What we learned from the Bills’ Week 13 win vs. 49ers

Quarterback Josh Allen had another record-breaking game in Week 13. Not only did he pass Jim Kelly for the most total touchdowns in franchise history (245), but he also became the first QB with a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in the same game.

His performance distanced himself from other MVP candidates. His odds are now -225 to win it, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, and the next closest is Saquan Barkley at +350.

After having an “MVP moment” in Week 11’s win over the Chiefs with his 26-yard touchdown run on 4th & 2, he had another one in Week 13 when he caught a lateral from wide receiver Amari Cooper and ran it in for a score. In his eighth year, he is the front-runner for MVP because he and offensive coordinator Joe Brady have found a way to still have the Superman-esque plays while limiting turnovers.

The Bills have now won their fifth consecutive AFC East title, and they are one of eight teams in NFL history to clinch their division with five weeks remaining in a season. They are the first team to do so since the Colts 15 years ago (2009). On top of that, the Bills are now 8-0 coming off a bye week under Sean McDermott.

McDermott was on the “hot seat” according to many outlets midway through last season when the Bills were 5-5. Since promoting Joe Brady to OC after Week 10 last year, the team is 16-3. McDermott finally seems to have the right answers at both coordinator positions with Brady and DC Bobby Babich. With young coordinators and a bunch of players who enjoy each other’s company, this year’s team has a different culture feel. Despite many projecting the team to take a step back in 2024, McDermott pulled the right levers to propel them forward after losing six team captains.

We know they haven’t reached their ultimate goal (a Lombardi Trophy), but the Bills have been one of the best pro sports teams in North America over the last five years. You get the feeling one of these years it will happen if they keep knocking at the door. McDermott deserves his flowers because it appears he is the best equipped to get the Bills to the promised land.

Earlier this year before the trade for Amari Cooper, Mack Hollins was thrust into a position that he hasn’t been accustomed to. He’s not a guy that warrants 6+ targets a game in the passing game. But, as he shifted a spot or two down the depth chart, he became the perfect WR4 for both the team and the city of Buffalo.

Despite dressing as a barefooted mad scientist prior to Sunday night’s game, Hollins meant all business. He once again affected the game in a plethora of ways despite garnering only one target. His one target was a touchdown reception on a fade to the endzone which displayed the amount of trust that Allen has in him. Not only that, but he delivered crucial block after crucial block in the run game.

He sprang both Ray Davis and James Cook for touchdowns on runs behind him on the right edge. Combine those two scores with his receiving TD, and Hollins was directly involved in all of the Bills’ first 21 points in Week 13. He continues to do all the little things the Bills need at a high level: run-blocking, timely catches, drawing penalties, getting others open in the pass game, etc.

Brandon Beane may be thinking he wants Hollins as a member of the Bills beyond this one-year deal.

In past years, the Bills’ pass-heavy offense has given them problems in games affected by weather, most notably the playoff loss to the Bengals at home in 2022. Now, with a more balanced approach on offense, they are built for winter football more than ever.

“If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” is a term Joe Brady lives by. They kept spamming the same duo run plays on Sunday night, and it led to James Cook having a career night. He ran 14 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. Ray Davis also added 11 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown. The Bills had 220 total rushing yards on the game compared to just 152 through the air.

Since 2020, the Bills are 14-2 in December, and now they can be even more dangerous because they have the best offensive line and running game in the Josh Allen era.

After playing in a snowglobe in Week 13 in Orchard Park, the Bills’ next two games will be played in domes (at LA Rams, at Detroit Lions).

Safety Taylor Rapp has enhanced his level of play this year, especially in recent weeks. He has become a valuable difference maker for the Bills and has been flying around making plays much like Jordan Poyer did a few years back. On Sunday night, he made a couple of game-changing individual plays to help the Bills build a lead.

First, he tripped up Christian McCaffrey to stop him on what was surely going to be a touchdown early in the game. Then, he had a crucial forced fumble near the goal line to prevent a touchdown and give the Bills the ball back on the Niners’ first possession of the second half.

Last year, Rapp made the game-sealing interception in Week 18 to clinch the division, and this year he forced a huge turnover to stop all Niners momentum in the division-clinching game.

On his forced fumble, Rapp said after the game, “We got that turnover coming out of halftime, I felt like that was a huge, huge shift in momentum.”