To quote ESPN legend Chris Berman, nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills. That was the case once again this season after Buffalo rallied to secure the AFC’s No. 2 seed after a 6-6 start.
Vastly better defensive play down the stretch has been one of the main reasons for Buffalo’s most recent late-season surge. It started with with the Bills’ Week 14 win in Kansas City that saw Buffalo’s defense hold Patrick Mahomes and Co. to just 17 points. The Bills then held the Cowboys to just 10 points the next week and allowed an average of just 19 points per game during the season’s last three games.
Forcing turnovers were two of the biggest reasons for the Bills’ defensive recent defensive success. Buffalo has recorded nine turnovers during its winning streak that included two picks of Tua Tagovailoa during last Sunday’s 21-14 win over Miami.
Sans the Cowboys, it should be noted that the Bills haven’t faced the most prolific offenses or quarterbacks in recent weeks. They faced backups Bailey Zappe and Easton Stick in consecutive weeks and faced a Dolphins squad last Sunday that did not have wideout Jaylen Waddle or Raheem Mostert.
Unfortunately for the Bills, their offense continues to turn the ball over at an alarming rate. But they’ve overcome that by putting points on the board and employing a balanced attack that has included Pro Bowl running back James Cook. The emergence of Cook gives the Bills offense a dimension they haven’t had in recent playoff runs.
Speaking of previous Bills teams, here’s a look at others that entered the playoffs on a hot streak and how those teams compare to the current team. The Bills will kick off the 2024 playoffs with a Super Wild Card Weekend matchup against the seventh-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers.
1993: Won four straight after 8-4 start
Like the current team, the ’93 Bills boasted top-10 scoring offenses and defenses. But the Bills…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/how-the-bills-late-season-surge-compares-to-previous-buffalo-teams-that-entered-playoffs-on-hot-streak/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2024-01-11 17:17:53
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