New-look bills are as good as ever

Good morning, I'm Dan Gartland. I don't mind. I'll just be I'm watching “Hail Mary” by Jayden Daniels all day.

In today's SI:AM:

🤯 Play of the Year
🏆 CFP update
🏀 Ranking of all men's basketball teams

The Buffalo Bills' reign at the top of the AFC East won't end this year.

Their division was predicted to be one of the most competitive in the league, but the injury to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and the utter implosion of the New York Jets has left the Bills alone at the top of the table . After Sunday's 31-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo is now 6-2. That's as many wins as the rest of the division combined.

What makes the Bills' success particularly notable is that it came after the team was forced to release several key players due to exceeding the salary cap by more than $40 million. Cornerback Tre'Davious White, safety Jordan Poyer and center Mitch Morse were released. Micah Hyde, the team's other starting player, was not re-signed after becoming a free agent. The biggest departure was the trade that saw star receiver Stefon Diggs go to the Houston Texans.

But these new-look Bills weren't just as good as the teams that won the last four AFC East titles, they're also among the best teams in the NFL. Sunday's 21-point win over Seattle marked the fourth time this season that Buffalo has won a game by at least three touchdowns –the most of any team in the league. There are only four other teams that have won more than one game by more than 21 points this season. The Bills have a point differential of +84, second only to the Detroit Lions (+100). They rank fifth in the league in scoring and sixth in scoring defense. They are the total package.

How do they do that?

Of course, it all starts with quarterback Josh Allen. It's no secret that Allen has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league for years, but it's at least a little surprising that he's adapted so well to life without Diggs. His stats this year are mostly the same as previous years, but with one glaring difference. Allen's biggest weakness was his tendency to turn the ball over. Last year he threw 18 picks, the second most in the league. It took until Sunday for Allen to throw his first choice this season.

With Diggs in Houston, Allen is distributing the ball much more than before. Last season, Diggs scored 160 goals, 69 more than the next closest player (tight end Dalton Kincaid). That’s 29.4% of Allen’s pass attempts. This year, Kincaid leads the way with 44 targets, followed by Khalil Shakir (38) and Keon Coleman (34).

Shakir is thriving in an expanded role in his third season since being taken out of Boise State in the fifth round of the draft. He played in all 17 games last season but ranked fifth on the team in scoring and caught 39 passes for 611 yards and two touchdowns. Diggs' departure has allowed Shakir to move up the depth chart. He now has 36 catches for 421 yards and two scores in just eight games this season. He made a career-best nine catches for 107 yards in the win over Seattle.

The rookie Coleman quickly became a fan favorite an amusing introductory press conference After the Bills selected him with the first pick in the second round of this year's draft, he was more than just comic relief. Coleman is quickly becoming a dangerous threat. He has had gains of more than 20 yards on nine of his 21 catches this year, and his 18.9 yards per reception currently ranks fifth in the league.

The Kansas City Chiefs still dominate the AFC and are the only undefeated team in the NFL at 7-0, but the Bills are exceeding expectations this season. Is it too early to think about another Bills-Chiefs playoff matchup?

…things I saw yesterday:

5. Bears running back D'Andre Swift's 56-yard touchdown run.
4. Lions run back David Montgomery's Perfect Spiral on a touchdown pass.
3. Dwyane Wade's reaction to seeing him highly controversial statue revealed.
2. Jayden Daniels Hail, Mary.
1. The video from the stands of Bears DB Tyrique Stevenson Taunting the Commanders fans during the game-winning play.