When the Buffalo Bills rolled into Pittsburgh and racked up 249 rushing yards on Sunday, it wasn’t just an impressive ground game - it was historic. According to CBS broadcasters Jim Nantz and Tony Romo, that total marked the most rushing yards by a visiting team against the Steelers in 50 years. And if you know anything about Steelers football, that stat alone tells you just how dominant Buffalo was in the trenches.
The Bills' ground attack was relentless and efficient, a throwback performance that felt like something straight out of the 1970s - and fittingly so, considering the last time a team gashed Pittsburgh like that, it was O.J. Simpson and the Bills back in 1974.
That day, Simpson ran wild for 227 yards, part of a 2,000-yard season that still stands as one of the most iconic in NFL history. Fast forward to Sunday, and Buffalo once again found success in a similar fashion - by controlling the line of scrimmage and pounding the rock.
What makes this latest performance stand out is the context. The Steelers have long prided themselves on physical, fundamentally sound defense - especially at home.
But the Bills didn’t just beat them; they imposed their will. It wasn’t about flashy plays or trickery.
It was about lining up, executing blocks, and letting the backs do the rest. That’s old-school football, and Buffalo made it work in a big way.
This wasn’t just a one-man show, either. The Bills’ backfield committee got contributions across the board, and the offensive line deserves a ton of credit for opening up lanes and sustaining drives.
They consistently got push at the point of attack, and once the backs hit the second level, Pittsburgh had no answers. It was the kind of performance that energizes a team and demoralizes a defense.
And while the stat sheet will remember the 249 yards, the bigger story might be what this game signals for the Bills’ identity moving forward. For a team that’s leaned heavily on Josh Allen’s arm in recent years, this kind of ground dominance shows they can win in multiple ways - a critical trait as the postseason picture starts to take shape.
There’s also a layer of symmetry in the history here. The last time the Bills ran for that many yards in Pittsburgh, it was Simpson - a player whose name is forever tied to the franchise and to NFL rushing lore.
That 1973 season, when he became the first player in league history to eclipse 2,000 yards in a 14-game season, remains one of the most remarkable individual campaigns ever. And it was capped by a 200-yard performance against the Jets in Week 14 at Shea Stadium, a moment etched in Buffalo sports history.
Simpson’s legacy with the Bills is complicated, but his on-field accomplishments are undeniable. That era of Bills football - blue-collar, run-first, and physical - was on full display again this past Sunday. Different players, different era, but the same formula: dominate the line, wear down the opponent, and let the rushing attack dictate the game.
For Buffalo, that kind of performance isn’t just about numbers - it’s about mindset. It’s about showing they can adapt, evolve, and bring a physical edge when it matters most.
Against a proud Steelers defense, they didn’t just win - they made a statement. And if they can bottle that formula and carry it into December and beyond, the rest of the AFC better take notice.