Bills at Seahawks Recap
The Bills handled their business in Seattle and are returning to Buffalo with a 3.5-game lead in the AFC East after their 31-10 victory. I expected a shootout in this game, but only one team got the memo. The Bills started the scoring early, and the defense never let the Seahawks join in and were benefactors of some timely miscues. Before the game, the Bills benefitted from a Miami Dolphins loss in Tua Tagovailoa’s return, and the New England Patriots upset the New York Jets for their fifth straight loss.
Bills vs Seahawks Sunday, October 27, 2024
The Seahawks slip to .500 at 4-4 in a three-way tie atop the NFC West. D.K. Metcalf’s absence was felt as Geno Smith, and the offense could not establish a rhythm early with back-to-back three and outs to start the game and failed to take advantage of opportunities to put touchdowns on the board when they got inside the red zone. The ten points were the lowest of the season for Seattle.
5 Things I Liked
Starting Fast - The Bills marched down the field for a 14-play, 90-yard touchdown drive that really set the tone for the game. The drive took nine minutes off the clock and the offense overcame two penalties that set them back 20 yards. The drive ended with a beautiful pass and contested catch from Josh Allen to Keon Coleman.
Complimentary Football - The Bills dominated the game in all three phases on Sunday. The offense controlled the game and dominated the time of possession almost 2:1, ran the ball 34 times, passed the ball 34 times, and had three scoring drives of 10+ plays. The defense prevented the run game from being established and made it difficult for receivers to get open. The Seahawks offense had three 3 and outs, a turnover on downs, an interception, and finished the game 1-7 on third down. On Special Teams, Tyler Bass was perfect for a second straight game, Sam Martin was booming punts through the rain, and Mack Hollins recovered a fumble on a muffed punt.
Players Stepping Up - Austin Johnson and practice squad elevation Eli Ankou received increased playing time in the absence of DeWayne Carter. Johnson came up with his first career interception that led to an ensuing Bills touchdown drive. Ankou didn’t fill up the stat sheet but was noticeable in the run game, keeping Kenneth Walker to a season-low twelve rushing yards. Baylon Spector filled in for the injured Terrel Bernard and ended the game as the team’s third-leading tackler. Cam Lewis had four tackles and a pass breakup.
Run Defense - The Bills held the Seahawks to 32 rushing yards, 1.9 yards per carry, and the longest run of 13 yards belonged to Geno Smith on a scramble. Greg Rousseau, Taron Johnson, and Ed Oliver led the way by setting the tone early.
Offensive Line - My matchup of the game was the trenches, and the Bills dominated it on both sides, but I want to highlight the offensive line's performance. Not only did they keep Josh Allen clean, only one sack for a loss of two yards, but they opened up running lanes for James Cook and Ray Davis to the tune of 140 yards on 23 carries for two touchdowns. Seahawks defenders were pushed around all day.
5 3* Things I Didn’t Like
Penalties - The Bills have now played in the two highest-penalized games of the season. 13 accepted penalties cost the Bills 85 yards, while Seattle had 11 penalties accepted for 82 yards. The number of penalties made moments in the second half hard to watch.
Punt Return Decisions - Brandon Codrington fielded the second punt of the game at the goal line and returned it to the Seattle 12 to start the drive. I am guessing this will not happen again. Fortunately, it didn’t end up hurting the Bills, but it impacted their drive. The Bills drive stalled out at their 42-yard line. The 8 yards gained from a touchback may have changed the approach on 4th and 2 if they were at midfield. Overall, Codrington is playing very well, but this was surprising when it happened in the game.
Interception - It was bound to happen sooner or later, but I was enjoying Josh Allen’s streak to start the season. It appeared that Amari Cooper slipped as he cut in, and Allen had already committed to the throw. Fortunately, it didn’t lead to any Seattle points. The current streak stands at 22 pass attempts since throwing an interception.
Critical Plays From the Game
Josh Allen threw his first interception of the season on the Bills’ third drive while the score was 7-3. Josh Jobe appeared to have the blockers and agility to return it for a touchdown. Allen made the tackle with Dawson Knox closing in as well. Four plays later, the Seahawks turned the ball over on downs. Seattle had the ball inside the Bills 3-yard line twice in the first half and only scored 3 points.
After the turnover on downs, the Bills responded with a 12-play, 93-yard touchdown drive to end the half and go up 14-3. On this drive, the Bills faced a third and seven from the Seahawks’ 24-yard line. Allen threw an incomplete pass, and the Bills drew a flag for an illegal shift. Linebacker Derick Hall hit Allen a little late and close to the head, drawing a 12-yard roughing the passer penalty and wiping out the Bills’ flag. Two plays later, Allen avoided the pressure and moved up in the pocket to hit Dalton Kincaid for the touchdown. The Bills had all the momentum going into half on top of receiving the second-half kickoff.
Stat(s) of the Game
BillsBanter Group Chat Quote of the Game
"This is a big MUD DOG game. Only a mud dog could get this done.” Coach
Postgame Quote of the Game
Postgame Perspective
The Bills have rebounded well from their adversity after back-to-back losses earlier this season. Von Miller returns from his four-game suspension this week and should help Rousseau get better matchups moving forward. Hopefully, players will continue getting healthy. It’s exciting to hear a plan is being developed for Matt Milano to return from his preseason injury. Returning players and the development we are seeing of the offense and wide receiver group have made me feel very confident in the team as they approach the halfway point of the season. Go Bills!
Up Next: Buffalo vs Miami - Sunday 1:00 PM
