Can Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills prove that they are the team to beat in the AFC?
In the marquee matchup for Week 9, the Bills get that opportunity when they host one of the hottest teams in the league in the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. Allen is 4-1 against Patrick Mahomes during the regular season, but 0-4 in the playoffs. And the Bills will likely need this one to have a chance to secure the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
However, Allen has struggled since leading his team to a 4-0 start. In the Bills’ last three games, Allen has 596 passing yards, with five touchdowns and three interceptions for a meh 94.1 passer rating as Buffalo’s lost two of three.
While Allen’s performance of late has been a little chilly, let’s take a closer look at who’s hot and who’s cold as we get ready for Week 9 of the regular season.
WHO’S HOT
With Jets owner Woody Johnson publicly calling him out, Fields responded the right way with his best game of the season, completing 21 of 32 passes (65.6%) for 244 yards, with a touchdown pass and no interceptions in leading the Jets to a come-from-behind victory in their first win of the year.
Fields didn’t take any sacks and ran for 31 yards. You feel for Fields and his comments on how at one point, he was in his closet at home on the ground, sobbing. Fields’ progress makes for a strong comeback story, and you hope he keeps improving.
However, the reward for Fields playing his best game of the year? Head coach Aaron Glenn declines to name Fields the starting quarterback heading into the bye week. Hmm.
He’s back. Baltimore held things down while Jackson dealt with a lingering hamstring injury. At 2-5, the Ravens are only two games back from the AFC North division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3) and still have two games against Pittsburgh.
Defensively, the Ravens played better in a win over the Chicago Bears and their next five games come against the Dolphins, Vikings, Browns, Jets and Bengals. Jackson’s return and a soft schedule are why the Ravens remain the favorites to win the AFC North.
Tucker Kraft, TE, Green Bay Packers
A third-round selection out of South Dakota State in the 2023 draft, Kraft has developed into the next great playmaking tight end in the NFL. He looked unstoppable in a seven-reception, 143-yard receiving effort in a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers that included two touchdowns.
Tucker Kraft had another dominant performance in Week 8, showing his athleticism in his celebrations as well. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Kraft recorded every reception against man coverage despite running just 14 of his 32 routes against man, according to Next Gen Stats. He finished with the most yards against man coverage by a tight end over six seasons (George Kittle, Week 14, 2018). Kraft leads all tight ends with 346 yards after the catch.
And Kraft’s a pretty good athlete if he can do kip-ups during a game.
The Broncos have one of the best defenses in the league, led by defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Bo Nix continues to ascend and is playing more efficient football in his second season.
But the difference for Payton’s Broncos has been his team’s ability to run the football. During Denver’s five-game winning streak, the Broncos are third in the NFL in rushing with 715 rushing yards and tied for third in rushing touchdowns with seven over that time.
Payton’s an excellent play caller and culture builder. And the Broncos are playing complementary football because of their ability to run it with R.J. Harvey and J.K. Dobbins.
In his four starts since taking over for Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel has completed 60% of his passes for 702 yards, with five touchdowns and two interceptions. Gabriel has been sacked 11 times, posting a 78.4 passer rating. He’s averaging just 4.9 yards per pass attempt. Gabriel is 1-3 as a starter.
Shedeur Sanders is still behind Dillon Gabriel on the depth chart. But could Gabriel’s sturggles allow Sanders to become a starter at some point this season? (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
While it’s understandable for the Browns to roll out Gabriel for a few more starts after the bye, it also seems like this would be an ideal time to give Sanders a shot to see if he can jumpstart an offense averaging 15.8 points per game, No. 30 in the NFL.
For his part, Sanders said he stayed in Cleveland during the bye week to continue to get treatment for a back injury.
WHO’S COLD
Philadelphia’s offense looked pretty good without the team’s No. 1 receiver, who sat out with a hamstring injury. The Eagles got back to how they operated on that side of the ball during their Super Bowl-winning season, rushing for 276 yards on the ground.
Brown is one of the best receivers in the league and can help the Eagles win another title. But if he’s not totally on board with what they are doing in Philadelphia, will GM Howie Roseman consider moving him? Seems unlikely, but for now the mercurial Brown’s relationship with his team will remain a major talking point for the second half of the season.
The 37-year-old veteran quarterback’s play wasn’t exactly a great audition for teams looking for an answer at quarterback for a bridge quarterback like the Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints or Las Vegas Raiders. He finished with 173 passing yards, with no touchdowns and no interceptions in a 34-10 loss to the struggling Miami Dolphins.
Couple last weekend’s performance with how much Cousins struggled during the second half of last season, and he is a backup quarterback at this point in his career. It’s telling the Vikings decided to go with Journeyman John Wolford rather than make a deal for Cousins.
Pittsburgh Steelers defense
It’s supposed to be the strength of the team. Pittsburgh has the highest-paid defense in the league but is allowing a league-worst 273 passing yards a contest and is No. 24 in the NFL on third down (42%).
It doesn’t get any easier for the Steelers, who faced the No. 1-ranked offense in the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, scoring 34 points a game. Heading into the regular season, NFL observers questioned if Aaron Rodgers could lead the offense at 41 years old, but so far, it’s been the defense that has failed head coach Mike Tomlin.
The Bengals have a thin margin of error if they want to stay in the hunt while quarterback Joe Burrow works his way back from a turf toe injury. Cincinnati led by as many as 14 points early in the fourth quarter against the previously winless Jets.
Zac Taylor and the Bengals helped give the Jets their first win of the season. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
This loss is on Taylor. And if the Bengals fall a game short of making the playoffs for a second straight season, Cincinnati should take a closer look at who’s making the game-day decisions as the head coach.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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