Our 2023 Buffalo Bills Award Ceremony
This year’s Bills team had the highest highs and the lowest lows of any team in recent memory. After falling to 6-6 on the season, the peaks and valleys led our Squad to have just a sliver of hope to even make the playoffs. They turned it around and somehow secured the two seed with a little help from the Dolphins’ brutal collapse.
Many other Bills media outlets like to announce their own team awards and we thought we should hop on that train.
We will each be selecting a Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player and MVP Award.
Defensive Player of the Year
Joe’s pick: Rasul Douglas
It’s understood that he didn’t play the full season in Blue and White, but we cannot allow what Douglas did this year to go overlooked. After Tre White went down the Bills were lacking experience in the CB room. Brandon Beane won the trade deadline by bringing this man into Buffalo. The trade seemed to be an absolute fleece even before Douglas’s performance down the stretch. There were many reports of the Packers staff and locker room being devastated to see him go. Rasoul was a plug and play CB1 in a new system that took on a gauntlet of WRs as the Bills hunted for a playoff berth.
In just 9 regular season games with the Bills, Douglas only gave up 234 yards and 1 passing touchdown on Completion percentage of 53.3. His allowed passer rating was just 38.8! Douglas was the perfect fit.
Noah’s pick: Terrel Bernard
In his second year with the Bills, the 24 year old stepped up in a big way. Bernard has had the chance to study his craft under All-Pro Matt Milano, and has become somewhat of a clone of his mentor. Following Milano’s week 5 injury, Bernard took the reins on defense. While the veteran’s presence was surely missed, Buffalo had no shortage of talent in the Middle Linebacker spot.
Bernard led the team with 143 combined tackles, 10 of those for negative yardage. His ability to follow the play also showed while notching 3 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions. Assuming Milano is back in full-form for the 2024-25 season, these two will be a force to be reckoned with.
Offensive Player of the Year
Joe’s Pick : James Cook
Getting Cook going was one of the biggest factors in the Bills offensive success. With help from a healthy offensive line, Cook was able to keep defenses honest at the second level. Once Cook really ramped up, the Bills faced some heavier boxes and still had success running the rock.
The second year ‘back quietly had one of the best years by any offensive player in the NFL. He was 6th in yards from scrimmage across the league this year only behind: Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, Breece Hall and Puka Nacua. At 4.7 yards per carry, he ranked 6th amongst Runningbacks. He was also 4th overall in rushing yards.
Noah’s Pick: Khalil Shakir
Though he wasn’t at the top of the production list, the former 5th round pick has proven to be one of the most reliable targets for Josh Allen (more to come on this later). Shakir led the team’s WR/TE group in average YAC with 7.2, which is an area the Bills have struggled in recent seasons. He displays a consistent ability to create separation and find space. Pairing that with his catch percentage made him a very dangerous option down the stretch, and was at times a breath of fresh air when the offense was struggling to find their passing game.
While his targets were limited, he made his presence felt by opposing secondaries. Shakir is a viable option at WR2 for Joe Brady’s first full season at OC.
Rookie of the Year
Joe’s Pick : O’Cyrus Torrence
If you haven’t heard by now, this guy was the only player to play every snap this year for the Bills Offense. Most analysts had a first round grade on Torrence which make’s Beane’s second round pick the most obvious steal Beane has had in the draft.
Torrence’s level of play wasn’t necessarily elite, but he was consistently good. When it comes to the offensive linemen, there’s not a lot of that going around in the NFL - especially for rookies. Good play on the O-line has become undervalued through overestimation. There are not many NFL teams that perform up to the standards of their fans along the offensive front. The stabilization for the position of RG brought so much value to the offense.
Experts say it’s a good thing when an offensive lineman’s name isn’t being said much and in that context, Torrence had a pretty quiet year. He was only penalized 6 times all season and allowed just 3 sacks. An offensive lineman’s level of play can also affect the guys next to him. Spencer Brown had his best year as a pro lining up next to the rookie. The Mafia has been pounding the table for an improved offensive line since Allen put on a Bills jersey. Torrence played a vital role in delivering just that.
Noah’s Pick: Dalton Kincaid
In his debut season, Dalton Kincaid became a household name in Buffalo. Following a week 5 injury for fifth-year TE Dawson Knox, the rookie quickly became a vital piece of the offense. Kincaid finished the regular season with 73 receptions on 91 targets for 673 yards, marking the most single-season receptions by a Tight End in franchise history.
His impressive 80.2% catch rate made him a consistent option for Allen, as Kincaid racked up the 2nd most targets behind Stefon Diggs. In 73 catches, Kincaid moved the chains 29 times and found the endzone twice. In the postseason, the 24 year old reeled in 8 balls on 11 targets for 104 yards and 1 TD. IN the final game of the season vs KC, he found himself at the top of the stat sheet catching all 5 of his targets for 48 yards.
Most Improved Player
Joe’s Pick: Khalil Shakir
Shakir showed a couple flashes toward the end of his rookie campaign. He seemed to be the only wide receiver Ken Dorsey could scheme open through the last few games. This year those flashes became a little brighter.
In the regular season Shakir was only targeted 46 times. He had 611 yards on 39 receptions. 26 of the 39 passes Shakir caught moved the chains. He was not credited with a single drop this season so it’s now safe to say he’s one of the most sure handed receivers in the game. Shakir had two very memorable touchdowns, one in each of the Bills playoff games. He hauled in 10 of his 12 targets and moved the chains a total of 6 times. He may not fit the mold of a true WR2, but we should expect to see his role continue to grow next season.
Noah’s Pick: Tyrel Dodson
Dodson has spent each of his 4 NFL seasons in Buffalo since The Bills signed him as an undrafted FA. From 2020-2022, his snap counts on defense had been limited while seeing most of his action on special teams. In 2023, largely due to injuries in the Sean McDermott-led defense, the 24 year old LB saw a slight majority of the team’s defensive snaps (51%). In his added responsibility, Dodson tallied 74 combined tackles including 8 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and 2.5 sacks.
These numbers become a bit more impressive when compared to 1st Team All-Pro T.J. Watt. Watt finished the regular season with less total tackles (68), while seeing 83% of his team’s defensive snaps and earning an average salary of $28M. While Watt also led the league in sacks this season, the $2M AAV Dodson definitely earned his money.
