5 Things We Learned About the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card Round

Joe Brady deserves more praise

Joe Brady was named the offensive coordinator for the Bills last season after the team opted to move in a different direction after firing Ken Dorsey in the middle of the season. After the move, Brady has been one of the more overlooked assets for the Bills, especially as the team put together a thriving offense under his system. With the Bills' offense firing on all cylinders, Brady deserves more praise for the job he's done putting his team in this position to make a playoff run.

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The Bills defense is ready for the challenge against Lamar Jackson & Patrick Mahomes

Buffalo let go of multiple long-time Bills' defenders in the offseason, with names like Jordan Poyer and Tre'Davious White being cut in efforts to relieve some of the salary cap issues the team dealt with. Entering the season, expectations for the team's defense were low, as many felt that the team would take a step back without multiple key pieces on that side of the ball. However, Sean McDermott has continued to build the Bills' defense to be disciplined as players have continuously stepped up throughout the season.

After allowing a 70-yard touchdown drive to Denver in the Broncos' first possession of the game, Buffalo's defense tightened the loose screws keeping Sean Payton's squad scoreless the rest of the game. As a result, the Bills won the time of possession margin by a whopping 23-minute difference as Buffalo controlled the ball for 41 minutes and 43 seconds of the 60-minute contest.

Looking ahead, the Bills defensive unit seems well-prepared to face two of the top quarterbacks in the league: Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes (assuming Buffalo manages to knock off Baltimore).

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James Cook opens up Buffalo's offense

James Cook has emerged as the reliable playmaker in the Bills backfield that the team has desperately sought over the last few years. After recording his second-straight 1,000-yard season, the Georgia product carried the momentum from the regular season into game one of the playoffs with a monster performance against the Broncos. The running back totaled 120 rushing yards and a touchdown while averaging 5.2 yards per carry in the win over Denver. Considering how difficult it was for the Broncos to slow down Cook, it completely opened up the passing game for Josh Allen and the Bills, leading to a dominant win to advance to the divisional round of the playoffs. Buffalo will need Cook's presence in the rushing attack to continue as the Bills eye a deep postseason run.

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The Bills wide receiver room is underrated

The Bills entered this season without a clear No. 1 wideout on the roster after trading disgruntled star Stefon Diggs in the offseason. Buffalo made a deal for Amari Cooper before the trade deadline in the middle of the season, joining the likes of Khalil Shakir, Curtis Samuel, Mack Hollins, and rookie Keon Coleman in the wide receiver room. Although none of these players have emerged as a dominant pass-catching option, seemingly, the whole group has continued to step up time after time as the selfless group only cares about winning. With not one receiver over 1,000 receiving yards this season, it speaks volumes about how well-balanced the wide receiver room is for Buffalo despite not having a clear top option on offense.

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Joe Brady deserves more praise

Joe Brady was named the offensive coordinator for the Bills last season after the team opted to move in a different direction after firing Ken Dorsey in the middle of the season. After the move, Brady has been one of the more overlooked assets for the Bills, especially as the team put together a thriving offense under his system. With the Bills' offense firing on all cylinders, Brady deserves more praise for the job he's done putting his team in this position to make a playoff run.

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