Bills are building a physical identity by showing strength in the trenches after the Seahawks' loss

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — After praising the loud and rowdy Buffalo fans for making the trip to the Pacific Northwest and ultimately drowning out the Seahawks' '12s, Bills coach Sean McDermott immediately got to the heart of the matter.

“Every week it starts with winning at the line of scrimmage,” McDermott said in opening his postgame press conference following a 31-10 win at Seattle on Sunday.

Although Josh Allen deserves credit for his fifth multi-touchdown effort of the season, helping the Bills (6-2) take a 3-12 game lead at the top of the AFC East, it is Time to tell the linemen their fault.

This was a victory won in the trenches in a game in which Buffalo demoralized the Seahawks to the point of infighting, with Seattle defensive back Jarran Reed trading blows with linebacker Derick Hall on the field and on the sideline.

Buffalo limited the Seahawks to 32 yards, including a measly 1 yard in the first half.

And the tone was set midway through the second quarter when the Bills were handed back to the Buffalo 7 after Allen's first interception of the season. The series ended with two stops at the 1, capped by the interior defense anticipating the snap that took the lead to Connor Smith up the middle, bringing down quarterback Geno Smith and a 6-yard loss on fourth down caused.

On offense, Buffalo's linemen held firm and allowed a sack against the Seahawks' defense, which was tied for seventh in the NFL with 20 yards rushing over the weekend. And they paved the way for the Bills by racking up 164 yards rushing and 29 first downs, both season highs.

The Bills were so physical that rookie receiver Keon Coleman got in the mood by blocking cornerback Josh Jobe on Buffalo's bench, both getting dismissed for unnecessary roughness.

“Man, I think that was a big point for us,” defensive tackle Eli Ankou said as he watched Coleman go to extremes to complete his block. “It’s something we really wanted to address and push and get everyone to embrace the physicality aspect.”

The result is that the Bills are showing signs of forging a stubborn identity with what could be their most complete win of the season.

The win was Buffalo's first against an opponent that entered Week 8 with a winning record.

The Bills ended a four-game trend of slow starts with the offense scoring on their first drive and the defense forcing three-and-outs on Seattle's first two possessions.

And the defense did so despite starting middle fielder Terrel Bernard (ankle), starting weakside linebacker Matt Milano (left bicep), backup defensive tackle DeWayne Carter (wrist) and Von Miller, the fourth and final Game had to serve his suspension imposed by the NFL, there was no violation of the NFL's personal conduct guidelines.

The effect of both lines can also be seen in the production in the red zone.

With three straight wins, Buffalo has combined to score touchdowns on 11 of 14 drives inside the opponent's 20 drives.

During the same period, opponents were only able to score three touchdowns in ten drives inside the Buffalo 20.

The Bills aren't perfect, but who else is besides the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs? And Buffalo still faces challenges — including hosting the Chiefs on Nov. 17.

But this is a team that was faced with issues at the start of the season of lacking experience in a number of positions and is now showing signs of getting better with each outing.

What works

Fourth down production. The offense went 1 of 1 on fourth down against Seattle, improving to 8 of 8 this season. Opponents have converted just 6 of 18 fourth-down attempts.

What needs help

Punish. Two weeks after the Bills were rejected 11 times for 94 yards in a 23-20 win over the New York Jets, they committed 13 penalties for 85 yards against Seattle.

Stock up

WR Keon Coleman. The rookie allowed five catches for 70 yards after a 125-yard receiving effort against Tennessee, including a one-handed touchdown grab on Sunday.

Inventory reduced

WR Amari Cooper. The rookie had a catch for 3 yards and slipped on his cut, leading to Allen's interception in Cooper's second game since being acquired in a trade with Cleveland.

Injuries

None reported.

Key numbers

32 – Fewest rushing yards Buffalo has allowed since giving up 23 in a 37-20 win over Miami on Nov. 17, 2019.

Next Steps

A chance to extend their lead in the AFC East and win their season series by hosting the Miami Dolphins (2-5) on Sunday. Buffalo has won five straight, including a 31-10 win at Miami in Week 2, and 12 of the last 13 meetings, including playoffs.