Tuesday, October 31, 2023

Buffalo Bills Week 9 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2023 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 9 roundup for the Buffalo Bills in our consensus 2023 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 9

It has been up and down for Josh Allen, and correspondingly, the Bills' offense, but Allen is leading the league in completion percentage (71.7%), is fourth in passing yards (2,165) and third in touchdowns (17), and remains one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Allen has looked like an MVP candidate at times -- specifically, in a three-game stretch from Weeks 2 to 4, when he completed 76.6% of his passes and had eight touchdowns to one interception. At other times, Allen has looked out of sync, notably from Weeks 5 to 7 (65.8% completion percentage, six passing touchdowns to three interceptions). Allen and the Bills are making an effort to reduce hits, and against the Buccaneers last Thursday, Allen rushed seven times for 41 yards and a touchdown in an improved offensive performance. -- Alaina Getzenberg

NFL.com -- Rank: 9

After a closer-than-it-shoulda-been win over the Buccaneers, the proving-ground portion of the schedule kicks off, starting with Sunday Night Football in Cincinnati against the scorching-hot Bengals, who thumped the Bills in the playoffs this past January. It feels like a game that will come with a playoff-like atmosphere, as could some other big roadies down the stretch: at Philly in Week 12, at Kansas City in Week 14 and at Miami in Week 18. Josh Allen's big outing against the Bucs -- though it was accompanied by a few scary moments -- helped steady Buffalo's ship a bit, but there is plenty to clean up before this gauntlet. You'd like to see the Bills close the door better in fourth quarters. With the defense as shorthanded as it is, can they do it against even better teams?

CBS Sports -- Rank: 7

They got the offense back on track against the Bucs, but now they face a tough road prime-time game against the Bengals. That will be another proving game for this inconsistent group.

USA Today -- Rank: 8

Now it's back to Cincinnati for a Sunday nighter, 10 months after S Damar Hamlin's frightening cardiac event on a Monday night ultimately took the starch out of this squad at the end of the 2022 season. Hopefully Week 9 provides a nice forum to celebrate Hamlin's medical saviors and offers some closure for a team that seems to need a lift.

The Athletic -- Rank: 11

Something scary (for them): The injuries

Since Week 5, when linebacker Matt Milano was lost for the season with a knee injury, Buffalo is 25th in the league in defensive EPA per play (minus-.02). In Weeks 1-4, the Bills were fourth in the league in defensive EPA per play (.20). It's not just Milano who's gone either. All-Pro cornerback Tre'Davious White (Achilles) is also out for the year, and defensive tackle Daquan Jones (pectoral) probably is, too.

FOX -- Rank: 10

Rarely will you see a team nearly lose a game it had dominated so thoroughly. Thursday's win against the Buccaneers never felt close — right up until Tampa Bay almost completed a game-winning Hail Mary. It was nice to see the Bills' offense fire on all cylinders for a few quarters, but maybe don't take your foot off the gas so early next time.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 9

The Bills looked good against the Buccaneers, though the way they let up in the fourth quarter almost cost them a win. A Week 9 game at Cincinnati should let us know if the Bills can still be a Super Bowl contender this season.

PFT -- Rank: 10

They're going to have their hands full in Cincinnati.

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