Written by: Alex James
Photo by: Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP
The Buffalo Bills solidified their position into the 2021-2022 postseason on Sunday defeating the Atlanta Falcons 29-15 at Highmark Stadium. The game was much closer than anticipated, especially in the first half where the Bills trailed the Falcons 15-14 heading into halftime. However, Allen put the team on his back and did everything possible to lead the Bills to victory, overcoming some unfortunate turnovers and tough drives to get the win. With one game remaining, the Bills play the New York Jets and can guarantee themselves a second straight AFC East Division Title with a victory this Sunday.
Aside from turnovers, the Bills offence had a fairly decent game as a whole, putting up 351 yards. Allen only threw for 118 yards and had 3 interceptions (2 of which were from a tipped ball) but the big takeaway from this game was Allen & everyone still got the job done. The Bills had 233 rushing yards which ultimately ensued controlling the time of possession (over 36 minutes) in the game, especially during the second half.
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Defensively, the Bills held the Falcons to 265 yards total, sacked Matt Ryan 6 times, forced a fumble, and held the Falcons to one successful 3rd down conversion all game. The Bills will want to continue this "on the field" team cohesion moving forward which ultimately takes some pressure off Allen and opens up opportunities across all positions to be a difference-maker
The Bills welcome a divisional opponent in the New York Jets (4-12) to Orchard Park on Sunday afternoon with the new kickoff time being at 4:25. The weather is supposed to be warmer than we've experienced these last few Sundays, with temperatures in the low-40s and a very high probability of rain. It will be interesting how Sunday's game is affected by the lake effect snow currently hitting Western New York which began on Wednesday and whether or not it plays a part in the game planning for both teams.
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The Bills won the first game of this series by 4 touchdowns and will look to continue this dominance Sunday. Depending on the score and flow of the game, it will be interesting on whether or not Allen and other important players (both on offence & defence) will be taken out and rested for the playoffs. Whether or not Allen does play the full 60 minutes, it’s more than likely the play-calling will be very conservative, and not many designed RPO’s or QB draws will be issued to prevent risking injury for our MVP.
As of Thursday, the injury list is the following: Efe Obada & Emmanuel Sanders both did not practice, while Ryan Bates was held to a light practice.
Provided by: Statmuse.com
I expect the Bills to come out guns blazing knowing what's on the line and having the opportunity to win the
AFC East in front of the home fans. It will be special and a win will be a cause of celebration, but these players know it's a small victory in the pursuit of what the ultimate goal is; the Super Bowl. If I have to predict an outcome for this game, it's four words- “BILLS BY A BILLION!”
Circle the Wagons,
Alex James
https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/401326569, https://www.stadiumforecast.com/football/nfl/bills/weather.php/forecast.html, https://www.buffalobills.com/team/injury-report/