The Buffalo Bills, fresh off a spectacular victory over the AFC East-leading New England Patriots, had to be hoping to improve their standing and potentially steal the division when they faced the three-win Cleveland Browns team in Week 16.
A strong first half saw the team jump out to an early 20-10 lead, while forcing an interception on Shedeur Sanders. However, the offense still struggled in some areas, especially in the passing game, with Khalil Shakir having another slow start against the Browns.
What Happened to Khalil Shakir?
Even with the early lead, their offense through the air hadn’t been anything special. Tallying just 38 receiving yards in total, the majority of the damage for the Bills was done on the ground, with the combined excellence of Josh Allen and James Cook.
With Keon Coleman once again getting a healthy scratch, his third of the year, the hope was that Shakir could help mitigate any loss. It wasn’t until late in the second quarter that he finally made a statistical impact in the game.
However, his struggles in the first half aren’t an isolated problem with this game. Instead, it’s a pain that Buffalo has endured all season long. Throughout the year, Shakir has tallied 5+ receiving yards in only three first quarters.
Entering this week, just 197 of his 650 receiving yards (30.3%) have come in the first half. But thanks to his second-half excellence, he has been the overall best target for Allen in the passing game.
That has reflected in his spot on PFSN’s WR Impact, where he’s at number 26 on the season, with 650 receiving yards and four touchdowns to his credit on 62 total receptions.
Even with the success Buffalo was having against the Browns, Shakir was having a relatively quiet outing. With just one reception to his name, he added 18 receiving yards to the tally.
With the division still not completely out of reach, provided the Patriots faced some adversity themselves, the Bills had clear motivation to put their best foot forward against Cleveland.
Next week, they face the reigning NFL champions in the Philadelphia Eagles in what promises to be an explosive affair. But a solid performance doesn’t guarantee a victory against the Eagles in the same way it does against the Browns.
As a result, the team needs to take advantage of the opportunity.
Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
