Bills vs Steelers Wild Card: The Good and The Bad

The Buffalo Bills knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the NFL playoffs. The Bills-Steelers game was set to take off on Sunday at 1:00 P.M. ET but due to snow, it was moved to Monday at 4:30 P.M. ET. The Bills headed into Monday’s game as 10 point favorites over the opposing Steelers. The Bills won 31-17 and will move into the divisional round of the playoffs to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Buffalo. 

The Good 

Sean McDermott 

Head coach/defensive play caller Sean McDermott called a great game for the Buffalo Bills defensively. McDermott’s defense was down with some big injuries but it’s “next man up” in Buffalo as many guys went down. McDermott’s defense only allowed 17 points and forced 2 turnovers. 

Joe Brady 

Offensive coordinator Joe Brady called another great game for the Buffalo Bills offense. Brady called a great game that helped the Bills offense move consistently in the right direction and drive the ball at will. 

Josh Allen 

Quarterback Josh Allen played an amazing game both through the air and on the ground. Allen finished the game 21/30 through the air for 203 passing yards and 3 passing touchdowns. Allen looked very poised in the pocket and controlled the pace of the game with the ball in his hands. 

On the ground, Josh Allen took the ball himself 8 times for 74 total yards and a 52 yard rushing touchdown. 

Dalton Kincaid

Rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid had another bright game leading the Bills in receiving yards. Kincaid finished the game with 3 receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown reception. 

Dawson Knox 

Tight end Dawson Knox only had 1 reception on the day against the Steelers, but that reception went for 9 yards in the back of the end zone for a receiving touchdown. 

Khalil Shakir 

Wide Receiver Khalil Shakir had a big statement game against the Steelers, finishing the game with 3 receptions for 31 yards and a touchdown.

His big statement came on a reception in the fourth quarter that looked like it would only go for a few yards, but Shakir broke a tackle and fought his way into the end zone. 

A.J. Klein 

Linebacker A.J. Klein is a familiar face for Buffalo as he’s been on and off with the Bills for a while. Klein signed with the active roster before the Bills faced the Steelers and ended up playing a big role once starting LB Terrel Bernard went down with an ankle injury. 

Klein ended up leading the Bills in terms of tackles with 11 and solo tackles with 7. 

Kaiir Elam 

Cornerback Kaiir Elam was another key player that stepped up big for the Bills when it mattered most. Elam filled in for the injured CB Christian Benford and started off a bit shaky but once he got a rhythm back he forced a turnover.

Elam finished the game with 5 total tackles and 1 interception. 

Greg Rousseau 

Defensive end Greg Rousseau was the only Buffalo Bill to get a sack on QB Mason Rudolph on Monday. Rousseau finished the game with 4 total tackles, 2 solo tackles, 1 sack, and 1 tackle for loss.  

Forcing Turnovers 

The Bills defense was doing a great job at getting the ball back for the offense. The Bills had 1 interception and 1 fumble, as well as another fumble that was challenged but didn’t get called in the Bills favor. 

Time of Possession 

The Bills beat the Steelers in terms of time of possession, with 33:19 while the Steelers had the ball for 26:41. 

The Bad 

Tyler Bass 

Tyler Bass is one of the best Bills kickers in recent history yet he was no match for the weather up in Buffalo. Bass went 1/3 on field goals. 

Injuries 

One of the biggest takeaways from the Bills win is the amount of injuries that were caused from this game. The Bills are down a lot of their starters on the defensive side of the ball including starting LB Terrel Bernard, starting CB Rasul Douglas, starting MLB Tyrel Dodson, and a lot more. 

Offensively the Bills had a few injuries here and there throughout the game, they were without WR Gabe Davis this game as well. Hopefully by next week the Bills starters can get back to healthy and be ready to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Buffalo, Sunday 6:30 P.M. ET.