Buffalo Bills: Improvements on offense highlighted in PFF’s Top 101
Earlier this week, Pro Football Focus released their annual listing of the Top 101 players, which included four Buffalo Bills. This list highlights the best 101 players using their grading system and accounting for only their performance this past season, both during the regular season and in the playoffs.
It should come as no surprise that the four players that made the list from the Bills all came from the offensive side of the ball. The Bills finished near the top of the league in most passing categories and the passing game was certainly the strength of this team this past year.
The highest-rated player was Josh Allen, who was ranked 13th. While this is certainly an impressive rise after not being ranked at all last year, this still feels too low for the Bills quarterback.
"One of the most incredible improvements of any player in the league, Josh Allen went from being a quarterback with incredible tools who flashed the occasional big-play ability to a genuine All-Pro caliber quarterback who was making incredible plays on a weekly basis."
Only three spots after Allen is the next Buffalo Bills player on this list, which is wide receiver Stefon Diggs at number 16. In his first season with Buffalo, Diggs had a breakout season and finished the regular season leading the league in receptions and receiving yards.
"Diggs maintained the exceptional play he showed as a Viking and just had more opportunities to showcase it within Buffalo’s offense, with Josh Allen looking his way whenever he could throughout the season."
The next player to enter the rankings for the Buffalo Bills is much farther down the list with Cole Beasley ranked 75th. The team’s starting slot receiver was a critical part of this offense and Josh Allen regularly looked his way in critical parts of the game.
"Beasley was one of the biggest benefactors of Josh Allen’s development this season, catching 80.7% of passes thrown his way, up more than 12 percentage points from a season ago."
The last player from the Buffalo Bills is starting left tackle Dion Dawkins, who was ranked 83rd. Dawkins started every game this past season after signing a big contract extension prior to the year.
"Dion Dawkins had PFF grades of at least 75 in both pas protection and as a run blocker and was the embodiment of solid when blocking on Josh Allen’s blindside."
While it is good to see these players get the recognition they deserve it was a bit surprising to not see any defensive players, like Jordan Poyer, on this list. Another player that should have probably made the list is starting right tackle Daryl Williams, who did a good job in his first season with the Bills.