Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Buffalo Bills Week 5 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2021 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: 3.2 (3rd)
  • Best ranking: 1st (ESPN)
  • Worst ranking: 6th (USA Today)

Below you will find a Week 5 roundup for the Bills in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 1

Biggest surprise: Defensive dominance

Why it's a surprise: The fact that the Bills' defense is playing well is not surprising, but it's the numbers that the unit has put up that couldn't have been expected. Buffalo has forced three or more turnovers in each of the past three games and has held two opponents scoreless in four games -- including a 40-0 win against Houston on Sunday. No matter the opposing offenses -- the team has faced three backup quarterbacks -- that's a big accomplishment in the NFL. That success has led to a plus-90 scoring margin. The Bills are the fifth team to be plus-80 or better through four games in the past 20 years. -- Alaina Getzenberg

NFL.com -- Rank: 3

The Bills are absolutely humming on defense right now. This was extremely bad news for young Davis Mills, the third-round Texans rookie QB who threw four interceptions and led the Houston offense to just over 100 yards in a 40-0 Buffalo victory at Orchard Park. The Texans aren't near the Bills' weight class, but great teams flex their muscles against the league's have-nots, which is exactly what we saw on Sunday. This coming Sunday, we'll get a major, prime-time showdown with the Chiefs -- a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game ... and possibly a preview of this season's AFC Championship Game. The Bills can only hope they'll have star linebacker Matt Milano, who exited in the first half on Sunday with a hamstring injury.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 4

The Kansas City game will be a proving ground for the Bills. If they win, they show the league they are the class of the AFC.

USA Today -- Rank: 6

They've strung together an impressive three-game run, winning by a collective 118-21 with two shutouts ... but against two severely underpowered teams (Miami, Houston). Sunday night date at Arrowhead will be far better indicator of whether Buffalo deserves to return to top five.

The Athletic -- Rank: 2

The Bills have won their past three games by a combined score of 118-21, including shutouts of the Texans and Dolphins. Are the Bills truly this dominant or are they just beating the hell out of inferior opponents? We'll get a better sense of the state of the Bills, especially their defense, when they return to Arrowhead Stadium for a rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs.

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