Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills checked another box on Saturday.
One week after clinching a playoff berth for the fourth-straight season, the Bills wrapped up a third-consecutive AFC East title with a 35-13 beating of the Bears in an icy-cold Chicago.
It's the second-longest streak of division titles in franchise history. Jim Kelly and company won four in-a-row from 1988-91. Way back in the 1960s when the Bills played in the AFL, they also won four-straight East Division titles.
The Bills offense had an interesting day. When all was said and done, they scored five touchdowns and totaled 426 yards. Their 254 yards rushing were the most by a Bills team in six years.
Buffalo also converted 55% of their third downs, and were at 75% in the red zone (3-for-4).
But for most of the first half and for a four-drive stretch in the second half, the offense was its own worst enemy.
Josh Allen and Co. started out well with a touchdown on their very first possession, but that was followed by a drive that ended with an Allen interception. The Bills quarterback made a bad decision, and ended up throwing into double coverage inside of the Bears' five-yard line.
On the next drive the Bills punted and on the final drive of the first half they moved the ball down to the Bears 19 yard line before they stalled. Tyler Bass had a wind blown missed field goal and the Bills were trailing 10-6 at halftime.
The offense must have gotten a lift from the warmth of the locker room, because they came out and put together back-to-back touchdown drives in the third quarter.
It was the run game that drove the Bills in this one. Buffalo absolutely shredded the Bears defense with both Devin Singletary and James Cook ripping off chunk runs. Singletary had a 33-yard touchdown run, and Cook ran to the end zone from 27 yards out.
For all intents and purposes, the game was over at that point, but the offense couldn't close the sale until late in the fourth quarter.
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The offense, as it has done numerous times over the course of the season, went into a deep freeze. Over the next four drives, the Bills managed just 12 plays and a meager 36 yards.
There was also another Allen interception and a Gabe Davis fumble to go along with a couple of punts.
It was also a rare instance where offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey should have just kept calling run plays, because they were practically unstoppable. He didn't, and the passing game never really got into a rhythm.
Even though the Bears would make it a one-score game at 21-13, there wasn't a single moment where I thought the Bills would lose thanks to their defense. They absolutely dominated an injury-depleted Bears offense.
Chicago scored a touchdown on their very first drive, but that would be the only time they would get into the end zone.
The Bills held the Bears to 209 net yards, 17% (2-for-12) on third down, 1-for-4 in the red zone, 1-for-4 on fourth down, and took the ball away twice.
Best of all, they completely shut down the Bears' best offensive weapon, quarterback Justin Fields and his legs. He came into the game with 1,000 yards rushing in 13 games. Fields ran seven times and gained just 11 yards.
There was no way Chicago would pull off the upset.
The Bills offense got back to work, and finished strong with touchdowns on their last two possessions, and the celebration could begin.
I'd bet it was a low-key celebration because, of course, their work is far from finished.
There still is that all-important battle for the top seed in the AFC. The Bills can take a huge step towards checking off that box with a win in their next game against the 11-4 Cincinnati Bengals in the bright lights of "Monday Night Football".
