With both Buffalo Bills starting offensive tackles out Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the run game had to be effective if Buffalo had any chance of victory.
The Bills’ run game dominated in the 26-7 victory over the Steelers as they rushed for 249 yards — the most an away team has ever rushed for at Pittsburgh.
On the season, Buffalo’s rushing attack averages 155.7 yards per game and has accounted for 21 touchdowns, ranking first and second in the National Football League, respectively. According to SumerSports, the Bills average 0.08 expected points added per rush, which also ranks second-best in the NFL.
When Buffalo rushes for 100+ yards as a team this season, they sit at 7-3, while 1-1 when failing to rush for 100+ yards.
With Buffalo’s 10th-ranked, inconsistent passing attack, let’s look at the last five Super Bowl winners and where they ranked in passing and rushing.
Last year’s Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, ranked second in rushing yards per game, while finishing 29th in passing offense. In Kansas City’s back-to-back run, they ranked in the bottom half of the league in rushing while finishing in the top six in passing both times. The Rams and Bucs both finished 25th or worse in rushing while also ranking near the top in passing.
In January, when the weather becomes challenging, an efficient run game becomes a necessity. However, recent history shows that a top-tier passing game can be a reliable indicator of a Super Bowl run. In a year where the Ravens, Chiefs, and Bengals may all miss the playoffs, the conference sits wide open. No proven team from years past looks dominant, and each of the contending AFC teams has its fair share of flaws.
Buffalo’s shortcoming lies with the inconsistency of its passing game. Is that flaw too much to overcome? Time will only tell, but the elite run game identity can only take the Bills so far. Whether Buffalo achieves its goal of reaching a Super Bowl likely comes down to whether the passing attack connects at the right moments in January.
Through 13 weeks of NFL action, hope that the Bills’ passing attack will suddenly click seems unlikely.
*Rankings come from the regular season, not postseason.
Photo Credits: Buffalobills.com