3 Takeaways from Bills' Week 15 Win

On Saturday, the Buffalo Bills did something they haven't done since last century. They won the AFC East.

By beating the Denver Broncos 48-19, the Bills claimed the division title. Buffalo will now host a playoff game and can still push for the AFC's No. 2 seed over the final two weeks. That's the biggest takeaway from Saturday's win, and one that Bills fans are going to savor heading into Week 16.

What else did we learn during Buffalo's blowout win? Let's take a look.

Josh Allen Is a Viable MVP Candidate

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There was some early MVP hype surrounding third-year quarterback Josh Allen before a pair of prime-time losses in October caused him to lose some luster. However, Allen should be back in the conversation after back-to-back stellar performances during a critical stretch.

Last week, Allen was terrific against an elite Pittsburgh Steelers defense. He finished that game with 238 passing yards, 28 rushing yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Against a lesser—but still very good—Broncos defense, he was sublime.

Allen finished Saturday's game with 359 passing yards, 33 rushing yards and four total touchdowns.

With just two games to go, Allen sits at 4,000 passing yards with 30 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He also has 383 rushing yards and four more scores on the ground. While Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers both deserve to be in the MVP race as well, one could easily argue that Allen has been just as important to his team's success this season.

It's Dangerous to Overlook Cole Beasley

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Offseason acquisition Stefon Diggs wasted little time in establishing himself as Allen's go-to target. He has thrived in Buffalo's offense and can be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses. However, he isn't the only receiver who can gash secondaries when given the opportunity.

As he proved on Saturday, Cole Beasley is fully capable of wrecking a defensive game plan if left unchecked. He caught eight passes for 112 yards against Denver and can be a big problem in the postseason if opponents focus too much on trying to contain Diggs.

This marked the third 100-yard game for Beasley in his past five. It was also his fifth 100-yard outing of the season and leaves Beasley just 50 yards shy from the coveted 1,000-yard mark.

The presence of Beasley also means that the Bills can afford to be cautious with Diggs, who suffered a foot injury during the win. However, the injury doesn't appear to be serious, and both receivers should be at 100 percent come playoff time.

"My understanding re: Stefon Diggs. Bills believe foot injury is not serious," NFL Network's Kim Jones tweeted. "And that it will not affect his availability going forward. An apparent sigh of relief for Bills fans."

The Defense Is Rounding into Form at the Right Time

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While players such a Allen, Beasley and Diggs certainly shined for the Bills on Saturday, it was defensive end Jerry Hughes who punctuated the victory. He returned a fumble for a touchdown in the third quarter that opened up a 35-13 lead.

It marked the second straight game in which Buffalo's defense has scored, a sign that the defense is rounding into playoff form just in time for the postseason.

Buffalo's defense has been far from perfect in 2020, and the Bills rank 16th in both total defense and points allowed. However, the unit has allowed fewer than 20 points and 260 yards in each of the past two games. There's a good chance it can do the same next week against the struggling New England Patriots.

If the Buffalo defense can play like it did on Saturday with some consistency in the postseason, the Bills will be a tough out for even the most elite teams that the AFC has to offer.