Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs led the Bills to their most successful season since Jim Kelly led the team to four straight Super Bowl appearances. What led to the Bills breakout year in 2020?
2020 record: 13-3
- Division record: 6-0
- Record against teams with winning records: 7-3 (postseason included)
After nearly 20 years of dominance by the Patriots, there are new kings in the AFC East. And these kings like to celebrate a different type of way.
It was nothing short of a magical season in Buffalo, the only drawback was that the fans could not enjoy it with them for the most part. But in any sense, going to the AFC Championship game, finishing 2-0 against the mighty Patriots and convincing wins over the Steelers and Seahawks shows that this team is for real.
Team Ranks:
| Total Offense | 2nd (6343 yards) |
| Passing Offense | 3rd (4620 yards) |
| Rushing Offense | 20th (1723 yards) |
| Total Defense | 14th (5640 yards allowed) |
| Passing Defense | 13th (3726 yards allowed) |
| Rushing Defense | 17th (1914 yards allowed) |
| PPG | 2nd (31.3) |
| PPG Allowed | 16th (23.4) |
| Offensive Line Ranks | |
| PFF | 10th |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted run yards) | 15th (4.36) |
| Football Outsiders (Adjusted sack rate) | 5th (4.8%) |
| 2020 Offense Play Selection |
| Pass – 54.3% |
| Rush – 45.7% |
| PFF Top 5 Graded Players in 2020 |
| 1. Josh Allen QB (90.3) |
| 2. Stefon Diggs WR (90.2) |
| 3. Cole Beasley WR (81.7) |
| 4. Dion Dawkins LT (80.6) |
| 5. Daryl Williams RT (79.2) |
Leading Passer: Josh Allen
- 69.2 completion percentage (career high)
- 4,544 passing yards
- 37 passing touchdowns
- 8 rushing touchdowns
Leading Rusher: Devin Singletary
- 687 rushing yards
- 2 touchdowns
- 4.4 YPC
Leading receiver: Stefon Diggs
- 127 receptions (Led NFL)
- 1,535 receiving yards (Led NFL)
- 8 touchdowns
Defensive MVP: Jordan Poyer
- 124 tackles (led team)
- 4 turnovers caused (2 INT’s, 2 FF)
- 5 passes defended
What doomed them in the playoffs?
Running into the Kansas City Chiefs. The Bills played good football in the first two weeks fending off Indy and Baltimore en route to a AFC Champ showdown with the Chiefs.
The Bills competed early on in the AFC Championship game, racing off to a 9-0 lead after the first quarter. The Chiefs would find their groove in the 2nd quarter, and once that happened Buffalo’s defense was unable to fend them off.
They scored just two touchdowns in this game, with one of them coming late in the 4th after the Chiefs built up a 23 point lead. The Bills were never able to truly find the offensive firepower that made them so successful in the regular season.
Story of the season: Diggs helps build Bills’ offense into elite unit
The acquisition of Stefon Diggs came at a hefty price for Buffalo. The Bills sent off draft picks in the 1st, 4th (2021), 5th, and 6th rounds.
With the return of production they got from Diggs in 2020, the Bills might have been fine to part ways with more picks. Stefon Diggs stepped up and led the NFL in catches and receiving yards building an exciting connection with Josh Allen. This trade seemed to have helped accelerate Josh Allen’s timeline to break out into one of the better QB’s in the league.
Allen trusted Diggs in a lot of clutch situations, and together they churned out an incredible offensive season. Most of the focus here is shining on the stars, but guys like Dion Dawkins, Cole Beasley and Dawson Knox all played significant roles in making the Bills’ offense a top 2 unit in 2020.
What did you think of the Bills’ breakout season? Let me know on Twitter @James_Costanz.
