Buffalo's sleepy buffalo herd thunders through the NFL

They were one of the closest contenders for the title. But the Buffalo Bills fell short of expectations for most of the season. Just in time for the decisive phase of the scoring round, the Buffaloes are getting back on track. Will it still be enough for the playoffs?

Things were not looking good in Buffalo in mid-November. For a better understanding, it must be mentioned here that Buffalo is not an insider tip for tourists even in spring or summer, but rather looks like a listless collection of streets, houses and buildings. But in late fall, all of this comes across as a little more repulsive than it already is.

Of course, this is not about Buffalo's urban development, but about the American football team. And those same Bills had finally reached a dead end in mid-November. Nothing was working anymore. They lost the "Monday Night Game" against the Denver Broncos 22:24 at home on November 13. It was their fifth defeat in ten games. Unacceptable for a supposed top team.

Offensive coordinator fired after 5:5 record

Head coach Sean McDermott knew he had to take action. One look at the stats made it clear where the Bills' biggest problem was: the offense. The offense, led by quarterback Josh Allen, had committed 21 percent of its turnovers from games five through ten. No other team had lost the football to the opposing defense so often during this period.

In addition, Buffalo's offense did not score more than 25 points in any game after the impressive 48-20 home win over the Miami Dolphins in week four. And Josh Allen had already thrown eleven interceptions in the first ten games. The apparent culprit was therefore quickly identified - offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey had to go and was replaced by Joe Brady, who had been responsible for the quarterbacks up to that point. ESPN spoke of a "big change in the midst of a downward trend".

"There were times when we were running the football well and scoring points. But those times became fewer and fewer," said McDermott, explaining his decision. The 49-year-old added that it was "not about two or four games", but "about the big picture and at this point the whole season". According to McDermott, he hopes that the change will provide "more energy and creativity".

However, there were also voices emphasizing that this move could have been McDermott's last attempt to save his job. Sports Illustrated, for example, wrote on November 18 that McDermott was "in serious danger" of being fired if he "misses the playoffs despite the wealth of talent on offense and defense".

Consistency not seen since the Levy era

McDermott has been in charge of the Bills since 2017. He has been on the sideline for 97 first-round games. There hasn't been such consistency in Buffalo since Marv Levy. The now 98-year-old is a kind of Otto Rehhagel for the Bills. Above it all and untouchable. The Levy era (1986 to 1997) was the most successful time in the club's history - associated with the greatest successes, but also the most painful defeats.

From 1991 to 1994, his Bills reached the Super Bowl four times in a row - and actually lost all four finals. To this day, they are inextricably linked with an NFL record that is worth as much as the award for the ugliest stadium in the league.

After Levy, the club was like the water at nearby Niagara Falls: It went downhill. It was only with McDermott that consistency returned. In his very first year, the Bills made the playoffs - ending an 18-year drought. No other team in the four major North American professional leagues had had to wait as long for a knockout round appearance as the Buffalo Bills.

Sean McDermott has now won 63.9 percent of his games - not even Levy (61.5 percent) can boast such a rate. Since this season, he has not only been head coach, but also defensive coordinator. Despite the absence of several key players due to injury, the defense is a bench force - and the offense has made a real leap in quality since the switch from Dorsey to Brady.

Mammoth tasks mastered brilliantly

In the first game under the new offensive coordinator, Buffalo defeated the New York Jets 32-6, improving their record to 6-5. However, it was only a must-win, nothing more. But then came the rockiest and steepest part of the season. Three games, three mammoth tasks. Away at runners-up Philadelphia Eagles, away at champions Kansas City Chiefs and at home against the Dallas Cowboys. It could hardly be tougher this season.

The Bills now have an 8-6 record, and it wouldn't have taken much for Buffalo to have nine wins and only five losses. In Philadelphia, the Bills played strong, really strong. They had possession of the football for almost 14 minutes longer than Philly, produced an outstanding 505-yard gain, led 31-28 until 20 seconds before the end of the 60 minutes and then 34-31 in overtime. But then Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts hit them right in the heart with a twelve-yard run into the end zone for a narrow 37-34 victory.

It could have been the decisive blow. But the Bills did not fly to Kansas City disappointed, but confident. The performance in Philadelphia had given them courage and strengthened their belief in their own abilities. And this time they were the lucky ones. Buffalo led 20-17 when Kansas City was at the Bills' 49-yard line with 72 seconds left.

Shortly afterwards, the hosts were jubilant, having scored what they thought was the winning touchdown through Kadarius Toney. However, the wide receiver had been a few centimetres too far forward at the snap - a breach of the rules, which is why the touchdown did not count. Josh Allen emphasized that it was not the most beautiful victory, which was of course clear to everyone. But the defense "played fantastic."

Dallas Cowboys put on a show

And that defense had the league's best offense completely under control last Sunday. Buffalo literally bossed the Dallas Cowboys (who arrived with a 10:3 record) in a 31:10 victory. The Texans had only scored one field goal until the 57th minute, quarterback Dak Prescott - top contender for the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP) - only managed 134 yards.

His Bills counterpart, Josh Allen, even had only 94 yards to his name. But this time he didn't need to throw any passes to gain more than 250 yards. A pass to outstanding running back James Cook (221 yards running and passing) and a touchdown of his own were enough on this afternoon in Buffalo. "I feel like a kid who didn't do anything on a class project but still got an A," Allen said afterwards.

The victories against Kansas City and Dallas, as well as the impressive performance in Philadelphia, have not failed to have an effect. A strong defense and a creative offense inevitably make for a good team. And that's what the Bills are again at the end of 2023. They are currently one of those teams that nobody wants to play against.

"Rethink the Bills"?

The online portal "The Athletic" has already asked whether it's time to "rethink the Bills". Buffalo can only answer that question itself. Because despite their remarkable performances against the three elite teams, the Bills are not yet in a playoff spot. Their next opponents are the Los Angeles Chargers (away) and New England Patriots (home) and finally the Miami Dolphins (away).

In order to reach the knockout round, the Bills have had to play playoff football for weeks now. That means: no losing. They have put themselves in this position with unexpected defeats against the Jets (16:22 after overtime), Patriots (25:29) or Broncos (22:24). Center Mitch Morse is aware of this. He knows that the season can still be saved and the minimum goal, playoffs, can be achieved. However, he also says: "We've taken a great first step, but it's still a tough road for us."

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Buffalo's resurgence in the NFL has been impressive, particularly in their recent win against the Dallas Cowboys with a score of 31-10. This victory came after two challenging losses against Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos, but the team's consistent performances have kept them in the playoff race. With two more games against Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills are determined to secure their spot in the postseason.

The firing of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and the subsequent appointment of Joe Brady seems to have paid off, as the team's offensive performance has significantly improved under Brady's leadership. Quarterback Josh Allen, in particular, has shown excellent form, contributing to the team's success in American Football's most prominent league, the NFL, based in the USA.

Source: www.ntv.de