Written By Cullen Tonge
1. Tight End University was just what Dawson Knox needed.
Throughout the off-season, all we heard about was Zach Ertz. Bills fans were trying their absolute hardest to manifest a trade to acquire a 3x Pro Bowl tight end.
Well…the Ertz trade finally happened but he isn’t a Bill. He’s now out in the desert wearing a Cardinal’s jersey.
To be completely honest, I wanted Ertz and I have no problem admitting that I was wrong. Dawson Knox has had an amazing season thus far and is taking the next step that he needed to take. He is catching 77.8% of his targets, more than 20% higher than either of his last two seasons. It was no secret that Knox has had a drop problem in his career. However, this season that seems to be wiped away. He’s on pace for 60 catches and over 800 yards. Last season, 800 yards would have ranked him as the third best tight end in the league.
His inclusion in this offense has grown and he seems to be the main red zone target on this offense. He has five touchdowns through 6 games, which ranks him first in the league as a tight end and tied for third among all pass catchers.
It is very clear that Knox put in the work this offseason and attending TEU, working with Greg Olsen, has elevated his play to a whole new level.
2. They’re one of the most “all-around” teams in the NFL.
We knew that this team was going to be elite this year. The Bills made it to the AFC Championship game last season and were returning nearly their entire starting lineup.
The offense was great last season, and the defense took a step back. Now, this season, they seem to be clicking on both sides of the ball. They’re sixth in the league in yards per game on offense and first in the league in yards per game for opponents. They are a mere .4 points behind the Cowboys for the most points per game. Both the passing and ground games for the Bills rank in the top 10 across the league.
The defense leads the league in turnovers and the team as a whole is first in the league in turnover differential. Don’t let last night’s performance make you forget the unit still ranks second in points allowed this season (98).
Tyler Bass is 14/15 on field goals and 21/21 on extra points despite some historically bad kicking around the league.
3. The AFC’s #1 seed is still the Bills’ to lose.
Right now, after the loss to these Titans, the Bills currently sit as the fourth-seeded team in the AFC. Ahead of them are the 5-1 Ravens, 4-2 Chargers and the 4-2 Titans. Going forward the Bills are most likely going to be favorites in all but one of their remaining games.
The other three teams still have divisional games to play in harder divisions than the AFC East. The Titans play in a weaker division, but they still have games against the Chiefs, Rams, 49ers, and the Steelers.
I can easily see the Bills using the loss to the Titans like they used the Cardinals game from last season and go on an absolute tear. They lost the Cardinals game, had their bye week, and won their next eight games before losing in the title game.
Now I am not saying the Bills are going to finish the rest of the regular season undefeated…but as it looks now? They might only lose one more game.
The division is still ours, the one seed is still right there for the taking, and this team is still a top 3 team in the league. Stop panicking Bills Mafia. They’re all good.
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