Plays That Defined 2023: Bills vs. Buccaneers, Week 8

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Buffalo Bills — Photo by Rich Barnes/Getty Images

Gritty wins count the same as pretty victories

The Buffalo Bills’ 2023 season is in the books but there’s one little thing missing. Illustrations. Let’s pretend last year is an actual book, with each game a chapter. It’s up to us to find one play or “illustration” that best shows us the theme of that chapter.

Make sense? I hope so because we’re about to take a look at some plays and vote. Remember, it’s not necessarily the best play we want, it’s the one that best illustrates...

Chapter 8: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills

After playing down to an inferior New England Patriots squad and losing, the Bills hosted the 3-3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers looking to get back into the win column. The Bucs were able to keep the game within striking distance but ultimately proved unable to take advantage. Looking at the stat sheet, Buffalo had zero heroic performances. With the Bills trying to steady their season though, they found plenty of steady hands to grind out a win.

Jordan Poyer’s pass defended (Q1; 12:50)

While most sites don’t often dive into passes defended, it’s a stat I peruse often. In this game, Buffalo racked up eight total (league average would be 4.4 per game). This was key to keeping quarterback Baker Mayfield under a 60% completion rate, and disrupting the flow of the game. This one by safety Jordan Poyer ended a possibly promising drive start.

Dalton Kincaid’s touchdown (Q2; 2:46)

You’re looking at Dalton Kincaid’s first NFL touchdown and the score that broke a temporary tie at 10 points. This was one of three touchdowns for Buffalo. Two came through the air, with this the longer of the two.

Ed Oliver’s sack (Q2; 0:47)

The Bills’ defense had 10 quarterback hits, making sure Mayfield was uncomfortable. Three of these 10 were sacks. Oliver’s, shown above, set the Buccaneers back before the half and contributed to keeping Tampa Bay out of field goal range.

Short of the sticks (Q4; 11:00)

Despite a steady day, the second half was mostly a lull for the Bills’ offense. Their lone score came early in the third quarter, followed by many stalled drives. The offense ate up just enough time to support the defense in preventing a comeback. This play embodies that with Kincaid making the catch to get Buffalo past midfield but not in scoring range.