The Bills are heading into the Bye Week coming off a big win against the Kansas City Chiefs and on top of the AFC. Their monumental performance at Arrowhead Stadium has national media and NFL analysts talking about QB Josh Allen, LB Von Miller, and the 2022 Buffalo Bills team as a whole.
Here's what they're saying.
Colin Cowherd | Fox Sports Radio: Allen v. Mahomes is the rivalry of the NFL
Colin Cowherd broke down the box score and both teams' performances from Sunday afternoon's matchup to determine that Allen v. Mahomes is the rivalry to keep an eye on in the NFL. Cowherd compared the new rivalry to Manning v. Brady, but with more athletiscm and big plays.
"It is flashy, it is fun, it is playmakers, it is athletic. And the reason it's the best rivalry in sports now because it's not about a who's better rival, that's not what this is. It's a who's got the ball last rival." -- Cowherd
"Yesterday, the difference was … I feel like Josh Allen got a little more help from his run game and a little more help from his defense. And in this epic chess match, Buffalo moved a piece called Von Miller up front. Buffalo's got that chip on their shoulder like they're the underdog in this rivalry. But I don't know if you put the rosters down, I think Buffalo's got a better overall roster." -- Cowherd
Peter King | NBC Sports: Von Miller was a difference maker in KC + Miller named one of King's defensive players of the week
In discussing the "Allen-Mahomes classic," King couldn't leave out the impact LB Von Miller has on the game. In the four previous meetings between the Chiefs and Bills, Patrick Mahomes and the Andy Reid offense averaged 32 points a game. In their 10 drives Sunday, King said that everything Mahomes did was a struggle and that was because of Buffalo's newest defensive threat.
"You realize it was a struggle because of the difference Von Miller made in his 46 snaps on the field. Miller wrecked Kansas City's last three drives with play reminiscent of his Super Bowl MVP performance terrorizing Cam Newton seven years ago. First a tackle of a scrambling Mahomes from behind, then a third-down sack, and finally a pressure leading to the game-endinginterception." - King_
"Buffalo is so much better on big stages because of a fearsome defensive front led by Miller and because of his influence in cramped locker rooms like this one." - King
In recognizing Miller as a defensive player of the Week, King looked at the linebacker's performance through six games. He said the 33-year-old has shown himself to be one of the smartest offseason acquisitions of 2022 with six sacks on the season, including two of Patrick Mahomes in Buffalo's 24-20 win over the Chiefs on Sunday.
"The linebacker put pressure on Mahomes all afternoon, perhaps most impactfully on Kansas City's final series of the game, with the Chiefs down four and looking for the go-ahead score. Miller split through the Chiefs' O-Line on the first play of the drive, forcing Mahomes out of the pocket and into a game-sealing pick caught by Taron Johnson. The interception won't show on Miller's stat line, but he was the powerhouse behind it, and he's the powerhouse of a Bills defense laser-focused on the Super Bowl." - King
Offensive player of the week: Josh Allen
"Allen completed 27 of his 40 pass attempts for 329 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the Buffalo Bills' 24-20 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. On passes thrown 10 or more yards downfield, he went 9-of-12 for 204 yards and all three scores for a near-perfect 156.3 passer rating."
Wide receiver of the week: Stefon Diggs
Michael Robinson | NFL Network: Bills are ready for a championship run coming out of the bye week
Outside of the final score, the game against the Chiefs epitomized the growth of the entire Bills team for Michael Robinson. After seeing the potential of this team in the first six weeks, Robinson shared that he thinks the team will be alright going forward, even when they're faced with adversity.
"I think we're ready for that run. To me, the biggest inhibitor from us going to a championship game, or being in the AFC Championship, or going to a Super Bowl is ourselves … At the end of the day, the rosters there and Brandon Beane made sure of that. The leadership is there, Josh Allen, Von Miller, and those guys make sure of that." -- Robinson
Adam Schein | NFL.com: Josh Allen is the best QB in the NFL
Adam Schein has a favorite in the NFL quarterback debate and it's the Bills own, Josh Allen. Schein relies on Allen's game since the middle of last December with 'No. 17 carrying the Bills on his back.'
"Allen began this season as the MVP favorite. He's only furthered the cause since. His latest feat of MVP strength: Storming Arrowhead Stadium, outdueling Mahomes, and giving the Bills (5-1) a major left up in the race for the coveted No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs." -- Schein
"Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the NFL. The numbers support it. The eye test confirms it. And we'll be able to enjoy the show into February, with Allen leading the Bills to their first Super Bowl in nearly three decades." -- Schein
Chris Long on the Rich Eisen Show: Confident in Josh Allen and the Bills defense
2-time Super Bowl Champion Chris Long loved what he saw out of Josh Allen against the Chiefs. When watching that game, Long said he never really had a doubt in his mind that Allen was going to get six regardless of what the Chiefs threw at him.
"I don't know if there's a guy, and maybe there's a guy on the other sideline, that I trust as much as Josh Allen getting the ball and needing a touchdown at the end of the football game." -- Long
"He's like Cam Newton on steroids. I've never seen anything like it, and it's a lot of fun to watch." -- Long
The former NFL defensive end is just as impressed with the Bills defense, who he says plays a whole different brand of football from the first level all the way down to the safeties.
"They've always had a pretty good defense, but it seems like this year it's really come together. Adding Von Miller, who forces a field goal then he sacks him to get them off the field. And then the last possession, flushes Mahomes out and you know the rest with the pick. Adding that piece is huge. Matt Milano's gotta be the most fun off-ball linebacker in the league to watch right now. He just makes difficult plays look so routine." -- Long
Bills QB Josh Allen is no stranger to hurdling defenders. Take a look at the best photos from all of Allen's memorable hurdles in his career so far.