The Buffalo Bills (5-1) will head into their bye week sitting atop the AFC East and holding the No. 2 seed in the conference following a 33-30 road win over the Las Vegas Raiders Sunday afternoon.
Today’s edition of Buffalo Rumblinks recaps the good, the bad, and the ugly from Buffalo’s 33-30 win over the Raiders.
Check out the assessments below and then let us know why you’re optimistic about this Bills team and what concerns you the most in the comments section.
Bills hang on for another shootout win vs. Raiders
Josh Allen came through with another
clutch, turnover-free effort to help the Bills escape Sin City with a win over the Raiders. Allen completed 23 of 33 passes for 255 yards with two touchdowns—including an insane escape attempt that culminated in a flip throw TD to Keon Coleman—with zero interceptions as the Bills head into their bye week with the top scoring offense in the NFL (32.83 points/game).
But Buffalo’s offense really found its groove when James Cook III was heavily involved. Cook averaged nearly five yards per rush in finishing with 22 carries for 95 yards and a TD, plus three catches for 58 yards, and he didn’t fumble the ball once after two fumbles in the win vs. the Los Angeles Rams. After the Raiders pulled even in the fourth quarter, Allen found Cook for a 26-yard pass that set up Cook’s rushing TD that gave the Bills the lead for good.
Speaking of Coleman, he has been a stabilizing force in a wide receiver room that once again played without D.J. Moore. Coleman caught four of his six targets for 59 yards and a TD and also drew a clutch pass interference penalty.
Defensively, cornerback Christian Benford excelled in coverage against Brock Bowers (four catches for 70 yards but no targets in the first half); linebacker Dorian Williams provided a huge lift with his first career interception; defensive tackle Deone Walker continued to excel as a run stuffer; and rookie cornerback Davison Igbinosun had the best game of his young career, finishing with three pass breakups.
But the negatives on defense were hard to ignore, as Buffalo allowed Las Vegas to score on six of its 10 drives, averaging 6.2 yards per play, including 7.32 yards/play on scoring drives. The Raiders posted 14 plays that went for 10+ yards, including nine plays of 15+ yards. The Raiders converted on 7 of 12 third-down opportunities (58.3%), and the middle of the field was wide open for Kirk Cousins (23 of 41 for 313 yards, two TDs and an INT) to locate Tre Tucker (five catches for 97 yards and two TDs), Michael Mayer (seven catches for 95 yards), and Bowers downfield.
- Observations: Josh Allen’s latest magic act sends Bills to a Sin City win – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- Buffalo Bills observations: Josh Allen & James Cook deliver, Keon Coleman shines in win over Raiders – newyorkupstate.com
- 4 takeaways as Josh Allen dazzles but Bills defense disappoints in win over Raiders – Democrat & Chronicle
- Top things we learned Bills vs. Raiders – BuffaloBills.com
- Four Winners & Two Losers From Bills Hard-Fought Win Over Raiders – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
- Carucci Take 2: Allen gets passing groove back, Cook tightens grip … Bills’ D? – WGRZ
- Josh Allen shovels more magic, and Bills need all of it to turn back Raiders – The Athletic (subscription required)
- Bills beat Raiders 33-30, improve to 5-1 before bye week – WGRZ
- Bills take down the Raiders in Sin City – WGR 550
- Big wins for the Bills, Browns, Packers and Cardinals? Our reporters make sense of Week 6 – ESPN.com
- Josh Allen ties Jim Kelly’s Bills TD pass record as Buffalo holds off Raiders 33-30 – ESPN.com
- Josh Allen ties Jim Kelly for Bills’ all-time touchdown pass record – WGRZ
- Josh Allen tied a Jim Kelly record with a throw his teammates could barely believe – The Athletic (subscription required)
- James Cook promised ball security and a show vs. Raiders, and he was right both ways – Buffalo News (subscription required)
Report cards, positional grades from Week 6
Find out which players saw their stock improve and who endured poor performances during Buffalo’s Week 6 road win in Las Vegas and relive the plays that shaped the outcome of the game.
- Capaccio: Arrow Up/ Arrow Down: Bills at Raiders – WGR 550
- Report Card: Run defense, special teams have strong day in Bills’ win over Raiders – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- Bills report card: Allen rescues woeful defense with more of his magic – Democrat & Chronicle
- Bills’ stock watch: Dorian Williams’ interception a highlight for defense in 33-30 win – Buffalo News (subscription required)
Reactions to win in Las Vegas
Hear what head coach Joe Brady, quarterback Josh Allen, linebacker Dorian Williams and the rest of the Bills had to say following their most recent shootout win.
- ‘Saw our guy open’ | Josh Allen reflects on crazy flip-pass TD and other team highlights in win at Raiders – BuffaloBills.com
- Josh Allen Talks After Going 2-0 On The West Coast – BuffaloBills.com
- Joe Brady Talks Finding A Way To Win vs Las Vegas Raiders – BuffaloBills.com
- Dorian Williams On First Career Interception – BuffaloBills.com
- Bills Postgame Live: Instant Reaction To Bills Win Over Raiders – BuffaloBills.com
Even more Bills news
We examine the spitting incident that led to safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson being ejected late in the first half of Sunday’s victory, including hearing from both Joe Brady and Gardner-Johnson about the circumstances that led to Gardner-Johnson’s ejection. We also make the case for the Bills to move on from the embattled safety and hear how CBS play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz apparently broke his wrist during the broadcast.
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson apologizes after getting ejected for spitting at Brock Bowers – The Athletic (subscription required)
- Bills’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson downplays spitting ejection: ‘It wasn’t nothing egregious’ – newyorkupstate.com
- Bills’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson ejected for spitting at Raiders’ Brock Bowers – Democrat & Chronicle
- Joe Brady says Bills will address C.J. Gardner-Johnson ejection – WGRZ
- Gardner-Johnson expects fine after spitting incident in Bills’ victory – ESPN.com Buffalo Bills blog
- C.J. Gardner-Johnson Ejected: Why Bills DB Was Kicked Out of Week 6 Game – Sports Illustrated Buffalo Bills
- Bills’ C.J. Gardner-Johnson accused of spitting before; 49ers star says ejection was ‘least surprising thing ever’ – newyorkupstate.com
- Bills need to cut C.J. Gardner-Johnson and find a different safety – Buffalo News (subscription required)
- ‘My wrist is broken’: Jim Nantz probably regrets taking J.J. Watt’s challenge during Bills-Raiders game – newyorkupstate.com
Buffalo Bills articles recently featured on Buffalo Rumblings
- Bills at Raiders Week 6 instant game analysis: Buffalo grinds out key win – Buffalo Rumblings
- Horns Up/Horns Down for Buffalo in win at Las Vegas – Buffalo Rumblings
- At 5-1, Bills continue finding ways to win hard-fought shootouts – Buffalo Rumblings
- Josh Allen ties Jim Kelly’s TD record – Buffalo Rumblings
- Josh Allen’s outrageous touchdown flip is one of NFL’s best plays of the year – Buffalo Rumblings
- CJ Gardner-Johnson says he screwed up by spitting at Raiders player – Buffalo Rumblings
- Can you guess this Bills linebacker in today’s in-5 trivia game – Buffalo Rumblings
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