Exhibit A in the case for the Buffalo Bills passing game exceeding expectations this season is this piece of evidence:
The Bills鈥 passing game is more explosive this season 鈥 by a lot 鈥 despite the departure of Stefon Diggs.
The Bills have 52 pass plays of 20 or more yards, which is tied with Detroit for second in the NFL.
Bills receiver Khalil Shakir runs after a catch against the Lions. Shakir is second among NFL WRs in yards after catch.
Last season, the Bills had 49 such passes in 17 games, which ranked 19th in the league. (Explosive pass plays are down a small percentage leaguewide this year.)
Josh Allen has improved his yards per attempt average from 7.4 last season to 8.0 this season, the highest figure of his career. Allen is eighth in the league in yards per attempt. Allen鈥檚 yards per completion is 12.3, sixth best in the league and the best of his career. Allen was 12th in yards per completion last year at 11.3.
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The Bills had a season-high seven pass plays of 20-plus yards in a 48-42 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to say we鈥檙e hitting our stride, but we got to continue to find ways to get better,鈥 said offensive coordinator Joe Brady after watching his offense hit the 30-point mark for an NFL-record-tying eight straight game.
鈥淔ortunately, we know we鈥檙e going to be playing in the playoffs, but we got to be playing our best football when we鈥檙e going to the playoffs,鈥 Brady said. 鈥淎nd if our best football is these last two weeks, then we鈥檙e not going to get to where you want to get to. I think there鈥檚 a chemistry in the locker room, and the guys love being around each other. It starts with our quarterback. There鈥檚 a selfless mindset, and the guys really don鈥檛 care about anything besides winning.鈥
In the last three games, seven different Bills players have produced pass receptions of 20-plus yards, which speaks to Brady鈥檚 season-long 鈥渆verybody eats鈥 mantra. And the fact the Bills have so many options in the pass game has helped make them harder to defend.
鈥淲hatever their role is on that particular play, they care more about that,鈥 Brady said. 鈥溾橦ey, if I got to run it, open it up for this guy to get this catch, man, I鈥檓 going to do it for him because I love him.鈥 And in return, the next play, I鈥檒l get him.鈥 And you see that from the guys, you see that in how they play. I think that鈥檚 why it鈥檚 not about the plays, it鈥檚 not about the scheme ... we try to harp on that. But I hope we鈥檙e going to continue. I know we鈥檙e going to have to find ways to continue to get better, to get to ultimately where we want to get to.鈥
Is the increase in explosive passes a reflection of beating teams more with completions deep downfield? No.
Allen has 24 completions for 772 yards on passes that have traveled 20 or more yards past the line of scrimmage, according to Buffalo News charting. Those numbers are on a virtually identical pace to last season, when Allen hit 28 for 933 yards in 17 games on deep passes.
But the fact the deep ball game hasn鈥檛 regressed without Diggs is a big plus.
Allen this season is sixth in deep-ball completions and fifth in yards on deep balls, according to Pro Football Focus.
The big increase in receiving yards this season has come from yards after the catch, led by slot receiver Khalil Shakir.
He ranks second among NFL wide receivers in yards after catch at 588 yards, behind only Cincinnati鈥檚 Ja鈥橫arr Chase (688 yards).
Shakir鈥檚 total is the most of any Bills receiver in Allen鈥檚 seven-year career. The previous high was 474 YAC yards by Diggs in 2020. Diggs led the Bills with 404 last season.
The Bills overall are fifth in yards after catch. Last year, they were 12th. In 2022, they were only 26th in YAC.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not satisfied,鈥 Brady said of the offensive players. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 played our best football.鈥
