The Buffalo Bills Are Finding Their Identity - And It's on the Ground
The Buffalo Bills have been one of the NFL’s biggest enigmas this season. One week, they look like Super Bowl contenders.
The next, they leave fans scratching their heads. At 8-4, they’ve got the record to stay in the playoff hunt, but losses to teams like the Falcons and Dolphins have exposed some troubling inconsistencies - especially when it comes to stopping the run and pushing the ball downfield.
But after a convincing win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, there’s a growing sense that Buffalo may have finally found its formula - and it starts with the ground game.
The Shift to the Run Game
Let’s be clear: this is still Josh Allen’s team. He’s a former MVP for a reason, capable of turning broken plays into highlight reels. But what we’re seeing now is a Bills offense that’s starting to lean into something different - something more sustainable down the stretch: a dominant rushing attack.
ESPN analyst Benjamin Solak broke it down this week, pointing out that Buffalo’s run-first approach against Pittsburgh was a stark contrast to their pass-heavy game plans in earlier losses. Against Atlanta, the Bills passed on 63% of their plays.
Against Miami, that number jumped to 71%. In both games, they exceeded their expected pass rate - and it didn’t work.
But against the Steelers? The Bills flipped the script. And it worked.
James Cook Is Cooking
James Cook has quietly become one of the most efficient and productive backs in the league. After torching Pittsburgh for 144 yards, he now trails only Jonathan Taylor by 54 yards for the NFL rushing lead. That’s elite company.
What’s more impressive is how consistent Cook has been. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he’s been stopped for no gain or a loss just 26 times on 231 carries this season. That’s a rare level of efficiency - matched by only four other backs since the stat started being tracked.
He’s not just chewing up yards. He’s keeping the offense on schedule, staying ahead of the chains, and giving Buffalo a physical edge that’s been missing in recent seasons.
Covering Up the Cracks
Let’s not pretend the Bills don’t have issues. The downfield passing game hasn’t been as sharp, but that’s more on the receivers than on Allen.
Still, a strong run game helps take the pressure off. It opens up play-action.
It slows down the pass rush. It gives Allen cleaner looks when he does decide to air it out.
And defensively, the Bills are a bit of a paradox. They rank first against the pass - a testament to their secondary’s discipline and McDermott’s scheme - but they’re 30th against the run.
That’s a big gap. But here’s where the offense can actually help the defense: by controlling the clock and forcing opponents to abandon their own run games, Buffalo can push teams into obvious passing situations - where they thrive.
The Blueprint Is There
What we saw against Pittsburgh could be the model going forward. It’s not flashy.
It’s not the high-octane, Allen-as-superhero offense we’ve come to expect. But it’s effective.
And it travels well - especially in December and January.
This version of the Bills feels a bit like the recent iterations of the Eagles or Chiefs - teams that evolved their identity mid-season and rode that balance all the way to deep playoff runs. The Chiefs, in particular, have leaned on efficiency and defense more since Tyreek Hill’s departure. Buffalo might be heading down a similar path.
Next Up: Cincinnati
The Bengals are on deck, and they’re reeling. Cincinnati has the worst defense in the league - dead last against the pass, second-to-last against the run. That’s a matchup tailor-made for Cook to keep rolling and for the Bills to continue building momentum.
If Buffalo sticks with what’s working - pounding the rock, controlling tempo, and letting their defense dictate terms - they could be a very tough out come playoff time.
The shrug emoji? It might be time to replace that with a flex.