The Buffalo Bills (12-3) have been rolling all season in their attempt to compete with the Kansas City Chiefs for the top-overall seed in the AFC heading into the NFL playoffs. With Buffalo needing to essentially to win out if they wanted any chance at overtaking the Chiefs for that, a matchup against the New England Patriots (3-12) was on tap in Week 16.
The Bills beat the Patriots, 24-21, thanks to the performance from starting running back James Cook along with timely plays made by the defense. Cook ran the ball 11 times for 100 yards and one touchdown while also catching three passes for 26 yards and another score, showing his ability to affect the game on the ground and through the air.
After allowing New England to score two touchdowns to begin the game with a 14-0 lead, Buffalo’s defense tightened up in the second half, forcing the Patriots to turn the ball over on their first three possessions. Plenty of players on the defensive side of the ball contributed to the Bills’ victory.
With that, here is Bills Wire’s stock report following Sunday’s win over New England:
Stock Up: RB James Cook
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As mentioned above, Cook did everything that was asked of him, especially in a game where star quarterback Josh Allen needed to have his elbow looked at. Cook got it done on the ground and through the air and has now run for at least 100 yards in two consecutive games for the first time this season.
Stock Down: Bills Passing Game
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Regardless of the fact that Allen had to be looked at for a bruised elbow, the Bills’ passing offense left something to be desired against a New England pass defense that has given up big plays all season. Allen completed just 16 passes out of 29 attempts for 154 yards with his leading receiver being James Cook with just 26 yards receiving.
Stock Up: S Cole Bishop
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Due to injuries to players like Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin, Bishop had to step in against a Patriots team that has some capable receivers. Bishop made some key tackles to prevent plays from becoming bigger and he was solid in the run game, including an important tackle for loss in a contest that came down to the last few minutes.
Stock Down: DT Ed Oliver
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Oliver’s role as a run-stopper and as a player that routines draws double-teams usually leads him to not putting him huge numbers due to him opening things up for his teammates. However, with how comfortable Drake Maye was in the pocket or how well Rhamondre Stevenson was able to run the football, it seems that Oliver did not have the kind of impact in Buffalo’s run defense that he normally does.
Stock Up: Buffalo’s Defense
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While Buffalo’s defense had a shaky start to the game by allowing New England to begin the contest with a 14-0 lead, they clamped down in the second half to keep the Patriots in check enough to get back in the game. Sure, the Bills should be beating this version of New England by more than three points, but one would like to think that the offense would be better next time.
Stock Down: WR Khalil Shakir
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It seemed like Shakir and Josh Allen were not working on the same wavelength throughout this game and it showed in how each player performed. Allen was inefficient and Shakir’s impact was relatively small compared to someone like James Cook, but that could also be a result of how Buffalo committed to running the football whenever possible.
