1 - Tremaine Edmunds makes NFL history with first interception
Buffalo linebacker Tremaine Edmunds has quietly constructed a solid rookie season.
Though the former Virginia Tech Hokie hasn't been flashy, he's been a sound defender, a reliable player that has developed into a leader on Buffalo's defense.
In Week 14, Edmunds' excellence finally showed up on the stat sheet.
The middle linebacker totaled eight tackles, one tackle for loss, and one pass deflection in the 27-23 loss to the Jets. He also came down with an interception in the third quarter, the first of his professional career.
Edmunds made history with the interception. At just 20 years of age, he became the youngest player in NFL history to record an interception.
Though picking off a pass was a surreal experience for Edmunds, he would have rather felt the feeling of joy that comes with winning a football game.
"I was just playing football out there, man," Edmunds said. "It fell in my hands. It felt good. But like I said, overall the goal is to win ball games. Would have felt even better with a win. Like I said, man, we just have to look at the film and learn from it. "
The Edmunds-led defense held the Jets to just 248 net yards. While reflecting on a career milestone is nice, Edmunds is more so concerned with correcting his game.
"We expect to win out there every time we step on the field," Edmunds said. "Couple of things didn't go our way this time. We've just got to look at the film and learn from it."
2 - Phil Simms: Bills are not that far away
Phil Simms is incredibly familiar with talented Buffalo Bills teams.
The former Giants quarterback actually encountered one of the better teams in Buffalo history in Super Bowl XXV, leading New York to a come-from-behind victory over the Bills. Buffalo lost only three games in the season leading up to that Super Bowl, and they lost only 15 games throughout their four-year reign as AFC Champions.
Now an analyst for CBS Sports, Simms feels as though something similar is brewing in Buffalo right now. The former All-Pro passer thinks that head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane have built something truly special in Western New York, something that will result in wins sooner rather than later.
"What they've done, especially on the defensive side . . . their defense, what they do week in and week out, they're like the New England Patriots' offense, but they do it on the defensive side," Simms said during a recent appearance on CBS. You never know what you're going to get. They do everything. They have players really excelling. They play together."
Simms has also been impressed with what he has seen from quarterback Josh Allen, who has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his rookie campaign. With Allen under center, Simms feels as though the sky is the limit for the Bills.
"I'll tell you this - I think they're must watch football," Simms said. "You know why? Because Josh Allen, man, it's every play. Is it going to be an explosion or a great play? I think if you're a Buffalo Bills fan, or a football fan, you have to look at the Bills and say 'they're not that far away.' Get a few pieces around Josh Allen, they're going to be good next year."
3 - This veteran thinks Josh Allen 'stood strong' in Week 14
Though his day ended with an errant pass that fell into the hands of Trumaine Johnson, Josh Allen played moved the ball in Buffalo's Week 14 loss to the Jets.
The rookie completed 18 of 36 passes for 206 yards, just 39 yards off the career-high he set in Week 2. Allen was also a dynamic threat on the ground, picking up 101 yards and one touchdown on nine rushing attempts. The 22-year-old joined Thurman Thomas, O.J. Simpson, and Fred Jackson on the list of Bills who have rushed for 95 or more yards in three consecutive games.
Allen accounted for 307 of Buffalo's 368 offensive yards in the loss. He was the definition of a leader, keeping his team in the game through 59 minutes. Allen even had some of his teammates convinced that they were going to leave New Era Field with a victory on Sunday.
"He was good, man," wide receiver Deonte Thompson said. "I looked into his eyes, I never felt any doubt in his eyes, not one time. The whole time on the sideline, he looked encouraged. I felt like we were going to win this game with him behind the center the whole time. He didn't blink. He stood on his own. He stood strong [Sunday]."
The nail-biting Week 14 contest will hopefully be the first entry in an epic saga of battles between Allen and fellow rookie-Sam Darnold, who completed 16 passes for 170 yards in the Jets' win. With Allen and Darnold leading their respective teams, Thompson knows that the AFC East will be a division to watch moving forward.
"This division is going to be exciting here soon," Thompson said. "It's going to be very exciting soon. Those guys are going to be something special."
