Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Buffalo Bills Week 5 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2020 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Buffalo Bills rank in terms of average, best and worst:

  • Average ranking: 5.2 (T-5th)
  • Best ranking: 4th (Multiple)
  • Worst ranking: 8th (USA Today)

Below you will find a Week 5 roundup for the Bills in our consensus 2020 NFL Power Rankings.

The Athletic -- Rank: 5

Underrated wild moment of Week 4: With the Bills up 30-23 and 1:28 left, Josh Allen took the snap from under center and stumbled immediately, losing his balance. Allen was literally falling to the ground as he handed off to Devin Singletary. He ended up doing a backwards somersault after letting go of the ball. Can you imagine if that had turned into a fumble? What a first month for Bills fans -- ping-ponging between bouts of euphoria and bouts of panic. It's a four-game sample, but Allen is currently completing over 70 percent of his passes and averaging 9.0 YPA. Only two quarterbacks -- Joe Montana and Ryan Tannehill(!) -- have hit those marks for an entire season. Buffalo's defense came alive in the second half against the Raiders, forcing a pair of turnovers. That was a grown-up road win after last week's thriller against the Rams.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 4

Winning on the road the way they did at Las Vegas shows how good they are this season. Now they face another tough road test at Tennessee against the undefeated Titans.

USA Today -- Rank: 8

Who was Buffalo's starting QB last time it started *4-0? Answer: Trent Edwards, who went 7-7 in 2008. I suspect Josh Allen will finish stronger than Edwards did. (*With assist from officials.)

ESPN -- Rank: 5

FPI chance to make playoffs: 91.7%

This is about where it should be. The Bills are for real this season, with a high-octane offense powered by an early MVP candidate in Josh Allen. The only thing keeping this number from being even higher is Buffalo's defensive struggles through four games, but that unit showed serious signs of life during a Week 4 win over the Raiders. The Bills have the seventh-hardest remaining schedule according to FPI, but if this defense can return to the top-three form we've seen from it each of the past two seasons, Buffalo will be contending for an AFC title -- and possibly a Super Bowl. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

NFL.com -- Rank: 4

Lost amidst the buzz over Josh Allen's huge Year 3 leap: A suspect start by Buffalo's defense, one of the league's strongest units in 2018 and '19. The defense struggled again early against the Raiders on Sunday before delivering a vintage second half -- forcing a punt and two turnovers in an eventual 30-23 win. The Bills are 4-0 because they no longer need the defense to be perfect to win games. The Allen-led offense hums week after week, and Stefon Diggs proved again why he was the best offseason acquisition made by any team in 2020. His 49-yard catch, coming immediately after a Raiders turnover, set up the game-clinching score. There's nothing fluky about this start.

+ Previous update: Buffalo Bills Week 4 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

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