The Buffalo Bills escaped Los Angeles with a win, but it wasn’t pretty. Does anyone really care how they get wins though? I don’t; however, nice relaxing wins are preferred but at the end of the day, I just want wins, so the Bills can get into the playoffs! There were a few players that stood out and made some big-time play, while others struggled.
When I put these lists together, I take the top five PFF grades but only players who played at least a third of the game. That said, I wanted to give a shoutout to a few players who didn't play a lot but played well when given the opportunity. For example, left tackle David Edwards earned a PFF grade of 90.3. He only played on 15 snaps but performed at a high level when he was on the field. On the year, Edwards has been in for 128 snaps and has a PFF grade of 84.5,
Another player that has done well is defensive tackle Tim Settle. He hasn't played much in recent games; however, he logged 30 snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers. Settle made our top five defensive players list this week for his PPF grade. In case you were wondering, Leonard Fournette's Buffalo debut wasn't what I think fans were hoping to see. He only logged ten snaps and scored a PFF grade of 61.2. I would expect that to improve if he continues to get opportunities. But let's get into the top five offensive and defensive PFF grades from the Bills Week 16 matchup.
Bills top-5 PFF offensive grades for week 16
1. Gabe Davis - 92.5
Gabe Davis had one of his signature big games against the Los Angeles Chargers. He was targeted six times, catching four of them for 130 yards and a touchdown. I love it when Davis has these types of games, just wish he was more consistent, but he continues to disappear and reemerge a few weeks later.
2. Connor McGovern - 77.2
Connor McGovern seems to have gotten better as the season has progressed, especially over the last few games. He has turned out to be a great free agent signing and helped form one of the better offensive lines in recent Bills years.
3. Khalil Shakir - 76.6
Being a Boise State guy myself, I love seeing Khalil Shakir making plays. My only wish would be that he would get more targets. Against the Chargers, he recorded three receptions on three targets for 45 yards and what we thought was a touchdown, but it was overturned. Still, the catch was huge and kept the Bills drive alive.
4. Josh Allen - 75.3
Shocker! Who would have ever thought that Josh Allen would be on this list.....again? I'm kidding, of course, but we walked off the field with the lead and this time, the defense held their own and kept the lead. Allen should be the front-runner for the league MVP and remains the best quarterback in the NFL.
5. Stefon Diggs - 73.8
Stefon Diggs had a solid game, picking up five receptions on eight targets but for only 29 yards. I still have some concerns with Diggs because the numbers have dropped off drastically and against the Chargers, he was on the field for only 33 snaps. Maybe he's injured, but I hope he gets back to being "Him" very soon.
Bills top-5 PFF offensive grades for week 16
1. Tim Settle - 82.5
Tim Settle all season long has been a solid rotation along the Bills' defensive line, which is big considering the injuries to DaQuan Jones and Jordan Phillips. He'll have to have another solid game this weekend against the New England Patriots since it's unlikely the Bills activate Jones just yet.
2. Taron Johson - 76.1
Is there a better nickel corner in the league? Taron Johnson had another terrific game, as did the Bills' defense as a whole. Johnson recorded seven total tackles, six solo, and also added in two passes defensed.
3. Jordan Poyer - 73.9
Jordan Poyer started the season slow but has come on over the last few games. His presence in the secondary has been huge, given new addition Rasul Douglas and youngster, Christian Benford, and no Micah Hyde on the field either. We'll need him to continue playing at a high level to close out the regular season, as the Bills pursue the AFC East.
4. Linval Joseph - 68.3
Linval Joseph recorded three tackles and a quarterback hit and like Settle, has been a nice addition in the defensive line rotation. And like Settle, the Bills will need to continue to rely on him until DaQuan Jones is ready to return.
5. Greg Rousseau - 68.0
Greg Rousseau has been an outstanding run defender this season and while the sacks aren't piling up, his run defense has been one of the best on the team and in the league. I believe the sacks will come down the road as he develops some pass-rush moves.