeat Miami, but Allen’s errors allowed the Dolphins to remain in the game.
Injuries: Buffalo sustained several injuries in the regular season finale, as was indicated in the section titled “next man up.” This time of year, injuries affect every team, but losing your top cornerback (Rasul Douglas), starting linebacker (Tyrel Dodson), and number-two receiver (Gabe Davis) so close to the playoffs is concerning. The severity of the injuries should become clear later this week. The only thing Bills supporters can hope for is that all three can play this weekend against the Steelers or very soon after.
