As we turn the page forward to Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season, the Buffalo Bills have been "Must-See TV" lately, especially in the second half of games.
From last week against the Cincinnati Bengals to this weekend against the New England Patriots, quarterback Josh Allen has exploded in the second half, along with these four impact players. It has improved their record to 10-4 and earned the team their third consecutive victory.
Four players who contributed to the Bills big Week 15 win
1. TE Dawson Knox
While the Dallas Cowboys are known for their famous No. 88 jerseys for receivers, the Bills now have two famous No. 88s, but at the tight end position. Back in the 1990s, during their four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, the first No. 88 was tight end Pete Metzelaars, who played in Orchard Park from 1985 to 1994.
Metzelaars caught 383 balls for 3,686 yards and 25 touchdowns, which, back then, with a 16-game schedule, was great. His best season as a pro came in 1993 when he racked up 609 yards on 68 receptions and four touchdowns.
That record of 25 career touchdown catches as a Bills would last until now, when another 88 named Dawson Knox joined the team.
Knox was drafted by the Bills in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss. Knox made an immediate impact with the team as the Bills' most dependable pass-catching tight end. Then, in 2023, the Bills drafted another tight end by the name of Dalton Kincaid in the first round, which has made Knox an even better tight end by complementing each other on the field.
Knox began the day against the Patriots one behind Metzelaars with 24 touchdowns, and after scoring the record-tying 25th touchdown, he finally scored the record-breaking 26th touchdown.
Because of this, Knox is now the new Bills leader in career passing touchdowns while currently boasting 353 yards on 28 catches and three touchdowns in 14 games played.
The versatile tight end finished the game against the Patriots with three catches for 37 yards and two touchdowns to help the team get its revenge against its AFC rival.
2. RB/KR Ray Davis
The Bills won this game not just with another second-half comeback, but also in all three phases of the game. Backup running back turned kick returner Ray Davis has turned heads this year with some very long kick returns, including one that went for a touchback against the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football.
Sunday was no exception as the big, powerful runner had two significant returns, but the one he had on the opening kickoff in the second half was the one that started the comeback for the Bills, down 24-7. He finished the game with a total of 164 kick return yards.
While Davis only has 106 rushing yards on the year, he does boast 745 kick return yards, including a 97-yard kick return for a touchdown against Houston on Thursday Night Football. Davis is a mature young man who realizes that in football, it's not always what one wants to play, it's what Coach Sean McDermott and staff need him to play, and he has embraced his new role like a pro's pro.
3. LB Matt Milano
While we're on the theme of the Bills being a second-half team, the one player who was consistently effective on Sunday afternoon was Matt Milano. Even in the first half, when the defense was a no-show, Milano was the only player who made it to the stage and was present in the backfield.
A key play Milano made was on a third down and long late in the game when the Bills absolutely needed a stop, and he just skeeted his way through the Pats' O-line and sacked quarterback Drake Maye, which created a fourth down.
Whether you're a second-half team or not, the cliche is that big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. When someone needed to rise to the occasion in the second half, Milano did, reminding all of us that Maye is human and can be sacked if you tackle him low.
Milano finished the game with 10 total tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. It showed that the effective linebacker was ready and up for the anticipated divisional game.
4. CB Tre'Davious White
Sunday was once again "Tre Day" in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Since his return to the Bills, White has been attempting to get back in form and be the effective lockdown corner he was before tearing his ACL in 2023.
On Friday, it was expected that cornerback Christian Benford was going to be ready to go and help the Bills' defense win on Sunday. Unfortunately, there was a rapid change of plans. Benford tweaked his toe during practice, and on Sunday, he was ruled out for the game.
The Bills could have made excuses that they didn't have their best cover corner for such a crucial game, but White and the defense challenged each other and made key plays in Benford's absence.