ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — Was it a thing of beauty? Nope. Was it a win? Yep. The Bills and Chargers stumbled, bumbled, and fumbled around the field for a few hours on Sunday and when the dust settled the home team accomplished their number one objective, win, improve to 8-3, get one step closer to a division title. Here are my 4 observations from the Bills win over the Chargers.
- Return of the Run Game. It’s been missing most of the season, but the Bills were able to establish a presence on the ground. As a team they finished with 172 rushing yards, their second highest total of the season. Devin Singletary led the way with 11 carries and 82 yards(7.5 avg), his best game of the year. Zack Moss chipped in 9 carries for 59 yards and Josh Allen added 32 yards rushing. The weather will surely turn as the season marches on and having a reliable rushing attack will be imperative.
- Bills vs Bosa. The offensive line has been very good at pass protection this season, it’s a big reason for Josh Allen’s successful campaign but they haven’t faced many players like Joey Bosa. The Chargers defensive end was dominant: 3 sacks, 5 QB hits, 4 tackles for loss, 7 tackles, and a fumble recovery. After the game Dion Dawkins said “He can have my Pro-Bowl vote”. The upside, those were the only 3 sacks the Bills offensive line allowed.
- A.J.’s Big Day. Bills linebacker A.J. Klein led the Bills with 14 total tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3 tackles for loss. One of his biggest plays came in the 4th quarter when he burst into the Chargers backfield for a tackle for a loss. That 3rd down play forced a Chargers field goal. After struggling to start the season, Klein has played a very high level. In his last 3 games, the Bills linebacker has 30 total tackles and 4.5 sacks.
- Davis Steps Up. The Bills offense will be without John Brown(IR) for at least the next few weeks so they need another wide receiver to step up and make plays on the opposite side of Stefon Diggs. Gabriel Davis was that guy against the Chargers. The rookie finished with 3 catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. His most impressive grab was a 44-yarder, he out jumped the defensive back to haul in Allen’s pass. The Bills wide out didn’t have a catch against the Cardinals so it was a nice bounce back game for Gabriel.
