Buffalo Rumblings
The Buffalo Bills have clinched a playoff spot, as have the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles have clinched the NFC East Division title, however, the Bills are still looking up at the New England Patriots in the AFC East standings.
If Buffalo win both of their remaining games and New England loses one of them, then the Bills will win the division. If not, then the Patriots will win it. That’s the easiest scenario, and the one where Buffalo has the most control, for the team to maintain the AFC East crown.
It’s never fun to need help from other clubs at this juncture, but the Bills are in better position than, say, the Baltimore Ravens. Technically, Buffalo could still be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. They would need plenty of help for that to occur, but the most obvious part is in their control. Win the games in front of them, and they have a chance.
If the Bills are going to defeat the defending Super Bowl champions, they’ll need a big week out of their top dogs. Here are five Bills to watch on Sunday.
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QB Josh Allen
How’s the foot? Allen can tell us it’s good ‘til he’s blue in the face, but we’ll be able to tell exactly how he feels based on the play-calling for the game. Are the Bills conservative with Allen as a runner this weekend, or do they let him be himself? With a right foot injury, it could also impact the way that he throws.
Any thrower, whether we’re talking about quarterbacks, pitchers, outfielders, etc., needs a strong base in order to set up the rest of their movement. If one part of the kinesthetic chain is off, it could lead to some other issues.
Allen didn’t seem to be bothered, but there were a few bad misses that could have come because of discomfort with his base. A third-down miss to a wide-open Khalil Shakir, for example, sailed high after Allen never quite set his feet or drove through his throw. Was that because he didn’t trust David Edwards to keep a Cleveland Browns defensive lineman out of his lap, or was it because Allen was unable to set his feet as well as he’d like because he wasn’t feeling 100%?
There isn’t really any way to know, but it’s one of the main things I’m looking for with Allen this week. How does he look physically, and what does the coaching staff give him the leash to do with his legs? Those will tell me much more about how his foot hurts than Allen saying it himself.
RB James Cook
Chalk so far, right? The Bills need their quarterback to be healthy and keep the sticks moving. They also need the NFL’s leading rusher to keep up his torrid pace, which would lead him to a 1,736-rushing-yard season if he continues it.
Cook was phenomenal again last week, especially in the first half, as he racked...
