Behind the Steel Curtain
After a deflating loss to the Chicago Bears last week, the Steelers will be hosting Josh Allen and co. in Pittsburgh this Sunday.
The 7-4 Bills aren’t faring much better than the 6-5 Steelers this year, with the New England Patriots having taken over as the top team in the AFC East.
The narrative around Buffalo is that it’s still a dangerous team thanks to the talents of Josh Allen and a potent run game. But it’s a flawed team like the rest of the AFC’s lineup, and might just be an easier matchup than many Steeler fans realize.
Let’s take a look at what the Bills really are in 2025:
Rushing YPG: 147.2 (1st)
Passing YPG: 234.6 (9th)
PPG: 28.3 (5th)
RP: The Bills remain dangerous as ever on offense. However, despite ranking near the top of the league in rushing, passing, and scoring, the sentiment around the Bills seems to be that the offense has been a disappointment this year. While talking to Matthew Byham of Buffalo Rumblings this week, he told me the numbers are disguising what has been a strained passing attack this season. He described the Buffalo offense as “laborious” when they are unable to run effectively. Still, it’s hard to feel too bad for the Bills when they remain among the most efficient offenses overall, by most metrics.
Of course, any conversation about the Bills’ offense begins with reigning MVP Josh Allen. On the year, Allen is completing 69.7% of his passes for 2,701 yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
We all know about Allen’s big arm and his improvisational skills as a passer, but he’s just as dangerous running the ball. He’s added 371 yards on the ground and 10 rushing touchdowns so far this year, marking the third straight season he’s accumulated double-digit scores, which puts him in some rarified air as a runner.
Still, if there is one way to get to Allen, it’s to make him hold onto the ball. That’s something he’s prone to already, trailing just four other quarterbacks in average time holding onto the ball. When you eliminate screen plays from that data set, Allen trails only Caleb Williams and Jalen Hurts.
It’s a double-edged sword for Allen. On the positive side, holding onto the ball longer can lead to some of the magic we’re accustomed to seeing from him: scrambles and big play-hunting. He’s the reigning MVP because he is seemingly able to create explosive plays this way more often than not. But holding onto the ball can also lead to sacks and turnovers. Only five quarterbacks have been sacked more than Allen (28), and only six passers have thrown more interceptions.
A lot of the Bills’ passing game woes — and again they do put up a lot of yardage — are because they are lacking a dominant pass catcher, especially on the outside. Khalil Shakir leads the Bills in receptions (54) and yards (564), but operates...
