Buffalo Isn't Done

 

Disclaimer: I am a full time OBGYN and am in no way, shape, or form, a sport analyst or journalist. These are simply my reactions and thoughts.

Wow, what a Sunday! Buffalo has officially eliminated Jacksonville from the playoffs. This is something so many sports analysts did not think would happen. However, they must have forgotten that Buffalo has Josh Allen!  

Here are some of my thoughts about our Wildcard win against the Jaguars:

1. I obviously have to start off with Josh Allen. He went 28/35 with 273 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and no turnovers. Just as a reminder, this is against a top 5 defense, and a team that was on an 8-game winning streak. He is now the first player in NFL history to complete over 80% of passes and rush for multiple touchdowns in a playoff game. In playoff games since 2020, he is: first in PFF grade (91.3), first in total yards per game (306), and second for total touchdowns (32). Josh Allen is one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks in the playoffs, hands down. I mean, incredible game and win! Of course, Josh Allen had help from his offensive line. Shout out to Torrence for basically carrying Allen to the goal line on the 4th and short tush push. I think it should now officially be called the Buffalo bobsled since Buffalo is one of the best teams at executing it. Allen also had help from Shakir who was 12/12 with 82 yards. Cooks looked good too and had several long completions including a 58-yard catch. Even Coleman had an impressive 36-yard catch. While we weren't able to get much of a run game going, we still utilized our running backs in the passing game. It truly felt like we were back to our "everybody eats" motto. Every player was putting in the work. Overall, 9 different players were targeted. Ray Davis did fumble the ball on a return, but luckily we were able to still win. He has been an amazing kick returner, so I would still like to see him playing the rest of the games. Unfortunately, there were some offensive injuries during the game. Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers both tore their ACL and will be out for the rest of the post-season. These losses really hurt. We will be lacking WR depth going to Denver. I really felt like the offense was clicking this week and finally getting back into a groove. Hopefully this continues for the rest of the playoffs. Joe Brady, keep up this chemistry please! 
   
   
2. I thought our defense played well Sunday. I always think they can improve against rushing, though they did hold Jacksonville to 154 yards and no rushing touchdowns. They did pressure Lawrence and limited him to 3 touchdowns and forced 2 interceptions. I know 205 passing yards and 3 touchdowns still seems like a lot, but remember, this is against one of the hottest offenses in the NFL right now. Shaq Thompson had a huge game. He had 8 total tackles and an interception in the first quarter. Rousseau, Hancock, and Milano also played well with multiple total tackles, tackles for a loss, and quarterback hits. Honestly, I feel like I could go through each defense player and say something positive. One player that I think has been under recognized is White. He has allowed the second lowest passer rating and the lowest completion percentage since week 6. He was also so close to having an interception this game too. Let's hope he keeps this up against Denver! If you have read my blog, you probably know by now that I am loving Cole Bishop this season. Well, he did it again this week. He proved why I have been giving him so much praise. He had the game sealing interception in the 4th quarter. This ended Lawrence's potentially game tying or winning drive. I don't think any Buffalo fan can dislike him after a play like that! Jordan Poyer did have to leave the game early due to a hamstring injury and will not play Saturday. Hopefully our back-ups will step up and make some big plays. 
   
   
3. Buffalo will be traveling to Denver this week to take on the Broncos Saturday in the Divisional Round. Again, I think this is going to be another close matchup. Not necessarily because Denver is the better team, but because they had the bye week and have home field advantage. Anyone who has traveled to Denver knows the altitude is no joke. So, let's just get right to the comparison. Offensively, Buffalo is the stronger team. I don't think there is any doubt about this. Buffalo is ranked in the top of the NFL for total offense, passing yards, rushing yards, and points per game. In comparison, Denver is ranked in the middle of the league in these categories. Plus, we have the better quarterback. Allen is better in the playoffs than Nix. However, Denver is ranked in the top of the league defensively. They are even ranked higher than Jacksonville in rushing defense. Buffalo's defense is not far behind in points allowed per game and passing defense. Denver has given up a lot of points in games against strong offenses. Specifically, they actually rank in the middle to bottom of the league from weeks 11 to 17 when playing teams that ranked highly offensively. So, I think Buffalo's offense needs to start off aggressively, while also protecting Allen and the ball. Just like last game, our defense needs to pressure Nix and force some turnovers. I do think we are the stronger team. Now, what is really going to make the difference are injuries. We are lacking wide receivers with Gabe Davis, Shavers, and Palmer injured. Also, Denver could take advantage of our defensive injuries as well. The good news is Ed Oliver and Curtis Samuel will start practicing. Though, I am not sure they will be ready to start Saturday. It will be interesting to see how McDermott and Brady handle these injuries. Overall, I think this is the easiest number 1 seed match up Buffalo has played.

If this week showed us anything, it is that playoffs really do change players. Overall, I think we are a stronger team in the playoffs, while some other teams can't withstand the pressure. For example, Cam Little has been spot on all season and then missed a field goal this week. Last year Bo Nix and the Broncos weren't up to the challenge of beating Buffalo in the playoffs. Hopefully that is the case this year as well! I keep saying it, but I think this is Allen's Super Bowl year!

The theme of the month has been pap smears and cervical cancer. If you remember from my previous posts, women with normal pap smears don't need to have them repeated yearly. So, some patients ask why they need still need to see their OBGYN yearly, and if they need a pelvic exam at each visit. Well, it is recommended that everyone has a yearly well-woman visit. This doesn’t always mean you need a full internal pelvic exam every single year. For people who feel well and don’t have symptoms, routine pelvic exams haven’t been shown to prevent disease on their own, so whether one is done should be a shared decision between you and your provider. That yearly visit is still incredibly important, though. It’s when you talk about things like birth control, periods, menopause, sexual health, breast health, vaccines, and any changes or concerns you’ve noticed. If you do have symptoms like pelvic pain, abnormal bleeding, or unusual discharge, a pelvic exam may be needed to help figure out what’s going on. So essentially your yearly well-woman visit is really about you. Make sure you have yours scheduled for 2026 to have any concerns addressed, and to stay up to date on your screening.

As always, and in the words of our MVP, be good, do good, God bless, and go Bills!

Rachel H. MD

{Image: Sports Illustrated}