ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Josh Allen reminded everyone why he’s the reigning NFL MVP on Sunday, scoring six touchdowns and leading the Buffalo Bills to a 44-32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It wasn’t Allen’s best day, but after some crucial early mistakes, the Bills quarterback made big play after big play to erase multiple deficits in the second half. What makes the day even more impressive is that the Bills were without their top passing catching option in Dalton Kincaid and second-year wide receiver Keon Coleman.
Allen finished with 317 passing yards, 40 rushing yards, six total touchdowns, and two interceptions. It’s the second time Allen has had six touchdowns in a game after doing it last season against the Los Angeles Rams.
“We just gotta do a good job of again not riding the wave and trying to stay as level as possible,” Allen said after the Bills' big day. “You know, starting off 4-0 and we're the best team in the world, we lose two in a row and now we're the worst team in the world, and it's like we don't wanna ride that.”
Tyrell Shavers led the way for the Bills with four catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. It was easily Shavers’ best game in the NFL, highlighted by a great 43-yard touchdown where Allen went off-script and found the wideout alone in the end zone.
“I'm super excited, that's why I will play this game,” Shavers said. “That's why I made this team to go out there and help the team be better to get to the Super Bowl. So it's something that I love. I'm blessed, I'm super blessed, but we gotta keep going.”
“It's so freaking cool,” Allen said when asked about Shavers stepping up. “The guy just continues to work extremely hard. He's never once complained from practice squad to now, making legit plays in the NFL, and then you turn around after he scores a touchdown,he's on kickoff, and he's on punt return. He's he's doing all these things.”
Gabe Davis also made his presence felt, with three catches for 40 yards. Davis made a crucial catch on fourth down that led to a Bills touchdown. Davis played in his first game with the Bills since the regular season finale in 2023 after leaving in free agency for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“It felt like it was meant to be, you know, I'm happy to be back here,” Davis said after the win. “This is my most comfortable I've been playing. I'm just glad that I got that Bills jersey on again. It was fun. The guys were fired up every single time I touched the ball. The guys are celebrating, so it was, it was funny,um,but it was good making those big plays.”
"I don't think people know how hard he's had to work to get himself back and I have a lot of respect for him," head coach Sean McDermott said. "He loves playing football.He's a football player at heart and just the energy he brings to us, you know? Josh has a good rapport with him he's obviously built up over the years, so it's good to have him here."
So can this be a game the offense builds off of? That's the hope, as the team enters the final stretch of the season. And with so many questions on defense, the offense needs to step up if this team is going to get to where they're trying to go.
"We've got a game Thursday night, so it's a completely different team that we're facing," Allen said about quickly turning the page. "It's a completely different defense, so not sure what the gameplan's gonna look like, but we gotta start fast, really wipe this one, and start tomorrow on getting to Houston."
Bove's Take:
It's amazing what some verticality can do for an offense.
After weeks of failing to stretch the field, Allen and the Bills attacked the Bucs through the air on a day when running the ball wasn’t working. Tampa dared the Bills and Allen to beat them in the passing game, and that they did.
This is a step in the right direction, but the Bills' offense still needs to clean things up. Houston has a stellar defense, and throwing on them will not be easy. But if the Bills can continue to keep opposing teams honest down the field, the short and intermediate routes should be open for Allen.
It’s also clear Allen trusts Gabe Davis coming off the practice squad more than pretty much anyone else on the roster. Davis’s ability to go off-script and get downfield is a welcome addition to the offense. With a short week and the Bills coming off a 44-point day, I don’t see Keon Coleman returning to the lineup. And if he does play, it will be in a much more limited role.
