Biggest surprises of the Bills' season so far
With the season officially halfway done, now it's time for us to look back at the first half of the Buffalo Bills season. We're going to be doing a series of mid-season articles that will talk about both the good and the bad of this year so far. Here's what we have discussed so far: […]
With the season officially halfway done, now it's time for us to look back at the first half of the Buffalo Bills season. We're going to be doing a series of mid-season articles that will talk about both the good and the bad of this year so far. Here's what we have discussed so far:
- Bills' mid-season rookie report cards
- Bills' mid-season MVPs
- Bills' mid-season grades for offense, defense, and special teams
- Bills' biggest disappointments
Now, some positivity. The Buffalo Bills are still a really, really good football team. While they have yet to play their best football, and injuries are a big reason why, there is plenty to be excited for about the current state of the team, and their future. Here's what we consider to be the biggest surprises so far this season.
James Cook is cooking
James Cook has arrived, ladies and gentlemen.
I spent the entire offseason writing about how I thought Cook was really going to ascend after clearly winning the position with the departure of Devin Singletary, and he's done just that. While we don't love that the team is constantly taking carries out of his hand near the goal line, he's proven to be a difference-maker on this offense.
Now, the team has moved away from the running game over the past few weeks, but that doesn't sour us on Cook's performances. In fact, it urges us to push the team to get him even more involved.
When I wrote my article talking about how James Cook was going to have a better season than his brother Dalvin Cook, I got some flack, but now I am basking in the glory that at least halfway through the season, I was right.
With the season halfway over, he's already passed last year's total in the passing game. Last year, Cook finished with 21 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown while adding 89 carries and 507 yards on the ground with two touchdowns.
These stats were taken before the Bengals loss. Midway through the season, Cook is going to shatter last season's totals. He already has 102 carries for 486 yards and a touchdown with 18 receptions for 192 yards and a touchdown in the air. He's been a bright spot on this offense and the team just needs to keep feeding him, despite the recent addition of Leonard Fournette.
The offensive line isn’t hot garbage
Coming into the season, one of our biggest worries was that of the offensive line. Last year, Spencer Brown proved to be a liability, there was a lack of continuity with players shuffling around, and Josh Allen spent way too much time playing hero ball, something that the front office talked about correcting heading into this season.
With the year halfway over, we're pleasantly surprised with the way the offensive line has been able to hold up, protecting the franchise's biggest asset in Allen. While Spencer Brown can still have up-and-down performances, he's proven to be a starting-caliber player in this league and has shined throughout the year.
Not only that, but Buffalo also landed a stud in O'Cyrus Torrence. Anytime you can come out of the draft with a starting-caliber offensive lineman, especially when you're struggling in that area, it's a big win.
This unit is a far cry from when the likes of Roger Saffold were starting alongside Mitch Morse and Dion Dawkins. We're just hoping they don't implode so we can gush over their performance once the year has concluded.
Terrel Bernard, welcome to the show
Ladies and gentlemen, Terrel Bernard has arrived.
In training camp and even leading into the first preseason game, Tyrel Dodson looked to be the answer to replace Tremaine Edmunds as the team's starting linebacker. Dodson quickly found his way out of the lineup and once Bernard was back and healthy, he dominated on the football field.
Bernard has been an absolute monster on the defense and has already had more splash plays this season than Edmunds did last year. In fact, Bernard is off to a better start this year than Edmunds is in Chicago, another positive sign as Bernard still has plenty of football left in the tank and more than enough room to grow as a professional.
While the defense has its struggles stopping the run, and we are concerned that Matt Milano might not see the field, some of that is erased with the arrival of Bernard on this defense and his potential superstardom if he keeps playing like this.
As we mentioned previously, Bernard has played and started in all eight games. These stats were combined before the Bengals loss. He has managed four passes defended and two sacks to go along with 76 combined tackles and two interceptions. To put it in perspective, through the same amount of games Edmunds has one interception, three passes defended, 63 combined tackles, and no sacks.
For right now, we're just hoping his injury isn't serious and he's back on the field sooner rather than later.
One of the biggest surprises and a mid-season MVP for us.
Biggest Bills’ disappointments midway through the NFL season
The Buffalo Bills haven’t quite met the expectations fans put on them before the season began. Here are a few of our biggest disappointments with the season halfway complete.
