Eleven games into the season and heading into the bye week, the Buffalo Bills sit at 9-2 and atop the AFC East and hold the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The Bills are clicking on all cylinders and have been able to find success in their first full season with offensive coordinator Joe Brady and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich with head coach Sean McDermott at the helm.
Here's a look at some statistical categories where the Bills are excelling through the first 11 weeks of the season:
- +14 turnover differential - No. 1 in the NFL
- 29.1 points per game - No. 3 in the NFL
- 19.5 points per game allowed - No. 9 in the NFL
Heading into the bye week, here's what the experts are saying, plus where some of the NFL's analysts have the Bills in their latest power rankings going into Week 12:
Coming off their win over the Kansas City Chiefs, the story was Josh Allen's touchdown run to seal the game away. However, along with Allen's heroics, the defense cannot go unnoticed as they have been stopping their opponents and making key plays when it matters the most.
"Allen will get the headlines, but the defense is equally deserving of all the accolades for helping the Bills give the Chiefs their first loss of the year."- Buscaglia
In his weekly appearance on One Bills Live, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said that the Bills can win the Super Bowl. Despite a few difficult matchups up the road with the NFC leading Detroit Lions, the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers, Orlovsky said that even though he did not think they could compete for a Super Bowl at the beginning of the season, after watching them play, he believes that now they can.
"They can win the Super Bowl, you know. God bless if Matt Milano comes back, watch out. You've watched them, kind of their younger players continue to ascend. What's it going to take? Can this offense continue to play to the identity and the philosophy that they have through the first 11 weeks. Can they be that offense that it's very clear that each guy has a certain role, and they want to just allow that player to thrive in that role…? If you can go and prove that you can go blow for blow against (Detroit) in all facets. You're as good as anybody in the NFL."- Orlovsky
In an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, former Indianapolis Colt Darius Butler said that he did not learn anything new about the Buffalo Bills because he knew before that QB Josh Allen is a special player. The Bills have been playing well and Josh Allen is playing well, despite missing some key weapons on offense.
"We knew he was a special player… It doesn't matter who's been in there, like Dalton Kincaid, he's been one of his biggest weapons, he's out. Keon Coleman, he's been coming along as a rookie, he's out. Coop gets back in the lineup. Shakir just catches everything he throws to him, so whoever he has around him, he's going to elevate that game. And that's what you always want at that quarterback position. Got a great offensive line, good run game, so they have all the pieces and the defense."- Butler
The Fox Sports host believes that this Buffalo Bills team is the third capable team to win the Super Bowl behind the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions because they are good situationally and on occasion can steam roll their opponents.
"It's like it just works. Buffalo is not a flashy team. They have an incredibly dynamic quarterback… But it's a tough town. They like to play at home. They use the weather and their toughness to their advantage and but it's the NFL. It's a new era… But I did come out of that and think, this is a Super Bowl capable trophy team… And I watched Buffalo yesterday, and I'm like, they don't steamroll you, but they have their moments when they got a little Detroit, and they were pretty good situationally, I think this is the third team, Buffalo, that can hoist the trophy."- Cowherd
The ESPN host believes that the victory over the Kansas City Chiefs helped catapult Allen into the No. 1 position in the MVP race 11 games into the season. Despite missing key weapons that departed in free agency and losing some to injury this season, Allen has continued to elevate his play.
"To see Buffalo playing the way that they've been playing, to see Josh Allen, who's finished in the top five and league MVP voting, three of the last four years to be continuing to play the way that he's been playing, to the elevate level of play, actually, to cut down on the interceptions, et cetera, and Buffalo is 9-2 and in the race for the number one seed in the AFC. He's the leading candidate for the MVP right now."- Smith
The Bills rose two spots from No. 4 to No. 2 in this week's power rankings from The Athletic after their performance against the Kansas City Chiefs.
"Sunday established the Bills as a real contender this season, but they're going to have to prove it again and probably against the same old foe."- Josh Kendall
In NBC's latest power ranking, the Bills rose from the No. 3 team to the No. 2 team. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio wrote:
"We know they can beat the Chiefs in the regular season. Can they do it in the postseason?"- Mike Florio
The Bills rose two spots from No. 4 to No. 2 in USA Today's power rankings, adding that Buffalo is starting to get healthier as the weeks go on.
"Their regular-season dominance of the Chiefs continued Sunday, for whatever that's worth – and the Bills will tell you, not all that much. But Buffalo is getting healthier and hotter, now winners of six in a row while scoring at least 30 points in the past five games. The AFC East is basically in the bag – again – but the goal is to host the first AFC championship game in 31 years … and much, much more."- Nate Davis
The Bills rose one spot in the CBS Sports power ranking. CBS Sports' Pete Prisco writes:
"The face some tough games down the stretch, but they have a chance at the top seed. The defense often gets overlooked and shouldn't."- Pete Prisco
The Bills rose one spot in NFL.com's power rankings as well, rising from No. 3 to No. 2. While Eric Edholm writes that they are not perfect, they can face anyone right now.
"The Bills are by no means perfect, but they can go toe to toe with just about any team right now."- Eric Edholm
The Bills rose only one spot and remain behind the Chiefs in this week's ESPN Nation power rankings.
"(Sean McDermott) has aced the task and put himself in conversation for NFL Coach of the Year. Buffalo is off to its best start since 1992 and goes into the bye week having taken down the defending Super Bowl champions and keeping the No. 1 seed in play. Despite injuries and new faces, McDermott has impressively coached the Bills to a 9-2 start."- Alaina Getzenberg
