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Bills at Browns: The good and bad from Week 16’s win

Daniel Adams
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Nick Cammett, Getty Images

The Buffalo Bills narrowly defeated the Browns on the road in Cleveland, 23-20.

The Bills offense was led by James Cook and the run game, while the passing game took a backseat in the victory. The Bills defense held their own and shut down the Browns offense when needed.

The Bills are now 11-4 on the season with hopes of clinching a playoff spot with either a Houston or Indianapolis loss. The Bills will look to continue their success next week as they take on another road opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles.  

The good  

James Cook  

Running back James Cook once again led the Bills offense to victory, scoring two of the Bills’ three touchdowns. Cook was unstoppable in the first half against Cleveland, heading to halftime already contributing 100 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Without Cook, the Bills offense would not have moved like they did with the lack of help from the receiving corps. Cook continues to make his case for NFL offensive player of the year as he now leads the league in rushing yards with 1,532, the most rushing yards by a Bills player since 1975.  

Jordan Poyer  

Bills veteran safety Jordan Poyer made his presence felt, leading the team in total tackles. Poyer was a physical tackler all day for Buffalo’s defense, finishing with 11 tackles, six solo tackles, a half-sack, one tackle for loss, one pass defended, one hit on the quarterback, and an interception, which was his first interception since 2022. Poyer was a gamechanger for Buffalo in their win over Cleveland, playing fast and physical.  

Greg Rousseau  

Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau had an impact game this week against Cleveland. Rousseau was consistently putting pressure on quarterback Shedeur Sanders, finishing with three total tackles, two solo tackles, 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and seven (!) hits on the quarterback, making a huge impact in Buffalo’s victory. Rousseau finished with nine total pressures, the most he’s had in a single game this season. Rousseau was outstanding in the win and came up big in the fourth quarter when they needed him.   

The bad  

Receivers  

The Bills were without receivers Gabe Davis and Keon Coleman this week against the Browns. Buffalo was led by Khalil Shakir, who finished with four receptions for 34 yards. Allen struggled through the air against the Browns as the lack of help at the receiver position looms over the offense.

Heading into Week 17 of the regular season, as the playoffs get closer, the Bills have not had a set in stone wide receiver corps week-to-week. Allen has been given little to work with outside, as a hopeful wide receiver one, and Keon Coleman continues to struggle in finding his place on the Bills roster.

Second-half offense  

The Bills offense completely shut down in the second half, failing to convert on multiple drives which kept the Browns in the game late. The Bills offense failed to score a touchdown in the second half, only scoring a field goal in the third quarter. This was a gritty win for the Bills offense, as they relied heavily on the defense’s contributions and heavy run plays. This week’s second-half offense was much worse than it has been in past games. The Bills played down to their opponent in this one, but still came out with the win. 

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