There’s no doubt that adding Amari Cooper quickly made the Buffalo Bills a better team.
Cooper played only 19 snaps on Sunday, just five days after being traded from Cleveland. However, he helped fill a significant gap in Buffalo’s receiver lineup by drawing the attention of the Tennessee Titans and creating more passing opportunities for himself and his teammates.
Buffalo won the game 34-10, and Cooper had four catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. The 30-year-old’s presence was clear in the Bills’ overall performance.
Keon Coleman’s 125 receiving yards were the highest by a Buffalo rookie since Sammy Watkins had 127 in 2014. Josh Allen threw for 323 yards, a big jump from his average of 193 in the first six games.
While this is encouraging, beating a struggling team in October isn’t the best way to measure success for the AFC East leaders, who still have a lot to work on if they want to go far in the playoffs in January.
Slow starts are still a problem. Buffalo came back from a 10-0 deficit and managed to win despite a first half where the offense gained only 90 yards and had just three first downs while going 0 for 5 on third down.
The Bills also came back from a 17-3 deficit in their season-opening win against Arizona. However, this kind of comeback isn’t a reliable way to win, as shown by losses to Baltimore and Houston, where Buffalo fell behind early.
Those losses suggest that even though the Bills (5-2) are leading their weak division, they shouldn’t be considered one of the top teams in the NFL. Their wins have come against teams with a combined record of 9-23.
This weekend, they will face a stronger opponent when they travel to play NFC West-leading Seattle (4-3). Buffalo also has upcoming games against Indianapolis (4-3), Detroit (5-1), San Francisco (3-4), and their playoff rival Kansas City (6-0).
This year is still a time for the Bills to make changes, as they are relying a lot on Allen to guide a team with many young players and some experienced ones. Allen is doing his job well, as he hasn’t thrown any interceptions so far.
Buffalo’s rookies, like Coleman, running back Ray Davis, and defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, are showing promise. Carter made an important play on Sunday by stopping Titans running back Tony Pollard for a 3-yard loss on fourth down at the start of the third quarter, which led to Cooper scoring the touchdown that put the Bills ahead six plays later.
However, the Bills need Allen to stay healthy, Cooper to bring a new element to the offense, and for Von Miller and linebacker Matt Milano to come back. Miller can return next week after serving a four-game suspension, and Milano might be back as early as December after suffering a torn left biceps in August.
Coach Sean McDermott recognized the challenges ahead after the win against Tennessee. He ended his news conference by saying: “Stay humble. Get back to work, and do our job.”
