Much has been made of late about Chan Gailey's Buffalo Bills offense becoming more productive, particularly since Ryan Fitzpatrick was named the starting quarterback. To date this season, Buffalo's offense has produced 124 points in seven games, or an average of 17.7 points per game. (The average is 21.4 with Fitzpatrick at QB.)
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of that still-moderate offensive success is that more than half of the team's points - 66 points in total thus far this season - have come on drives that started at Buffalo's own 30-yard line, or behind it.
Buffalo has had at least one scoring drive of over 70 yards in every game they've played this season, and ten in total. Nine of those ten drives ended in touchdowns, and five of the nine touchdown drives were capped off by Stevie Johnson scores. Four of the ten drives either gave the Bills a lead in the game or extended their lead, while another tied the game. Only two did not bring the Bills to within one score of their opponent. Clearly, if a team is traveling 70 yards on a drive, the odds of scoring a TD increase - there's only so much room on a football field, after all - but the figures are nonetheless impressive.
In all, Buffalo's offense has produced 23 scoring drives through seven games. The fact that ten of them came on drives of 70 or more yards is encouraging, and speaks to Gailey's ability to make adjustments and properly attack his opponents' weaknesses. Perhaps the most encouraging statistic of all, however, is the fact that nine of Buffalo's 14 offensive touchdown drives came on lengthy possessions; it'd be nice if the Bills were afforded short fields more often, but clearly, it's not mandatory for offensive success. At least, not yet.
Week | Quarter | Plays | Yards | Scoring Play | Game Score |
1 | 4 | 10 | 80 | R. Parrish 31-yd. pass from T. Edwards | MIA 13, BUF 10 |
2 | 2 | 8 | 80 | F. Jackson 3-yd. run | GB 13, BUF 7 |
3 | 4 | 7 | 80 | St. Johnson 37-yd. pass from R. Fitzpatrick | NE 38, BUF 30 |
4 | 4 | 5 | 79 | St. Johnson 14-yd. pass from R. Fitzpatrick | NYJ 38, BUF 14 |
5 | 2 | 15 | 70 | R. Lindell 22-yd. Field Goal | BUF 13, JAC 3 |
5 | 4 | 5 | 74 | St. Johnson 7-yd. pass from R. Fitzpatrick | JAC 36, BUF 26 |
7 | 1 | 6 | 72 | L. Evans 33-yd. pass from R. Fitzpatrick | BUF 7, BAL 3 |
7 | 2 | 11 | 91 | St. Johnson 33-yd. pass from R. Fitzpatrick | BUF 17, BAL 3 |
7 | 2 | 6 | 82 | L. Evans 20-yd. pass from R. Fitzpatrick | BUF 24, BAL 10 |
8 | 4 | 15 | 83 | St. Johnson 4-yd. pass from R. Fitzpatrick | KC 10, BUF 10 |