Bills cap off Thanksgiving with blowout of Trevor Siemian-led Saints
The post-turkey nappers of Thanksgiving didn't miss much.
The Buffalo Bills had little trouble taking care of the New Orleans Saints, who were once again starting Trevor Siemian, in a 31-6 win on Thursday, ending a noticeably weak Thanksgiving slate for the NFL.
The day had started with a rockfight between a winless team and a team seemingly on the verge of firing its coach, followed by an overtime game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys featuring a sideline altercation and 28 penalties, with one deciding the game in overtime.
Those games were at least close. The nightcap was not.
Bills were up 24-0 at one point
The Bills were hardly a dominant force, but the Saints had so little bite that it hardly mattered. Josh Allen finished the night 23-for-28, 260 passing yards and four touchdowns, but also kept the game close with two back-to-back interceptions at the end of the first half, including one in the red zone.
Those picks kept the Saints within striking distance at 10-0, but then the Bills came out of the locker room with an 11-play, 75-yard drive capped off by this beauty of a route by Stefon Diggs.
Cooked him with the route. @stefondiggs#BillsMafia
📺: #BUFvsNO on NBC
📱: NFL app pic.twitter.com/Grszdwfp2F— NFL (@NFL) November 26, 2021
The Bills eventually built up a 24-0 lead the Saints never came close to challenging. They pulled Allen after taking a 31-6 lead.
What to make of Saints QBs
The biggest headline for the Saints this week had been a contract extension for swiss army knife Taysom Hill worth up to $95 million if he becomes the team's starting quarterback. Hill would have been the natural choice to take over under center while Jameis Winston remains out for the season, but a foot injury kept him out of the entire game.
Siemian finished the game 17-of-29 for 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception. As a team, the Saints gained a total of 190 yards and averaged 3.3 yards per play.
Head coach Sean Payton didn't rule out making a change at QB after the game, which could mean either a return for Hill or looking at third-stringer Ian Book, a fourth-round rookie who was inactive for the game. Because of the Thursday game, the Saints will at least have 10 days to make a decision.
Tre'Davious White exits with injury
The Bills won, but might have ended up with the more significant loss.
All-Pro cornerback Tre'Davious White exited the game in the second quarter and was later ruled out with a knee injury. The injury appeared to occur when White's knee buckled awkwardly while in coverage.
White was noticeably upset when he reached the sideline, and his loss would be a significant blow for one of the league's top defenses.
#Bills CB Tre’Davious White pulls up and is injured on this play: pic.twitter.com/ZVDyX3bYWg
— Nick (@Nick_Wojton) November 26, 2021