5 key takeaways from the first half of the Bills’ season

The 2020 NFL season is at the middle point and there’s no reason for us to tip-toe our way into this article. We’re halfway to the finish line and while there’s still plenty to discover about the 6-2 Buffalo Bills, we’ve already found out plenty of things about this team through eight games.

So let’s just jump right into the deep end: Here’s five takeaways from the first half of the Bills’ season:

Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Allen has taken a step, but how big?

Following his second season in the NFL, Bills quarterback Josh Allen had 3,089 passing yards. There were notable guys who had more passing yards than Allen. Some include Ryan Fitzpatrick, Andy Dalton, Kyle Allen, Mitchell Trubisky and Gardner Minshew. Heck, even Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold were right on his heels.

We’ll put it to you this way, how crazy it is to think that Allen, who had the 23rd most passing yards in the NFL last season, was anywhere close to guys like that after seeing him play in 2020?

Buffalo’s QB is on pace to smash that total this season as he’s already at 2,172 passing yards. Now he’s around guys like Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and MVP front-runner Russell Wilson. In fact, he’s fallen down the charts in recent weeks and still resides near the top.

Now just like this takeaway from the season, Allen’s tune has changed since his start to the year. After four games, Allen was in the MVP conversation. He’s out of that now because he simply hasn’t been at those elite levels. Against some tougher foes like the Titans and Chiefs, Buffalo struggled as a team leading to losses. Allen was among those who weren’t up to spat.

Has Allen been awful? Clearly not. He’s still sixth in passing yards in the NFL after all. But the question marks are up again, just a different variety.

After his first few seasons, those asking questions were wondering if this guy can cut it at all in the NFL. Those questions are gone. Now we’re wondering if he can play at an elite level. Currently the answer is no, but that’s not written in pen because he was at those levels and can still get back there.

So our key takeaway on Allen from the start of the season: Is Allen better? Yes. How better? We have another eight games to truly find out.

Bills Star Lotulelei wraps up Eagles running back Jordan Howard. (Gannett photo)

Key losses on D-line add up

Undoubtedly the Bills have some things going wrong on defense. If we’re doing the eye test via the simplest manner, we’re drawn to one area: the defensive line.

In the secondary and at linebacker, things, again… on paper, are mostly the same. Have injuries come about? Of course. Especially at linebacker. But even when starters get out on the field for the Bills defense, things just look… off.

A conclusion we might have to draw is that Buffalo didn’t see the cookie crumble in a good way in terms of their defensive line this offseason.

The Star Lotulelei situation is not in Sean McDermott or Brandon Beane‘s hands. The coach and general manager, rightfully so, respected Lotulelei’s decision to opt out of the 2020 season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds clearly has been impacted by this the most.

The idea was always simple, but seems to be playing a big problem this season. Lotulelei took up blockers so other guys, like Edmunds, could do work behind him or around him in terms of rushing the passer. Without Lotulelei, the Bills have ran a few guys out there such as Harrison Phillips and Vernon Butler to make due. It hasn’t worked.

Where the Bills did have a say was with defensive linemen was Jordan Phillips and edge defender Shaq Lawson. Phillips had his best season of his career with the Bills in 2019, but signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Cardinals which Buffalo did not match. Signing a three-year, $30 million contract himself as well, Lawson moved onto the Dolphins this offseason. Another deal the Bills did not match, even, again, after the player’s best season.

During McDermott’s tenure with the team, he’s always played a huge rotation along the defensive line. Because of that, guys there wouldn’t put up huge numbers. They’re not really doing so very much with their new teams either, but Phillips and Lawson did something with the Bills that the team is currently missing on their defense this season. Run defense always goes unnoticed because it’s the dirty work, but we’re certainly seeing a lack of it this season. Even against the pass, Buffalo’s being worked over the middle of the field week in and week out. Edmunds looks lost there, as does slot cornerback Taron Johnson. Both players could be having a down year, but it ironically comes after these losses.

Edmunds (shoulder) and Matt Milano (pectoral) are currently playing injured… but the fall off should not be what we’re seeing. Still, the Bills are 6-2 and there’s time for them to fully turn the corner on this side of the ball. They looked better the past two weeks, so let’s see where we go from here.

Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs (Gannett photo)

Trading for Stefon Diggs was worth it

You know who looks like a real damn good football player? Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

This offseason the Bills sent a slew of picks, including a first-round selection, for the wideout via trade with the Vikings. Many wondered if it would work. Diggs appeared to not like his time with the Vikings… and even to this day we’re really unsure why he wanted a change of scenery. He just did, and some observers of the Vikings pointed to his attitude off the field.

Now onto our two main points.

Is there someone in Buffalo who doesn’t love this guy? Most importantly, his teammates seem to, perhaps more than anyone else. Diggs has often been seen on the sideline being a leader and picking guys up during games, or he’s chatting with the media giving guys shoutouts that they give right back. Attitude off the field seems fine.

On the field? We could end the discussion right here, but we’ll give you the numbers… scratch that… impressive numbers. Teams know that the Bills are going to feed Diggs the ball on offense. He leads the NFL with 79 total targets in 2020. Still producing. Even when Allen has had his struggles, Diggs keeps on producing.

Heading into Week 9, Diggs is second in the league in receiving yards (695), third in receptions (54), fifth in catches for first downs (31), and third in 20-plus yard catches (10). Diggs will probably look to add to his three touchdowns catches in the second half as well.

Trade won? Well, the Vikings used that selection to take Justin Jefferson who seems pretty good, but who cares? The Bills got what they wanted, a No. 1 receiver.

Bills head coach Sean McDermott. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

We need a statement win

The bar is high for the Bills this season. A 6-2 start is great, but we haven’t seen any convincing that this season will be different than any under McDermott for one big, big reason. Buffalo does not have any sort of statement win in the slightest.

The closest thing we have is a roller coaster of a win against the Rams. Buffalo’s offense went up big but the defense coughed it up. Then the offense had some late heroics to take the victory. It was exciting, but showed that there was just some paper covering the cracks all the way back in Week 3.

When the Bills faced the Chiefs and the Titans, they laid duds against their best two opponents of the season. Those two faced off in the AFC Championship game a year ago, but out-classed the Bills.

All hope is not lost, but since McDermott’s been around, Buffalo’s been elated to be a team that’s going to the playoffs more often than not. But they’ve never been a team that appears like they’re en route to do any damage there. What was Buffalo’s best win in 2019? The Cowboys? They were a .500 team. The Steelers? They didn’t have Ben Roethlisberger.

Beating the Patriots last week was fun and dandy, but it’s time for some statement wins around these parts. And not just one, either. Let’s move that bar on up higher again.

We’ve got a few potential statement wins in the second half of the season in the likes of the Seahawks this Sunday, then the Cardinals and Steelers would also qualify. Win two of those. Heck, win them all?

Time to send a message to the rest of the NFL.

New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick, right, shakes hands with Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott . (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Tide in AFC East is turning

The one massive key takeaway for us following the first half of the season has to be in the division, though. The Bills are leading the AFC East at 6-2 overall. It’s been a long, long time since the Bills were leading the division at the middle point of any season.

A big reason for that is the Patriots. But the first half of the season has showed us that the time has come for the Pats’ reign to end.

For the past 11 seasons and 15 of the last 16, the Patriots have taken the AFC East crown. Last week in a 24-21 win over New England, Buffalo all but put the final blow in the Pats’ divisional title hopes for 2020. But as we know, there’s no more Tom Brady steering the ship in for the Patriots. That one season in the last 16 that Brady wasn’t around… well, he still was around, just injured. Now he’s gone and he ain’t coming back. COVID-19 opt outs certainly have harmed the Patriots’ successes this season, but they’re in need of a couple of changes on offense. QB Cam Newton appears beat up under center and he has no one to throw to… No Brady, but no Rob Gronkowski either for Bill Belichick & Co.

Essentially we’re saying their time has come to an end, and now the Bills are taking their attention to South Beach.

Heading into the second half of the year, the Dolphins are the surprise second-place team. At 4-3 overall, they sit on the Bills’ heels. While Buffalo doesn’t play them for the next seven weeks, they do have to keep an eye on the Dolphins. Losses en route to Week 17 will help the Dolphins’ chances at passing the Bills in the divisional standings.

It could certainly happen, but regardless, there’s a big chance that we’ll have an old-school AFC East battle in the season finale which should now be circled by everyone.

Sunday, Jan. 3. It’s Dolphins at Bills.

Could it be for all the marbles? What final game of the year that would be…

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