{"id":34301,"date":"2017-11-26T18:54:52","date_gmt":"2017-11-26T23:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=34301"},"modified":"2017-11-26T18:54:52","modified_gmt":"2017-11-26T23:54:52","slug":"week-12-buffalo-bills-takeaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2017\/11\/26\/week-12-buffalo-bills-takeaways\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 12 Buffalo Bills Takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"

It won’t win points for aesthetic beauty. In fact, it was downright ugly at times. But in the end, it goes down in the win column and played a massive role in salvaging the Buffalo Bills<\/a>‘ playoff hopes.<\/p>\n

That’s an adequate characterization of what transpired on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium. The Bills, needing an unlikely road win to avoid falling below .500 for the first time in 2017, upended the Kansas City Chiefs<\/a> by a score of 16-10. It erases a three-game skid for Buffalo while condemning Kansas City to its fifth loss in their last six.<\/p>\n

But the most important aspect of Sunday’s victory, the Bills’ first in Kansas City since 2011, is that it reignited Buffalo’s push for postseason football after things fell apart over the past three weeks. They currently find themselves sixth in the AFC standings, temporarily moving past the Baltimore Ravens<\/a> who host the Houston Texans<\/a> on Monday Night Football. With their next three at New Era Field, the opportunity is there for them to consolidate their playoff positioning.<\/p>\n

For now, fans can revel in a gutsy road performance in which Buffalo executed when they needed to. It sets them up with significant positive momentum ahead of next week’s clash with the New England Patriots<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Week 12 Buffalo Bills Takeaways<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Run Defense Returns to Prominence<\/h2>\n

It’s not hyperbole to describe Buffalo’s ability to stop the run during the previous three games as offensive. They surrendered a total of 638 yards and ten rushing touchdowns in that span. To put it in perspective, both those statistics account for over 50 percent of opponents’ output for the whole year, with the touchdown number at 62.5 percent. There had to have been a fair bit of apprehension about that trend continuing against the Chiefs with Kareem Hunt<\/a><\/strong> in the backfield.<\/p>\n

But the Bills held the rookie in check and in so doing kept him mired in a funk after such a scintillating start to the season. Hunt finished the game with 11 carries for a paltry 17 yards and failed to find the end zone for the eighth straight game. His longest run of the game went for just nine yards, with his 1.5 yards per carry the lowest total of his young career up to this point. The combination of improved tackling, gap discipline and winning the battle at the line of scrimmage all contributed to Sunday’s stoutness against the run.<\/p>\n

When all was said and done, it was quarterback Alex Smith<\/a><\/strong> of all people who led the Chiefs with 35 yards rushing. For the game as a whole, Buffalo gave up a mere 55 yards on the ground, the third lowest total of the season. It’s a development that has to have head coach Sean McDermott<\/a><\/strong> pleased about this group’s ability to respond to adversity. But they’ll need to prove next week against New England’s multi-pronged rushing attack that this revival in defending the run is part of a trend rather than an aberration.<\/p>\n

Big Play Tre<\/h2>\n

Much like Hunt, Bills rookie Tre’Davious White<\/strong><\/a> experienced a bit of a pullback in recent weeks after an impressive start to his first season in the league. The LSU product took home defensive rookie of the month honors in September, but since then has dealt with a few issues related to getting beat downfield. It was on full display in losses to the Cincinnati Bengals<\/a> and New York Jets<\/a>, where A.J. Green<\/a><\/strong> and Robby Anderson<\/a><\/strong> registered touchdown receptions after beating him on vertical routes.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, White had a fairly quiet day from the standpoint of raw defensive stats, finishing with a tackle and pass breakup apiece. But part of it was a function of Smith’s reticence to throw the ball in his coverage. Per Pro Football Focus, the rookie corner saw action on 41 cover snaps yet saw only three passes thrown his way. He allowed a single catch on those targets, with Smith garnering a minuscule 2.8 passer rating when throwing towards White.<\/p>\n

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Throwing into Tre'Davious White's coverage today?
NOT a good idea! pic.twitter.com\/fyJsMMWYcE<\/a><\/p>\n

— PFF (@PFF) November 26, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n