The hope was that the Buffalo Bills offense could turn it around against the New England Patriots. For the past two weeks, the offense has struggled to begin the game before finding a rhythm in the fourth quarter.
Unfortunately, it didn't play out that way as the very first play of the game for the offense Josh Allen would throw an interception. The Patriots would capitalize with a touchdown and have a 10-0 lead thanks to a field goal on their opening drive.
There seems to be more questions than answers at this point for the offense and these are the grades for the Buffalo Bills offense in Week 7.
Week 7 grades for the Buffalo Bills offense against the New England Patriots
Quarterback
The stats are better this week than last week for Josh Allen as he threw for 265 yards with three total touchdowns and the one interception at the beginning of the game. However, it doesn't tell the whole story and Allen did not look like that top quarterback that he is.
This week wasn't so much the decision making but the accuracy as he seemed to miss a number of throws that have been pretty easy in the past. He completed only 27 of 41 passes and left a number of completable passes on the field.
While Josh Allen won't say it's the shoulder injury that impacted his performance, it might have been a factor. The good news is that Josh Allen once again was able to turn it around in the fourth quarter but it is not enough to save his grade this week.
Week 7 Grade: C-
Running Backs
After a great start to the season, the Buffalo Bills run game has been very inconsistent. This could be due to the fact that the Bills have gotten behind the last three weeks and Ken Dorsey has not remained committed to the run game.
James Cook continues to be the lead running back and playing well in that role as he had 13 carries, 56 rushing yards while also being used as a receiver with three receptions for 46 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season.
However, this week the Bills weren't able to get Latavius Murray going as he had only four carries for eight yards with another 20 yards receiving. The Bills offense was playing its best when they had some balance but they really haven't been able to do that with their slow starts.
This should be the focus this week but it doesn't get any easier against a stout Bucs' defensive front on Thursday night.
Week 7 Grade: B-
Wide Receiver
It was once again almost entirely Stefon Diggs in terms of production from this position as he had six receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown while getting 12 targets. The remaining wide receivers (Gabe Davis, Deonte Harty, Khalil Shakir, Trent Sherfield) combined for 11 targets.
While Gabe Davis had a majority of those targets with five, he was only able to catch one for five yards while it was Khalil Shakir who was the more productive wide receiver. The second-year wide receiver was a much bigger factor and caught all four of his targets for 35 yards.
It will be interesting to see moving forward if Shakir is going to have a bigger role as a slot receiver and the Bills offense goes back to playing more 11 personnel.
Week 7 Grade: B
Tight Ends
The Buffalo Bills finally got the breakout performance from Dalton Kincaid as he led the team in receptions (8) and receiving yards (75) and caught all eight of his targets. The former first round pick was that reliable pass catcher that the Bills believed he could be when they selected him in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The problem is that as good as Kincaid's game was against the Patriots, Dawson Knox had just as bad of a game. He finished the game with only one reception for 10 yards on three targets. One of those targets were on 4th and 2 on a throw that Knox just dropped the pass.
The Bills are going to have to make some changes this week and one of them might be Dawson Knox's role in this offense being primarily in the red zone as a touchdown threat.
Week 7 Grade for Dalton Kincaid: A-
Week 7 Grade for Dawson Knox: D
Offensive Line
The Buffalo Bills offensive line has primarily been playing great football after struggling Week 1 against the New York Jets. However, this was not one of those great performances and the Patriots won the battle in the trenches.
While Josh Allen was only sacked once, he was consistently being forced to scramble and move the pocket and the Patriots did get six QB hits. Surprisingly, this week it was O'Cyrus Torrence who seemed to struggle the most and for the first time this season he looked like a rookie.
The Buffalo Bills offensive line will have to bounce back quickly as the Bucs have some excellent players across their defensive line like Shaq Barrett, Vita Vera, and rookie Calijah Kancey. If the Bills can't protect Josh Allen, Thursday night could look very similar to this past Sunday.