5 takeaways from Bills' up-and-down win over Colts in Week 10

Here are five takeaways from the Buffalo Bills' Week 10 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

Ronnie Eastham | Nov 10, 2024

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The last time the Buffalo Bills started a season 8-2 was 1993, corresponding to the last time they made it to a Super Bowl. The team will hope to repeat that feat after improving to 8-2 on the 2024 campaign with a 30-20 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The Bills now turn their attention to a hotly anticipated Week 11 bout with the Kansas City Chiefs, but before we fully focus on the postseason rematch, let's take a closer look at Buffalo's Week 10 victory. Here are our five takeaways from this Bills win.

Bills defense opportunistic with four turnovers

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With the injuries on the offensive side of the ball, the Bills' defense needed to make some plays and help out the offense. Taron Johnson did just that, taking Colts quarterback Joe Flacco's first pass of the game to the endzone for a pick-six. Later in the first quarter, big man Austin Johnson came up with an impressive pick of his own that Buffalo turned into three more points and a 10-0 lead. In the second half, Greg Rousseau forced a Flacco fumble, followed later by a Taylor Rapp pick. The four turnovers led to 17 points by the Bills.

Bills offense out of sync, but expected with injuries

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Josh Allen was off at times, including a terrible pass that resulted in an interception. The Colts turned that into a touchdown on the ensuing drive. He also missed a wide-open Dalton Kincaid in the first quarter that would have ended in six. With Keon Coleman and Amari Cooper out, it was to be expected. Still, the quarterback orchestrated a Josh Allen-type drive to close out the first half with a field goal and a seven-point lead heading into the half. Unfortunately, Allen was off in the second half with his second interception of the game. It was an up-and-down game for Allen and the Bills, but the team still scored 30 points with some help from the defense.

Bills run defense was Jekyll and Hyde

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We've seen this a few times this year: the Bills struggle in the first half in some regard and come out in the second half with adjustments. That happened again this week, and you have to give kudos to the coaching staff. Jonathan Taylor ran all over the Bills' defense and piled up over 100 yards by halftime. However, he finished the game with only 114 yards. Buffalo's run defense is still a concern, though. A big reason that Taylor was limited in the second half was because the Bills started to pull away on the scoreboard, forcing the Colts to throw more than they would prefer.

Josh Allen ties O.J. Simpson for second most rushing touchdowns in Bills history

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Despite the up-and-down nature of Josh Allen on Sunday, he tied O.J. Simpson for second all-time in rushing touchdowns in Bills history. Now with 57, he is only eight behind the Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas. Allen finished the game with 280 yards through the air and 50 on the ground, adding the lone rushing touchdown. Unfortunately, he also threw two interceptions, but the Bills defense had his back.

Curtis Samuel finally made a significant appearance in the Bills offense

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Getting Curtis Samuel involved in the Bills offense was a must given the injuries to the receiving corps. Samuel was targeted eight times, making four receptions for 35 yards. The stat line isn't eye-popping, but it helped keep the Colts' defense honest and unable to focus solely on Khalil Shakir, who finished with a team-high nine targets and six receptions. Samuel looked healthy and if Buffalo can get him going in the offense while Coleman and Cooper get healthy, it will be huge for the Bills as they continue to push toward the playoffs and beyond.

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