5 biggest surprises from Bills’ 2022 season
The Buffalo Bills had a memorable 2022 NFL season, filled with enough ups and downs to form a roller coaster ride.
While that ride fell short of the teams’ Super Bowl aspirations and came to an end in a division round playoff exit, there were plenty of surprises along the way.
Among the good, the bad, the ugly, and the beautiful, here are the five biggest surprises of 2022:
Early Returns on Top Picks
The Bills two early 2022 Draft picks, first round selection CB Kaiir Elam and second round addition RB James Cook, had an immediate impact this season on their respective sides of the ball. Fifth round WR addition Khalil Shakir did so as well.
Despite seeing limited action, these players showed strong promise when utilized in their rookie campaigns, which bodes well for Buffalo as those young talents enter into the offseason looking to see more playing time and take on greater roles in their second season.
Unusual Amounts of Adversity
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The 2022 NFL season was one riddled with adversities for the Bills.
Dawson Knox’s brother’s tragic untimely passing, off-field matters requiring dismissal of a player and sixth-round pick who’d been named a starter, three road games in 12 days with an extra relocation due to weather, getting stuck in Chicago on Christmas Eve due to the same reason, and playcalling issues all reared their head.
Injuries plagued the roster on defense, from Tre White’s year long recovery to losing free agency addition and OLB Von Miller and star safety Micah Hyde for the season, to the unprecedented cardiac arrest of fellow safety Damar Hamlin. On the offensive side, Josh Allen battled an elbow injury much of the season.
Any one of these instances would be a significant challenge to an NFL team, and each was just that for Buffalo this season.
Questions Going Into Offseason
AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File
With key contributors injured, the remaining players couldn’t quite fill the void of productivity left in their absence, especially and most visibly in the team’s pass rush. The defense also struggled to get needed stops and defend the run at times as well.
On the offensive side, Josh Allen experienced difficulties in the passing game as well as with turnovers. Some of OC Ken Dorsey’s play calling, and the lack of use of weapons like WR Stefon Diggs and RB Nyheim Hines, raised some questions as he took over for former OC Brian Daboll.
It all came to a close in a division round exit at home in Orchard Park against a top AFC opponent.
Despite this, the team did win 13 games and the AFC East, losing three games by only a combined eight points, and they were in the mix for the No. 1 playoff seed in their conference. Even with his challenges with turnovers and the passing game, Allen still managed to finish the season as PFF’s top rated QB and the offense saw a more balanced contribution in their run game throughout the year.
Still questions have been raised among the media as to whether a step back was taken by some players and coaches in their offense and defense, and whether they are the right people for their respective positions moving forward.
It will be up to Buffalo’s brain trust to evaluate job performance of the players and coaching staff to determine if and what needs to be adjusted in order to correct and improve those areas.
New Stadium Announcement
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Since the teams’ ownership first began making public announcements of their intention to build a new home stadium for the Bills, fans and the press alike have awaited a clearer picture of what that could look like.
Following research studies and planning, that first literal picture arrived this season.
The first glimpses of what the stadium will look like as well as some of the planned specs and details for it were unveiled with artist renderings, and it is expected to open in 2026.
A Moment That Brought the Football World Together
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For fans and non-fans alike, there was perhaps no bigger moments during the 2022 regular season than the ones in which Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed to the ground and the weeks that followed.
Following a square hit while making a defensive play, Hamlin experienced cardiac arrest, bringing the game and much of the sports world to a standstill.
Thanks to swift action by the Bills medical staff and first responders, the young defensive player was successfully resussitated twice and made a recovery with no neural damage.
The unprecedented injury and moment brought players and teams from around the league and sports world at large, as well as people from around the globe and all walks of life together in acts of prayer and support of Hamlin and his miraculous recovery.
