Josh Allen keeps finding new ways to strengthen his MVP case, and Week 6 gave the Buffalo Bills quarterback another clean, controlled showing in a high-scoring win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
This wasn’t one of those games where Allen had to drag the offense across the finish line by himself. Buffalo got a big lift from James Cook, whose efficiency and explosiveness on the ground helped the Bills stay on schedule and made life easier for their quarterback.
Allen didn’t need to force the issue. He just managed the game with the kind of poise that has become a major part of his evolution.
The Raiders spent a lot of the afternoon sitting in drop coverage and inviting Allen to take the underneath stuff, and he did exactly that. He posted his lowest average depth of target of the season at 6.5 yards, even though he was still getting the ball out in an average of three seconds.
That kind of patience matters. It takes a seasoned quarterback to keep taking what the defense gives him without drifting into mistakes, and Allen handled that challenge with the composure of a player who has grown a long way from his early-career habits.
He also made sure the Bills still had the explosive plays that tilt a game. When Allen was forced off script, he kept his eyes downfield and found Josh Palmer for a big gain in the first quarter after rolling to his right. Then came the third-quarter play that only Allen seems capable of making: the flipped pass to Keon Coleman for a touchdown.
Allen also drew the defense into a few penalties along the way, with receivers getting rewarded by holding and pass interference flags after he put the ball in the right spots. Those calls may end up going against the Raiders in the record book, but Allen helped create them by putting stress on the coverage. That was another sign of a 30-year-old quarterback playing with real experience and control.
The one obvious blemish came early. In the first quarter, Allen took a shot at Dalton Kincaid in the end zone that Treydan Stukus could have intercepted, but the play fell incomplete instead.
In the end, that was about it. In 36 dropbacks, there was one clear mistake, and even that didn’t turn into a negative for Buffalo.
Allen may not have filled up the box score in the loudest way, but he was close to perfect in a game where the Bills needed exactly that. His Week 6 grade: A.
In Other News...
Bills Trade Debate Centers On A Risky Receiver Target
A trade-deadline conversation around Brian Thomas Jr. has started to pick up because the Bills could use another dynamic option at wide receiver, and the Jaguars pass catcher is at least the kind of name that makes sense on paper. Buffalo has spent plenty of time looking for ways to keep its offense dangerous around Josh Allen, and Thomas brings the sort of size and playmaking profile that would naturally get attention if Jacksonville were willing to listen.
The catch is that this is a gamble, not a clean upgrade. Thomass recent production has raised real questions about whether his value matches the price it would take to pry him away, and any deal would also come with a meaningful financial layer for Buffalo to sort through. For a team trying to balance immediate help against long-term flexibility, that makes this one of those speculative deadline ideas that is easy to talk about and much harder to justify once the full cost comes into view. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Third Down Problem Is Becoming Harder To Ignore
Buffalos defense has been living with a third-down issue that keeps showing up at the worst possible times. The Bills have had trouble getting off the field all season, and the problem has grown more noticeable in recent games, including a stretch against the Raiders in which those stops were hard to come by. For a unit that has usually been defined by its speed and cohesion, the repeated breakdowns have made third down a point of real concern.
Some of the answer may come from cleaner execution and fewer late reactions once the defense gets everyone moving in the same direction again. TreDavious Whites return is part of that conversation, since his ability to recognize what an offense is trying to do could help settle things down and reduce the kind of hesitation that has been costing Buffalo in key moments. The Bills do not need a dramatic overhaul as much as they need a sharper response when the game turns into a must-stop situation. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Hit With Another Ugly Discipline Issue As Fallout Grows
The Bills lingering discipline problem grew louder this week after safety and special teams contributor Sam Franklin Jr. was hit with a one-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct. The punishment stems from an accusation that Franklin spit on a Las Vegas Raiders player after the game, a moment that followed the final extra point attempt and drew no penalty on the field.
For Buffalo, the ugly part is not just the league action but the timing. This is the second time in four days a Bills player has been accused of spitting on an opponent, turning what should have been a routine finish into another unwanted storyline the team now has to manage. [Read more 🡒]