The Buffalo Bills offense received most of the championship hype heading into the 2021 season. So far, though, it is the Buffalo defense that’s making history.
The Bills whooped the Texans, 40-0 Sunday in Orchard Park for their third-straight win and second shutout victory. They are the first team since the 2000 Baltimore Ravens with two shutouts through their first four games of the season. The Ravens, of course, went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
Now that’s a good omen.
It took just five minutes for Buffalo’s defense to assert itself on Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
Coming off an ugly Josh Allen interception on the first offensive play of the game, the Texans set up shop at the Bills’ 13-yard line — and failed to move the ball. On 4th-and-3, Jerry Hughes tipped a pass from overwhelmed Texans rookie quarterback Davis Mills, marking an emphatic end to the futile drive.
The Texans managed just 109 yards of offense— including eight in the first half — and turned the ball over five times. Micah Hyde, Tremaine Edmunds, Tyler Matakevich and Jaquan Johnson each had interception. One could imagine how dominant the Bills’ performance could’ve been if Jordan Poyer was in the lineup.
Allen has picked himself up after a tough Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 25-year-old finished his afternoon against Houston going 20-of-29 for 248 yards and two touchdowns. The MVP runner-up in 2020 has thrown for 1,055 yards and nine touchdowns through the first four weeks of 2021.
However, the defense has been the dominant story so far. The Bills rank first in seven major defensive categories, including average points allowed (11.0) and yards allowed (216.8) per-game.
Their success on the defensive side of the ball is a credit to their excellent core, which has played together for several years. It also illustrates the tactical brilliance of head coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.
Granted, the Texans are horrible, and the Miami Dolphins, whom the Bills shut out in Week 2, are far from an explosive offensive team. But it’s hard to pitch shutouts in the NFL, or else it would be down more often. Buffalo’s defense is just relentless.
With the league’s top scoring offense and scoring defense, the Bills look unstoppable at the moment. They have the historical numbers to show it.
Up next will be Buffalo's toughest challenge yet - A Sunday night affair with the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.
