What Bills’ historic, emotional win with two backup linemen, zero sacks says about them
Facing an urgent situation without some key players, the Bills showed up in a big way.
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Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills looks to pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first quarter. Joe Sargent / Getty Images
The Buffalo Bills filed down the narrow path, between the metal barricades and the cinder-block wall that leads from Acrisure Stadium’s grass to the visitor’s locker room Sunday night.
Outside the door, Sean McDermott greeted each player and assistant coach in a bro-hug staccato rhythm that was accentuated against his thick, blue parka.
Hand slap, thud. Hand slap, thud. Hand slap, thud.
Then came right tackle Alec Anderson, who enveloped McDermott in a gleeful bear hug and lifted him off the ground. Left tackle Ryan Van Demark arrived a few players later to disrupt the cadence again. Van Demark’s embrace was extra long because of what they’d all accomplished, but especially these two backup linemen who helped the Bills bang out one of the most physically dominant games in club history.
The Bills pummeled the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-7. Without starting tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, the Bills rushed for 249 yards, the most by an opponent in Acrisure Stadium history and the most in Pittsburgh since 1975.
“How many years?” Bills center Connor McGovern said when told of the stat.
Fifty.
“F—,” McGovern muttered. “The Steel Curtain?”
The very same. The Bills’ defense also held the Steelers to 58 rushing yards (the largest rush-yardage deficit for them since 1955), held the ball for 41:59 (their longest on the road since at least 1983), and surrendered zero sacks one game after the Houston Texans dropped Josh Allen eight times and lumped him up a bunch more besides. Dawkins suffered a concussion and Brown a right shoulder injury that night. They were ruled out by Friday.
Funny to think now how the Bills seemed so vulnerable. They’ve played meekly and had to venture into a tough environment shorthanded.
The Steelers knew this. They whipped those Terrible Towels and played their “Renegade” hype song, of course. They tried to bully their guests. Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen hit a sliding Allen and should have drawn a penalty flag, but what he got was a face-full of Allen’s offensive linemen one play before going down with a hip injury. Defensive tackle Cameron Heyward jaw-jacked with Allen for much of the game and eventually drew a taunting penalty on Allen’s 1-yard touchdown toss to Keon Coleman midway through the third quarter.
“We’ll have to watch the film,” said Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt, “but it was an ass kicking in all areas.”
You might be tempted to say Pittsburgh didn’t know what hit it, but that would be incorrect.
That steady drumbeat — far louder than the arms popping McDermott’s parka — was James Cook pounding an identical play over and over and over.
“I’ve never seen a team,” said Watt, “run the same play as much as they ran it tonight and have as much success as they had. I’m out of words for it.”
Cook ran 32 times for 144 yards, the third-highest output of his career. Ray Davis had nine carries for 62 yards. Allen ran eight times for 32 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown to break Cam Newton’s NFL record for most rushing TDs by a quarterback.
I asked three Buffalo offensive linemen which stat was better: most rushing yards in Pittsburgh for half a century or allowing zero sacks and just one quarterback hit following the Houston debacle.
Their answer was unanimous.
“Josh not getting hit,” McGovern said, “just because of what he went through against the Texans, and then we come out with a brand new starting five, people counting us out and proving them wrong. It’s always great to rush, but we’ve done that this year. The guys we have in this room stepped up, and that means a lot to me.”
Allen called what Anderson and Van Demark accomplished “special stuff.”
Josh Allen called the shorthanded offensive line’s performance against the Steelers “special stuff.”Barry Reeger / Imagn Images
Anderson, otherwise the backup guard, hadn’t played tackle since attending UCLA and hadn’t started all season, taking just 35 offensive snaps. As a rookie last year, he was deployed more frequently as a sixth lineman in heavy packages and got a start at left guard in the regular-season finale.
As for playing right tackle against Watt and a defense that blitzes over 30 percent of the time?
“Just go out there and, wherever the dude is lined up,” said Anderson, “block the m———–.”
Anderson committed two false starts in the first quarter, but settled down — to a degree. On a broken play with three minutes left before halftime, Watt whiffed on a sack, sending Allen scrambling toward the right sideline. Allen shook off defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo, took some strides and slid. Queen popped him unnecessarily.
Anderson charged to Allen’s defense. Van Demark wasn’t far behind.
“We try to keep 17 as clean as possible,” Anderson said, “and then when somebody goes out there and does a cheap shot like that, it kind of wakes everybody up. We’ve got to set our jaws and come out here and get ready to swing. It’s going to be a Mike Tyson fight.”
Allen admitted Queen’s shot got Buffalo’s juices flowing, but quipped it wouldn’t be smart to make that a habit. Heyward’s trash-talking got Allen revved up, too.
“The sicko that he is, loving it, we really fed off that,” Bills left guard David Edwards said of his quarterback. “I think you know this, but Josh is crazy. Things like that energize him. It gives him life, us life. That was a little turning point in the game.”
Van Demark was emotional at his locker stall. Asked about his embrace with McDermott, you could hear the slight quake in Van Demark’s voice and see the moisture in his eyes. He’s 27, was undrafted out of UConn and just made his fourth NFL start.
“The way I’ve developed is awesome,” Van Demark said. “They do a great job here. I just feel grateful and lucky I’m on a team like this and they prepare me the way they have for moments like this.”
The Bills were more desperate than usual Sunday. The five-time reigning AFC East champs entered Sunday with an 82 percent likelihood of making the playoffs, but that would’ve plummeted with a loss to the Steelers, and another potential tiebreaker would’ve slipped away.
The New England Patriots lead the Bills by two games going into their Monday night home game against the New York Giants.
With the offensive line’s dominance, Allen and play caller Joe Brady got away with another lackluster passing performance. Allen went 15 of 23 for 123 yards and one touchdown with one interception. Cook was the leading receiver with three whole catches for 33 whole yards.
Buffalo didn’t merely survive, but with the help of two inexperienced backup linemen, might also have shown in Pittsburgh the heartbeat is strong enough to endure.
“I really feel strongly that the culture of this place is predicated on the process and staying consistent,” Edwards said. “That will always override the highs and lows of a season. We’re 8-4, and we have an opportunity next week. That’s how we’re going to attack it.
“Houston feels like four months ago.”
