3 Takeaways from Bills' Week 16 Win

The Buffalo Bills took another step toward the postseason with a statement win over the New England Patriots on Monday night. While Buffalo had already secured the AFC East division title, the win put them on the cusp of earning the No. 2 seed.

While the No. 2 seed no longer comes with a first-round bye, it would ensure that Buffalo has home-field advantage against any team but the Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason. The 38-9 beatdown of the Patriots also signaled a changing of the guard in the division, with Buffalo as the powerhouse.

Before Monday night, no team had swept the Patriots since 2000. With a young roster and quarterback Josh Allen coming into his own, Buffalo may be at the top of the division for the foreseeable future.

"We're still scratching the surface on the potential we have," wideout Stefon Diggs said, via Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 

Here's what we learned from Buffalo's huge Week 16 win.

Josh Allen Is Becoming Unstoppable

Charles Krupa/Associated Press

The fact that the Bills won this game isn't surprising. That they completely dominated the Patriots offensively is a bit of a shock. New England head coach Bill Belichick has become a master at taking away what an opponent does best and forcing them to adjust. He had no answer for Allen on Monday.

The 2018 first-round pick lit up the Patriots defense to the tune of 320 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and 35 rushing yards. It marked the second week in a row in which Allen has topped 300 passing yards and 30 rushing yards.

Allen now has eight 300-yard passing games on the season.

While it's looking like Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will win the 2020 NFL MVP award, Allen deserves an honorable mention. He's become the sort of deadly dual-threat quarterback that most teams dream of uncovering. He can run when he has to or when the situation calls for it, but he's also become one of the most prolific gunslingers in the game.

With 4,320 passing yards, 418 rushing yards, 42 total touchdowns and just nine interceptions, Allen might be the most indefensible quarterback in the league right now. He's going to be a handful in the postseason.

The Trade for Diggs Has Been a Success

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

One key to Allen's breakthrough this season has been the presence of Diggs. While the Minnesota Vikings certainly aren't complaining about trading him in for rookie phenom Justin Jefferson, Diggs has been a revelation for the Bills.

Diggs showed once again just how dominant he can be on Monday. He lit up the Patriots secondary with 145 yards and three touchdowns on nine receptions. Again, this came against a Belichick-coached defense that usually finds ways to limit the opposition's biggest threats.

The reality is that few teams have been able to contain Diggs this season. He now has an NFL-leading 1,459 receiving yards to go with eight touchdowns on an NFL-high 120 receptions. If he hasn't been the best receiver in football in 2020, he's close, and the chemistry between Allen and Diggs is undeniable.

Buffalo gave up a 2020 first-round pick, a 2020 fifth-round pick, a 2020 sixth-round pick and a 2021 fourth-rounder to acquire Diggs and a seventh-round pick. That's a hefty price, but knowing what they know now, the Bills would do it again without hesitation.

The Defense Is Peaking at Exactly the Right Time

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

It's also notable that the Bills were able to hold New England to a mere nine points. Buffalo's defense has been far from perfect this season—it still ranks just 14th in points allowed—but it seems to be rounding into form just in time for the postseason.

The Bills dominated the Patriots on Monday. Matt Milano, Quinton Jefferson and Dean Marlow all logged sacks of Cam Newton. The Patriots were just 4-of-12 on third down and totaled only 201 yards of offense. New England netted a mere 56 passing yards.

Of course, the Patriots offense has been much-maligned for most of 2020, so this defensive performance isn't particularly impressive in a vacuum. However, Buffalo has now held five straight opponents under 25 points and four of the last five under 20.

While the Bills didn't force any turnovers on Monday night, they've forced 13 in their last eight games. They had also scored defensive touchdowns in back-to-back games coming into Monday night.

Does this mean that Buffalo is going to defensively shut down the likes of Kansas City in the postseason? Probably not. With Allen, Diggs and the offense playing at an elite level, however, a solid defense may be all Buffalo needs to reach the Super Bowl.