All season long, the Buffalo Bills have had to face the harsh (and necessary criticism about them not having a true No. 1 wideout. There’s no arguing it, they don’t have that go-to wide receiver that opposing teams fear. At the same time, that sometimes doesn’t seem to matter considering where the Bills are at.
Going up against a tough Jacksonville defense, the Bills still managed to move the ball down the field whether it was in the short-field or down the field. Brandin Cooks had the long catches that put the Bills in great scoring position, but it was Khalil Shakir that was the most consistent wideout for Buffalo.
Khalil Shakir joins Thurman Thomas in elite franchise history in Wild Card
READ MORE: Josh Allen just confirmed what Bills Mafia has known forever
Shakir was targeted 12 times and he reeled in all 12 of them for 82 yards. His longest catch of the day went for 12 yards, but he had a handful of first downs that kept drives alive for the Bills.
With his 12 catches, he joins former Bills running back Thurman Thomas as the only Bills to record 10+ receptions in a playoff game, per the Bills’ PR team. So really, Shakir became the first wide receiver in franchise history to achieve this milestone.
Shakir is not a true No. 1 wide receiver, but he has become Josh Allen’s go-to guy for a couple of seasons now. He needed to have a great game in order for the Bills to advance. This may look to different people, but if all the Bills needed him to do was be reliable in the short-game, then Shakir certainly exceeded expectations.
The thing about the Bills’ offensive performance is that it does not feel sustainable going into the next round. Buffalo has to find a way to establish the run with James Cook and get more guys involved in the passing game.