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Buffalo Bills Milestone Watch 2023

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Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, Dawson Knox, 2023

The free agents have been signed, the rookies have been drafted, and the OTAs have been attended. Now is the time in the offseason where everyone looks ahead to training camp and the upcoming season. And the 2023 Buffalo Bills have a ton going for them this year, both as a team and as players. In this article, I will share which members of this year’s Bills are on milestone watch.

Criteria for Benchmarks

Realistically Achievable: The milestones mentioned (i.e. TDs needed, receptions needed) either fall within or lies marginally beyond the player’s statistical career highs.

Josh Allen: Passing TDs & Rushing Yards

We all know Josh Allen is on pace to become the greatest QB in Buffalo Bills history. He is currently third in Bills history in completions, pass attempts, passing yards, and pass touchdowns. While he still has a long ways to go, he has a chance to move up a couple lists in 2023.

Passing TDs

Allen is currently 44 passing touchdowns away from passing (pun intended) Joe Ferguson for second all-time in Bills history. Maybe he gets that all this year or maybe he gets it sometime in 2024.

Rushing Yards

Josh Allen, the elite dual-threat QB that he is, currently sits at 3,087 rushing yards. He can move up Buffalo’s all-time rushing yards list this season:

  • Devin Singletary (65 yds away)
  • C.J. Spiller (235 yds)
  • Willis McGahee (279 yds)
  • Wray Carlton (282 yds)
  • LeSean McCoy (728 yds)
  • Travis Henry (763 yds)

Given that Allen has recorded 763 and 762 rushing yards the last two seasons, it’s not impossible for him to leap over Travis Henry for the fifth spot in 2023.

Stefon Diggs: Receptions, Receiving Yards, & Receiving TDs

Stefon Diggs has had a historic run in Buffalo. In just three years, he’s amassed 338 receptions, 4,189 yards, and 29 touchdowns, landing him inside the top 10 of all three receiving metrics in franchise history (fifth, eighth, and tied-sixth respectively). And he did this in just 49 games played. In his next 17 games, Diggs can climb even further up Buffalo’s all-time receiving lists.

(*This tweet should say 2023.)

Receptions

Josh Allen’s current WR1 is just 40 receptions behind J.P. Losman’s WR1, Lee Evans (377), for fourth all-time on Buffalo’s career receptions list. That one is all but attainable in 2023.

He may also have a shot at Thurman Thomas (456) for the third spot, but he’s gonna need a little help from Allen and Ken Dorsey. Diggs needs 119 receptions (11 more than his 2022 total) to surpass Thrum. Given he’s still in his prime, and that he wants the ball more, that number is certainly not outside the realm of possibility for 2023.

Receiving Yards

Diggs can significantly jump up this list in 2023. Here is the list of players standing between him and fourth place on the franchise receiving yards ranking (as well as how far away he is from overtaking them):

  • Jerry Butler (113 yds)
  • Thurman Thomas (153 yds)
  • Frank Lewis (450 yds)
  • Elbert Dubenion (1,106 yds)

Receiving TDs

Diggs is currently tied with Jerry Butler for sixth on the Bills all-time receiving touchdowns list, so he only needs 1 more to take sole possession. Beyond that, he needs 6 touchdowns to pass Bob Chandler for fifth and 7 to lap “Golden Wheels” Dubenion for fourth.

Dawson Knox: TE Receptions, Receiving Yards, & Receiving TDs

Historically, the Buffalo Bills have not been known for their tight end play. The most notable TE in franchise history, Pete Metzelaars, had just 302 receptions for 2,921 yards and 25 touchdowns in nine seasons. Given the evolution of the game and the TE position, it’s not surprising Dawson Knox is rapidly climbing up the franchise leaderboards.

Receiving TDs

Entering 2023, Knox needs just 6 receiving touchdowns to surpass his jersey mate Metzelaars for most all-time by a Bills TE (and ninth overall in team history).

Receptions

Knox also needs just 34 receptions to pass drought-era fan favorite Scott Chandler (182) for third-most by a Bills TE. He also has an outside chance at second place (Jay Riemersma, 204), though he would need to post a career-high 56 receptions.

Receiving Yards

Additionally, Knox is within striking distance of Chandler and Riemersma for third and second on Buffalo’s all-time TE receiving yards list (respectively):

  • Scott Chandler (341 yds away)
  • Jay Riemersma (525 yds)

Von Miller: Sacks

Miller is one of the best pass rushers of the past 10+ years. (This was why the Bills pursued him in the 2022 offseason.) His impact has been seen both on the field and in the league’s record books.

Regardless of when Von Miller returns to the field for Buffalo, he can still move up the NFL’s official all-time sack list this year. He needs just 3.5 sacks to pass the late great Derrick Thomas, 9.5 to pass Leslie O’Neal and Lawrence Taylor, and 10.5 to pass John Abraham. (The latter two being feasible if he returns earlier in the year.)

Jordan Poyer: Interceptions

Earlier this offseason, many Bills fans (including myself) thought Jordan Poyer was done playing in Buffalo. But Brandon Beane did his thing, bringing him back for two more years. Now, with that settled, he’ll turn his focus back to the gridiron and make some headway in the record books.

If All-Pro Po gets 4 interceptions this year, the same amount he picked off in 2022, he will leap frog Mario Clark and tie Nate Odomes for fifth all-time in Buffalo Bills history. If he gets 5, he will take fifth place outright.

Here’s everyone else Poyer can lap on the list in 2023:

  • Jairus Byrd (1 INT away)
  • Steve Freeman, Booker Edgerson, Nate Clements (2 away)

Tyler Bass: Made Extra Points & Field Goal Percentage

Tyler Bass, The Leg of the Franchise, can continue to make his mark on the team record books this season.

Made Extra Points

Bass needs to make just 27 extra points to pass Dan Carpenter for fourth-most by a Bills kicker in team history. He is 51 away from third place (Scott Norwood, 133).

Field Goal Percentage

In order to take over the top spot on Buffalo’s all-time field goal percentage list (currently held by Carpenter, 86.5%), Tyler Bass will need to hit at least 89.4% of his field goals in 2023.

Sean McDermott: Coach Wins

The newly-extended Sean McDermott needs just 7 more wins to surpass Lou Saban (68) for second-most wins by a Bills head coach ever. (Nice.)

Others Worth Mentioning

  • Gabe Davis (Receiving TDs): Needs 6 TDs to move past Pete Metzelaars & Peerless Price for ninth on Buffalo’s all-time list. Can tie jersey mate Stevie Johnson with 8 (eighth; 28) and early/mid ‘80s stalwart Jerry Butler with 9 (sixth; 29).
  • Matt Milano (Interceptions): Needs 1 INT to pass Harry Jacobs (8) for fifth-most picks by a Bills LB in team history. With 2, he would tie Archie Matsos (10) for fourth. If he records 3 picks, his total from last year, Milano would tie Darryl Talley and John Tracey (11 each) for second-most.
  • Jordan Poyer (Forced Fumbles): Needs to force just 3 fumbles to surpass Nate Odomes (9) for eighth-most in Bills history.

Source

Stats via Pro Football Reference

Featured Image: AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman

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Zach is the Editor in Chief of Buffalo Fanatics. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @zvaughn2712