Bills QB Josh Allen (17) - sportsaldent.com
Now that we are at the NFL halfway point of the season and the Buffalo Bills are in a great position to secure the AFC East division, there’s still some unfinished business to get done.
Currently sitting at (7-2), let’s look at how they got there during the first half of the season.
Bills Halfway Season Evaluation
Offense: A-
Heading into the season, the question was, were the Bills better than they were last year with Stefon Diggs? The answer was a resounding yes.
Love or hate him, the wide receiver put his heart and soul on the line and battled every game.
The Bills had to take his cap hit of $31 million in dead money to get rid of his contract and earn an extra second-round pick in next year’s draft.
Since that trade, the mantra is that everybody eats when Josh Allen is feeding his wide receivers the ball. Their wide receiver core has been by committee and has worked great.
Additionally, the acquisition of Amari Cooper has been a plus for the group, and it’s even elevated rookie Keon Coleman to play his best brand of ball.
The running backs continue to feast with James Cook and Ray Davis, who are starting to feed off of each other’s talents.
Cook did have a setback week, dealing with a turf toe injury he suffered during the game against the Houston Texans.
Nevertheless, the third-year back has produced in the offense, and Davis is showing promise late in his rookie season.
The tight ends have been stellar again, as Dalton Kincaid is getting better every route he runs. Dawson Knox has also been used as a secret number two-weapon.
They also work well in twin tight-end sets to help block in the running game.
Offensive Line: A
And then you have the offensive line. These guys dig deep in the mud pit to block for Allen and open up holes in the running game.
The Bills released Mitch Morse due to cap casualties, so the team had to insert Conner McGovern into the center position. That led to David Edwards taking over for McGovern.
Luckily, it paid off for the team, as everyone excelled in their new roles.
Tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown are the two bookend tackles who have earned long-term pay to remain with the Buffalo Bills.
You already “Shnow” Dawkins brings the smack talk and the play to back it up. Brown is more reserved but a tough guy who plays to the whistle most of the time.
Bills Halfway Season Evaluation
Defense: A
The Bills have continued their tradition of excellence on the defensive side of the ball.
First-year defensive coordinator and play caller Bobby Babich was learning the ropes at the beginning of the season.
He did a great job adjusting in games through the Bills halfway season evaluation.
The players have executed the schemes, too, getting after the quarterback and improving at stopping the run.
Edge Rusher Greg Rousseau continues to be a menace at sacking the passer and tackling the running backs.
Don’t forget Ed Oliver, who is living up to his 7-year contract extension. He is a smaller but faster defensive tackle who stops the run.
He brings with him some of that Texan swagger to Upstate New York.
Then, there’s the unforgettable Eli Ankou. That’s right; it’s the most significant addition to stopping the run no one has really heard of.
At 6’3″, 325 lbs., this veteran is a tank and was a wrecking ball in the backfield last week against the Miami Dolphins.
There’s Dorian, “Hitman” Williams, at linebacker, whose speed is faster than the NFL’s replay assistant up in New York.
He also hits so hard that he can make a song track out of it.
In other words, Williams combines off-the-line speed with great pursuit, whether it’s rushing the passer or stopping the running backs in the backfield.
And how about Von “Sack Machine Miller”, whose name needs no introduction.
Miller is bound to be an NFL Hall of Famer. He wants to finish his career in Orchard Park to help the Bills win their first Super Bowl this year.
The 6’3″, 250 lb. edge rusher is fresh off his four-game suspension and is ready to get back into form and put the opposing QBs on their back.
Lastly, in the Secondary, you have Damar, “Hitting them hard” Hamlin, whose glory to god is all given.
Since becoming the Bills’ permanent starter at safety, Hamlin has made his first two career picks and plays hard for the sport, team, and community he adores.
Conclusion
Now that the second half of the NFL season is starting, the Bills’ first hurdle is taking on and beating the Kansas City Chiefs in week 11.
Do you think the Bills have what it takes to beat the Chiefs?
