ESPN’s NFL analysts are all leaning the same way in Week 4: Buffalo.
Pamela Maldonado, Eric Moody and Seth Walder each picked the Bills to handle the Patriots and move to 4-0, with all three projecting Buffalo to keep rolling behind Josh Allen. Maldonado has it 27-17, Moody sees a tighter 30-27 finish, and Walder calls for 24-20.
The numbers tell the same story. Buffalo is putting up 33.7 points per game while allowing 26.0, which leaves the Bills first in the league in scoring and 21st in points allowed.
New England, by contrast, has struggled to generate offense, averaging just 12.0 points per game while giving up 17.0. That puts the Patriots 31st in points scored and sixth in points allowed.
Allen has been the engine for all of it. Through three games, he’s thrown five touchdown passes and run for six more, while completing 65.1% of his passes for 786 yards.
He’s also become just the fourth player in NFL history to have at least two rushing touchdowns in each of his first three games of a season, joining Jim Brown (1958), Stephen Davis (1999) and Priest Holmes (2003). That’s part of why he’s the early MVP favorite.
His Week 2 performance against the Detroit Lions added another line to the growing pile of Allen absurdity. He recorded his fourth career game with at least three passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. Kordell Stewart is the only other player with more than one such game in NFL history.
Allen also joined a club of one for another wild stretch, becoming the second player in NFL history to account for nine or more total touchdowns and four or more rushing touchdowns over a five-day span. The only other name there is Ernie Nevers, who did it from November 24-28, 1929, when he ran for nine touchdowns and scored all 59 of the Cardinals’ points in wins of 19-0 and 40-6.
Drake Maye, meanwhile, has been going the other direction. The Patriots quarterback has six interceptions and only one touchdown pass through three games, giving Buffalo’s defense a chance to pile on Sunday and keep chipping away at his confidence.
Maye did lead New England to the Super Bowl last season, where the Patriots lost to the Seattle Seahawks. Buffalo’s recent story has been different. The Bills still haven’t reached the Super Bowl in the Allen era, though they have made the AFC Championship Game twice and lost both times to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
That’s the backdrop for Sunday: one quarterback playing at an MVP level, another trying to stop the bleeding, and ESPN’s experts all expecting the same result. Allen may be the best player in the league right now, but he’s after something bigger. He wants to bring Buffalo its first ever Super Bowl.
In Other News...
Philip Rivers Revealed An Unexpected Twist In Buffalo's Coaching Search
Philip Rivers name came up in a surprising place during Buffalos coaching search, and it turns out the former quarterback was much more than a casual candidate. He interviewed for the Bills head coaching job on short notice in Florida, and Josh Allen was there as part of the process, a reminder of how seriously the team involved its franchise quarterback in evaluating the next leader.
Rivers did not land the position, but he later described the experience as worthwhile and said he felt good about where Buffalo ended up. The Bills ultimately went with Joe Brady, and Rivers account adds another layer to a search that was already unusual for its mix of star power, urgency and quarterback input. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Defensive Line Might Be Getting Even More Dangerous For Week 4
Buffalos defensive front has already done enough in the first three games to make opposing quarterbacks feel the heat, with Greg Rousseau, Deone Walker and DeWayne Carter all helping set the tone up front. Even with injuries factored in, the Bills have managed to keep their rotation active and productive, and the groups early play has hinted at a line that can control games rather than simply chase them.
Now the unit could be on the verge of getting even deeper for Week 4. T.J. Sanders is trending toward a return after limited practice work, and practice squad option Phidarian Mathis is also part of the picture, giving Buffalo more possible bodies and more ways to keep the pressure coming as the season starts to settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Head Coach Search Took A Stranger Turn Than Fans Realized
Philip Rivers adding his voice to the Bills coaching search gave the process an unexpectedly public twist, especially for a franchise that usually keeps those conversations tightly under wraps. The former quarterback said Buffalo reached out through his agent to set up the interview, and he described a room that included key figures from the organization as well as Josh Allen, making it clear this was a serious look at a candidate whose rsum was built more on playing experience than sideline work.
Rivers, who has never coached in the NFL, said he leaned on his years as a longtime starting quarterback rather than a polished presentation or video-heavy pitch. Even so, he spoke with gratitude about getting the chance and with confidence that he could handle the job if called upon, which only added to the sense that Buffalos search touched some unconventional names before it moved on. [Read more 🡒]