The Buffalo Bills poured it on in the fourth quarter against the Washington Commanders, running away with a 37-3 victory in Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season. This win marked the Bills' largest margin of victory on the road since winning 35-0 against Miami in Week 2 of the 2021 season. With this win, the Bills moved to a 2-1 record and are set to host the undefeated Miami Dolphins in Week 4.
Here are the top three things we learned from Buffalo's impressive win:
Terrel Bernard had a standout performance in Week 3, becoming the first NFL defensive player in over a decade to record 2+ sacks, an interception, and a fumble recovery in the same game. Bernard's performance was reminiscent of Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher's during the 2007 season. Through three games, Bernard leads the Bills' defense in tackles with 24, five more than the next closest player on the team. Bernard's emergence in the middle of Buffalo's defense is one of the pleasant surprises of the season so far. Despite missing all of the preseason with a hamstring injury, Bernard won the starting middle linebacker job ahead of the regular season.
Everybody Eats Buffalo's defense put on a clinic in Week 3, creating five turnovers, sacking the quarterback nine times, and allowing just 230 total yards. The entire Bills defense balled out, with Micah Hyde, Tre'Davious White, A.J. Epenesa, and Bernard all recording interceptions. DaQuan Jones, Ed Oliver, Leonard Floyd, Greg Rousseau, Bernard, and Epenesa all recorded sacks. Taron Johnson and Matt Milano both had five tackles each. The Bills' defensive line and pass rush once again stood out, with the team pressuring Washington's quarterback on 27 of 39 dropbacks (69.2%), according to Next Gen Stats.
Slamming the Door Shut Despite being up by only two possessions (16-0) at the start of the fourth quarter, the Bills put their foot on the gas and scored two touchdowns in a 36-second span, putting the game out of reach. This included Josh Allen's first rushing touchdown of the season, which he celebrated by flicking the ball up with his wrist, causing it to bounce on top of his helmet before gravity propelled him back down. Backup quarterback Kyle Allen also saw some action in the final quarter, engineering a 9-play, 64-yard drive that was capped off with a Latavius Murray 2-yard run.
In conclusion, the Bills put on a dominant performance in Week 3, with standout performances from Terrel Bernard and the entire defense. With an upcoming matchup against the undefeated Miami Dolphins in Week 4, the Bills will be looking to continue their strong play and build on their impressive point differential through eight quarters of football.