NFL Week 3 Game Recap: Buffalo Bills 43, Washington Football Team 21

The Buffalo Bills are starting to show flashes of last year’s success.

Josh Allen and the Bills offense accumulated 481 yards of offense and an average of 6.2 yards per play, leading to a dominant 43-21 victory over the Washington Football Team in Week 3.

In the end, Washington’s three turnovers cost them the game, as the mistakes gave 17 points for Buffalo in total.

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Buffalo Bills

Quarterbacks

Josh Allen returned to 2020 form for this one, as he threw for 358 yards, four touchdowns and 8.3 yards per attempt. Allen’s big arm was in full effect, as 69% of his yards came through the air while throwing the ball nearly 10 yards down the field on average.

He also scored on the ground from two yards out to conclude a five-touchdown performance.

Josh Allen Stats

*PFF grades will be reviewed and finalized before 1 p.m. EST Monday

Running Backs

Zach Moss was efficient in the running and passing game. He amassed 91 yards from scrimmage, including a seven-yard receiving touchdown. In all, 70% of his rushing yards came before contact.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Emmanuel Sanders was used early and often in the Bills offense. He caught nearly every pass thrown his way, leading to a perfect passer rating when targeted.

Cole Beasley finished with 11 receptions for 98 yards and a team-high 2.72 yards per route run. Stefon Diggs was relatively quiet throughout the game but still caught six of his 10 targets.

Offensive Line

Cody Ford struggled mightily in pass protection, allowing 12 pressures on 46 pass-blocking snaps. Ford is set to finish with a 5.6 pass-blocking grade, which will likely be one of the lowest grades in Week 3.

Defensive Line

Buffalo’s defense failed to replicate their success in Week 2. After recording 46 pressures against Miami, the Bills pass rush only created nine pressures, led by Star Lotulelei and A.J. Epenesa with two. Lotulelei also recorded the only sack in the game.

Linebackers

Matt Milano entered the game as the highest-graded linebacker through two weeks and will likely retain that rank. He recorded three defensive stops, two tackles for loss and a fumble recovery, which led to an 88.7 defensive grade upon first review.

Meanwhile, Tremaine Edmunds was picked on in coverage, allowing six receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown.

Secondary

The Bills secondary dominated in coverage, and the unit will likely have one of the highest coverage grades in Week 3. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer picked off Heinicke, while Tre’Davious White forced a fumble and finished with a team-high 90.1 coverage grade.

The Bills' secondary combined to allow only 64 of Heinicke’s 212 passing yards.

Washington Football Team

Quarterbacks

Taylor Heinicke had a rough time in his first road career road start. He racked up 212 yards and two touchdowns but also threw a pair of interceptions in crucial points of the game that put his team further behind.

Despite the lack of pressure from Bills' pass-rushers, he still finished the game with a 52.9 passing grade from a clean pocket. Heinicke also rushed for 22 yards and a touchdown.

Taylor Heinicke in a clean pocket

Running Backs

Washington trailed 21-0 after three offensive possessions, which led to a relatively inefficient rushing attack, as Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic combined for just seven carries in the first half.

Gibson led the team with 31 rushing yards while McKissic recorded the only explosive rushing play. Gibson only caught one pass, but it went for a 73-yard touchdown that brought some life to Washington’s offense.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Terry McLaurin was effective with the ball in his hands, but those opportunities were far and few between. He ran the most routes on the team but only caught four passes for 62 yards and averaged a paltry 1.09 yards per route run. Logan Thomas, who lost a fumble in the second quarter, finished the game with 42 yards and a late touchdown.

Offensive Line

Washington’s offensive line was unfazed by the Bills pass-rush that generated 46 pressures against Miami last week, as the offensive line allowed just eight pressures in the game. Four of the five starters are set to finish with 70.0-plus pass-blocking grades. Ereck Flowers and Charles Leno Jr. will likely finish above 84.0.

Defensive Line

Washington’s pass rush created 26 pressures but failed to sack Allen in the game. Nearly half of the pressures came from Daron Payne, who generated 11 pressures on 40 pass-rush snaps for a 30.0 pass-rush win percentage.

Payne finished the game with an 88.8 pass-rush grade, which will rank toward the top pass-rush grades around the league in Week 3.

Linebackers

Cole Holcomb, Jon Bostic and Jamin Davis combined for eight defensive stops, including one fourth down by Davis. However, these bright spots are overshadowed by the unit struggling in coverage, with the three combining to allow 13 receptions on 14 targets.

Holcomb allowed the most damage, which included five receptions for 46 yards and two touchdowns.

Secondary

Allen picked Washington’s secondary apart throughout the game. Both Landon Collins and Kamren Curl allowed a touchdown, while Kendall Fuller allowed eight receptions for a game-high 104 yards. All three players are set to allow a passer rating over 100 when targeted.

Benjamin St-Juste and William Jackson were the only members of the secondary to force an incompletion in a fairly disappointing affair from this group.