Buffalo Bills' Offense 'Plays Fast,' Finds Balance In Receiving Game vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
For as important as Stefon Diggs has been to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills' offense since arriving in 2020, it was his supporting cast who stepped up on Thursday Night Football.
Four different players had at least five catches and 65 receiving yards in the Bills' 24-18 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4) at Highmark Stadium. Being able to spread the ball around was imperative for quarterback Josh Allen and Buffalo's (5-3) success and helped establish a rhythm that has eluded them in recent weeks.
"This team moves really well when I'm able to get the ball around to our playmakers," Allen said. "I thought guys did a great job with the ball in their hands, making some rac (receiving after the catch) ... Our guys do what they were doing, they were playing fast.
Receiver Khalil Shakir set career highs with six catches for 92 yards, while Gabe Davis caught nine passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Diggs was also key to the offense with nine catches for 70 yards, and rookie right end Dalton Kincaid had five catches for 65 yards and the first touchdown of his career.
Dalton Kincaid has had 13 catches for 140 yards and a touchdown in the last two games.
Adrian Kraus, Associated Press
With tight end Dawson Knox out for the foreseeable future with a wrist injury that landed him on the IR, Kincaid's role will likely only grow as the season progresses. The rookie tight end has caught 13 passes for 140 yards in the last two games.
"As much as a stupid rookie that he is, he feels like - and a lot of guys will say this - he feels like he's been in this league for a long time," Allen said of Kincaid. "He's a professional, he takes it very serious and it's a business to him. So just his approach has been fantastic. The trust that I have in him is going to continue to grow.”
Shakir has emerged as of late for a Buffalo offense that hasn't been firing on all cylinders in the last four weeks. Shakir has 10 catches for 97 yards in the last two games.
"That's a guy that I have a lot of trust in and obviously hasn't been too involved in the offense in the last few weeks," Allen said of Shakir. "But to get him going, again, helps take the tension off 14 (Diggs) and once you get the attention off 14, that's when you can throw to him."
The Bills will have some extra time off before they head to Paycor Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals (3-3) on Nov. 5 at 8:20 p.m. ET on Sunday Night Football.
