The Buffalo Bills are Winning, But Have Had This Big Problem
The Buffalo Bills are one of the most talented teams in the NFL. Offensively, defensively; individually and as a team, they're near the top of every important category.
That being said, there's been a yellow laundry problem at Bills' games this season, one that's holding them back from reaching their true potential.
The Buffalo Bills are Still Good at Football
Don't get me wrong: the Bills are still extremely talented.
The team is 5th in total yards of offense, and 1st in the NFL in least amount of yards allowed per game. They score the second most points per game, and have given up the second least.
Individually, the numbers are very similar. Despite throwing 11 interceptions, QB Josh Allen is among the best in the league. He's thrown for the fourth-most total yards this season, and his 25 touchdowns are tied for second in the league.
Bills' wide receiver Stefon Diggs has the 7th-most receiving yards in the league this season, and safety Jordan Poyer is one of four defensive players with at least five interceptions.
Again, they're really good at football. No one can argue that.
The Buffalo Bills are One of the Most Penalized Teams in Football
The website nflpenalties.com gives us some telling numbers about the Bills' one true flaw: their discipline.
Only three teams in the NFL (Dallas, Las Vegas and Cleveland) have lost more yards this year due to penalties being called on them, with 696 total yards being negated by flags for Buffalo this year.
Only Dallas, Las Vegas and Detroit have had more total flags thrown against them, with 97 bits of yellow laundry being tossed on the Bills. No team has taken more penalties away from their home confines than the Bills, with their 47 away flags leading the league.
Part of this can be attributed to the Bills' aggressive game plan on both sides of the ball, which leads them to play "on the edge" far more often. That said, that can only account for part of the problem.
The rest can be attributed to discipline, and head coach Sean McDermott and company will have to work hard to fix this issue before the playoffs begin.