Buffalo Bills: Studs and duds from blowout win over Patriots in Week 16
Buffalo Bills studs and duds from a crucial Week 16 blowout win against the Patriots.
There weren’t exactly any questions as to who the new kings of the AFC East are but, if there were some straggling doubts, the Buffalo Bills put them to rest on Monday Night Football as they thoroughly shellacked the New England Patriots to cap off Week 16, winning 38-9.
While it wasn’t a blowout from start-to-finish, an explosive Bills passing attack and an anemic Patriots offense combined for Buffalo to pull away for the big victory. And in doing so, Buffalo not only clinched either the No. 2 or 3 seed in the AFC for the approaching playoffs but they completed their first season sweep of New England in over 20 years.
So before the Bills head into a massive Week 17 clash with the Dolphins that will determine their playoff positioning, let’s look back at this big win for Buffalo and highlight the Bills studs and duds.
Buffalo Bills Stud No. 1: Stefon Diggs, WR
No one would be foolish enough to say that Stefon Diggs wasn’t a highly effective weapon while in Minnesota. But after the Bills traded a first-round pick to the Vikings in exchange for the wideout this offseason, there were questions about whether or not the deal was worth it for Buffalo. Those questions, however, have since been answered and Diggs’ dominance against the Patriots was more evidence of that.
The explosive wideout was, in a word, unstoppable against New England. Targeted 11 times, Diggs reeled in nine receptions for 145 yards and three touchdowns. He alone out-paced all of the Patriots wide receivers in the Week 16 game and New England didn’t have any semblance of an answer for him.
If the wide receiver continues to play at this level in the playoffs, it could be a bonafide trump card for Buffalo’s offense.
Buffalo Bills Studs No. 2: Josh Allen, QB
You might be hard-pressed to find someone who would outright say that Bills quarterback Josh Allen is going to win NFL MVP, he’s clearly one of the top three candidates for the top individual award in the league. And his performance against the Patriots was more evidence of that.
Allen diced up New England with relative ease under the bright lights. He completed 27-of-36 passes for 320 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. Though there were some tricky situations early with his ball security, he also finished with 35 rushing yards on four carries.
Everything has quite clearly fallen into place for Allen in the 2020 season. The combination of an improved group of weapons with his own personal progression have allowed him to take another step forward as a signal-caller. In situations he should be dominant like on Monday night, he’s delivering the results.