Coaches on the edge, Jalen Hurts, and Super Bills

(Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports)

What the Bills did to the Patriots on Saturday night with that 47-17 wild-card beatdown was historic in a lot of ways. Buffalo became the first team ever to get through a game with no punts, no turnovers, and no field goals. Not just in the playoffs, but ever. No team had ever scored seven straight touchdowns against a Bill Belichick Patriots defense, and that 47 points were the most ever scored against a New England team with Belichick at the helm. Josh Allen became one of five quarterbacks in pro football history to throw more touchdown passes than incompletions in a playoff game. With all this in mind, and given the Bills’ notoriously streaky streaks this season, are we buying into Buffalo as the team to beat no matter what, or do we still need to see what they’ll do against the Chiefs in the divisional round?

Doug: Well, Mac Jones is no Patrick Mahomes, so the Bills will be dealing with some things they didn’t have to against the Patriots. And New England’s secondary was pretty banged up. Why Belichick didn’t go for more zone defense in that game is a mystery. Belichick is obviously the greatest coach ever, but he’s not going to want that game’s play sheet in Canton. 

That said, this Bills team as it took the field against the Patriots looks very, very tough to beat. Josh Allen has basically become Kurt Warner as a passer and Cam Newton as a runner, and I don’t know how you defend that. The offensive line and run game have upticked to good enough, which is all they need to be, and that defense is looking very sharp from front to back. They especially have the safeties, and the coverage concepts, to foil both Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers, and I don’t think Tom Brady would appreciate them, either. So yeah, I’m in. I was in when I picked them to win the Super Bowl before the season started, so why stop now?

Luke: I would love to say yes, but I definitely need to see what they do in Kansas City next week. That’s where they were weighed, measured, and found wanting in the playoffs last year, so that’s the test again this time around. One of the most hostile road environments in the league, against a Chiefs team that looked just as impressive against the Steelers in the first round. I hope we’re in for an epic shootout in this one either way, but perhaps the Bills can make a believer out of me by avenging last year’s loss.