You need not look further than the Buffalo Bills to understand that nothing is permanent in the NFL.
Weeks ago, they looked like untouchable contenders that dominated opponents with surgical precision.
Recently, the Bills lost two of their last three games against teams they should have defeated.
The @BuffaloBills looking real suspect right now
— Marcus Spears (@mspears96) November 21, 2021
Their Week 11 loss to the Indianapolis Colts dropped them from the AFC East’s summit.
Worst, they are crumbling even if they have their key players on offense.
Where Did Their Talent Go Against Jacksonville?
If there’s an NFL version of Space Jam, it’s like the Monstars sapped the talent out of the Bills.
They averaged 32.7 points per game in their first seven games this season and scored at least 40 points twice.
But in the last three weeks, they only put up 22 points per game.
Their lone bright spot was a 45-point performance in a win against the New York Jets.
2021 Buffalo Bills pic.twitter.com/MNuehCnvVO
— Aaron Quinn (@AaronQuinn716) November 21, 2021
However, that’s a victory that they should not be highly proud of because the Jets are a mess, and the Bills should make light work of them.
In contrast, it’s hard to find an explanation for their struggles against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Josh Allen started, as usual, so did receivers Stefon Diggs, Cole Beasley, Gabriel Davis, and Emmanuel Sanders.
Zack Moss and Devin Singletary also manned the backfield for Buffalo.
Titans losing, Bills losing, Ravens losing. pic.twitter.com/dBdN4GbeBM
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 21, 2021
Despite the array of talent on their side, the Bills could not put up points.
Scoring six points against one of the league’s worst teams was an utter disappointment.
A double-digit underdog limiting a high-powered offense to two field goals?
Other than the general reason for poor effort, this result defies logic because they couldn’t score even one touchdown.
QB Josh Allen: I have a lot of trust and faith in this team. How we played today is not who we are. #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/dKUd6Rglku
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) November 21, 2021
It did not help that Allen threw two interceptions in that game, one to a linebacker who shared his name.
But it’s the run game that needs work.
Buffalo had 72 rushing yards against the Jaguars, way below their average of over 100 yards per contest.
Taylor-Made Loss Against The Colts
That Jonathan Taylor had more yards than the entire Bills rushing offense explains the Indianapolis Colts’ upset on the road.
Five total touchdowns and 185 rushing yards from the Colts running back were enough to drop the Bills to 6-4.
Again, there were no significant injuries among the Bills’ starters on offense.
But they put up only 15 points, and no receiver reached 100 yards.
Jonathan Taylor: The 1st RB to hit 1,000 rushing yards this season 👏
(📸 @Colts) pic.twitter.com/jmyvUWBr3R
— PFF (@PFF) November 21, 2021
Compare that to their output against the Jets, wherein Davis and Diggs went beyond the century mark.
What’s weird against Indianapolis was that Allen relied much on tight end Dawson Knox, who finished the game with 80 receiving yards.
Davis was a distant second with 27 yards, and Singletary had 26.
It’s uncharacteristic for the Bills to have all of their receivers struggling in one game.
Even Allen was out of funk, throwing two interceptions.
Postseason Hopes In Jeopardy
Not only did the Bills lose their AFC East lead to the New England Patriots.
The loss to the Colts dropped them to seventh place in the AFC playoffs.
They’re not out of the woods yet, given the tight postseason race in the conference.
The Denver Broncos, currently in the 12th spot with a 5-5 record, still have a great chance of unseating them.
Oct. 3:
Buffalo Bills: 3-1
New England Patriots: 1-3Nov. 21
New England Patriots: 7-4
Buffalo Bills: 6-4The Patriots are in sole possession of first place in the AFC East for the first time since 2019.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) November 21, 2021
Therefore, the Bills offense must conduct some soul searching to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive.
They cannot play well only if they’re going up against a team with a losing record.
Unfortunately, only three of their remaining seven games feature an opponent with a mark below .500.
Instead, they must sweep their remaining games to secure a playoff berth and a possible first-round bye.
