Orchard Park, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills offense struggled for a second week in a row but their defense forced four turnovers to carry them to a pivotal 27-21 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills improved to 10-6 on the year and could clinch a playoff spot if the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals lose later today.
The Miami Dolphins lost to the Baltimore Ravens, setting up a huge game in Week 18 to finish off the year. The winner between the Bills and the Dolphins next week wins the AFC East.
Here are some observations from Sunday’s game.
Rasul Douglas breakout game
The Bills traded for Douglas on Halloween and the former Green Bay Packers cornerback has been solid ever since. Tre’Davious White suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 4 and the Bills needed a true no. 1 to replace the former All-Pro.
Douglas took a few games to settle in but he’s looked the part for most of his stretch in place of White. He had his biggest game of the season on Sunday, picking off Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe two times in the first quarter to help the Bills take the early advantage. On his second interception, Douglas fell to the ground while securing the catch and then popped up and ran it back for a touchdown. He had to zig and zag through Patriots players on his way to the end zone.
With Douglas cemented as the team’s top cornerback and Christian Benford now locked in at CB2, the Bills will likely keep second-year cornerback Kaiir Elam on the inactive list the rest of the way. He was activated off injured reserve this week but was a healthy scratch. He’ll be cornerback depth for the Bills in case Benford, Douglas, or Dane Jackson suffer an injury.
Josh Allen struggles continued
Something seemed off with the Buffalo offense last week in Los Angeles. A Chargers team that had been abysmal against the pass – allowing an eye-popping 63 points to the Las Vegas Raiders one week before playing the Bills – gave the Bills…
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