The Buffalo Payments enter the NFL Playoffs because the AFC’s No. 2 seed after profitable the division for a fourth straight season, they usually have the third-best odds to win the Tremendous Bowl, based on DraftKings Sportsbook.
That’s a press release that might have come as no shock coming into the 2023 season. Not when Buffalo was simply among the many NFL’s high title contenders and seemed primed for one more particular season.
It’s additionally a press release nobody would have seen coming as we entered the month of December, again when the Payments had been simply one of many league’s most disappointing groups.
Issues didn’t look too dangerous to start the season. Positive, they opened the 12 months with a highway loss to the New York Jets in additional time, however they adopted that up with three dominant wins over Las Vegas, Washington, and Miami by a mixed 123-33 margin. That’s the Payments crew everybody thought we’d get this season, however from there, issues went south in a hurray.
The Payments would go on to have one of many worst stretches they’d had in years, shedding 5 of their subsequent eight video games. It wasn’t simply that the Payments had been shedding. They had been struggling towards a few of the league’s worst groups.
There was the Week 1 defeat vs. a Jets crew that misplaced Aaron Rodgers for the 12 months on the sport’s first drive and went on to complete 7-10. It was largely missed since Week 1 can produce some wild outcomes, however that loss turned out to be an indication of issues to return.
In Week 6, the Payments barely gained at residence vs. a Giants crew that completed 6-11, thanks partially to a controversial no-call on the finish when it appeared Taron Johnson held Darren Waller, however no flag was thrown.
In Week 7, Buffalo went into New England and misplaced to a Patriots crew that might end 4-13.
Then in Week 10, the Payments fell at residence to a Denver crew that was 3-5 on the time and would end 8-9.
Following a gut-wrenching additional time loss at Philadelphia in Week 12, the Payments entered their bye week at 6-6 and fading quick within the playoff race.
The Payments would come out of the bye three video games behind the 9-3 Miami Dolphins within the AFC East whereas making ready for a brutal two-game stretch at 8-4 Kansas Metropolis and at residence vs. 9-3 Dallas.
Making issues worse was a narrative rising on Dec. 7 about head coach Sean McDermott holding a crew assembly in 2019, the place he mentioned how Payments gamers ought to work collectively just like the 9/11 terrorists did to emphasise the significance of communication.
Sure, that really occurred, and it felt like one thing that could possibly be the ultimate straw on the Payments’ again.
Issues had been grim, however to the Payments’ credit score, all six of their losses had been by one rating, and two got here in additional time. So it’s not just like the Payments had been getting blown out. They simply couldn’t make that one final play they wanted to shut out these video games.
That modified in a giant approach popping out of the bye, because the Payments would reel off 5 straight wins, 4 of which got here by one rating. That included the Week 18 finale at Miami, the place the Payments would rally within the fourth quarter to attain the sport’s remaining 14 factors in a 21-14 victory for the division and the AFC’s No. 2 seed.
So, what modified?
The most important spark down the stretch was the Payments protection. After permitting 37 factors to Philly, they allowed a mere 16.8 factors per sport over their five-game profitable streak. That included holding Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to only 17 factors at Arrowhead, then suffocated the Cowboys at residence en path to a 31-10 victory, wherein Dallas didn’t rating a landing till there was simply 2:48 left and completed with simply 195 complete yards.
After permitting 300+ yards in eight of their earlier 9 video games, the Payments solely allowed the Chiefs to high that mark within the remaining 5 video games. Buffalo occasion went into Miami and held the high-scoring Dolphins offense to only 275 yards and 14 factors, and that was with Josh Allen committing three brutal turnovers in Dolphins territory.
All of this got here with the Payments protection getting hit onerous by accidents to key gamers, together with shedding All-Professional cornerback Tre’Davious White and All-Professional linebacker Matt Milano to season-ending accidents in early October. It took the protection time to regulate to these losses, however it’s again to enjoying at a excessive stage at the absolute best time.
We can also’t overlook what turned out to be an enormous transfer on the NFL commerce deadline, when Buffalo despatched a third-round decide to Inexperienced Bay for cornerback Rasul Douglas and a fifth-round decide.
On the time, it seemed just like the Payments had been overpaying for a high quality veteran on an expiring deal, however it turned out to be one of many largest trades of 2023, as Douglas has been among the best cornerbacks in the complete NFL.
Coming into the playoffs, Douglas has a Professional Soccer Focus protection grade of 84.4, the sixth-best of any NFL cornerback enjoying in not less than 20% of his crew’s defensive snaps.
Dropping a participant the caliber of White might have been devastating, however the Payments managed to switch him with a participant who’s having a standout season and making himself some severe cash coming into 2024 free company.
Now, after years of promising seasons that got here up simply wanting the Tremendous Bowl, will this be the Payments crew that lastly breaks via?
Regardless of every part they’ve overcome, this crew is again to wanting each bit like one able to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy when it’s all stated and finished. And whereas Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, and the Payments offense deservedly get a lot of the eye, it’s the protection that has made this resurgence potential.
